ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs – Mental Health Alliance
The ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs – Mental Health Alliance (ATOD-MH Alliance) was established in 2023 by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT (MHCC ACT), and is supported by the ACT Health Directorate.
The Alliance aims to set out a comprehensive strategy to address the fragmentation and gaps in the ATOD and mental health services within the ACT, to create a well-coordinated service system that fosters innovation, ensures trauma-informed and culturally safe practices, and improves outcomes for individuals and families in the ACT.
The Alliance achieves these goals through working groups, an online community of practice, and professional development opportunities.
The ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs – Mental Health Alliance (ATOD-MH Alliance) was established in 2023 by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA) and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT (MHCC ACT), and is supported by the ACT Health Directorate.
The Alliance aims to set out a comprehensive strategy to address the fragmentation and gaps in the ATOD and mental health services within the ACT, to create a well-coordinated service system that fosters innovation, ensures trauma-informed and culturally safe practices, and improves outcomes for individuals and families in the ACT.
The Alliance achieves these goals through working groups, an online community of practice, and professional development opportunities.
Alliance membership
Membership of the Alliance is open to:
- Non-government providers of alcohol and other drug treatment and harm reduction services in the ACT region
- Non-government providers of mental health services in the ACT region
- ACT Government:
- Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services (Canberra Health Services)
- ACT Health Directorate
- Members of MHCC ACT who have demonstrated experience in relation to people experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use issues in the ACT region
- Members of ATODA who have demonstrated experience in relation to people experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use issues in the ACT region
- Capital Health Network
- Consumer representatives nominated by the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy (CAHMA) and the Mental Health Consumer Network
- Carer (as defined by Carers Recognition Act 2021 (ACT)) representatives nominated by Carers ACT and Family Drug Support
- Other organisations representing priority population groups.
For more information, or if you would like to become a member of the Alliance, please contact info@atoda.org.au.
Alliance working groups
Our work is primarily delivered through three working groups. If you would like to become a member of one of the working groups, please contact info@atoda.org.au.
Objectives:
- Enhance consumer, lived and living experience, peer and service delivery voices to advise on complex and co-occurring needs for MH and ATOD clients;
- Discuss needs and future development of peer support, consumer and lived and living experience workers working in MH and ATOD sectors; and
- Identify opportunities for expansion of peer support, consumer, and lived and living experience workforce in the ACT.
Objectives:
- Enhance service delivery voices, expert voices, peer support and lived and living experience voices on how workforce capacity and training can improve the experiences of people with complex and co-occurring needs in the MH and ATOD sectors;
- Identify key needs and opportunities for workforce capacity building and cross-sector collaboration in the ACT MH and ATOD sectors and allied health services; and
- Identify opportunities for early intervention for people with complex and co-occurring needs in the MH and ATOD sectors.
Objectives:
- Make recommendations to the ACT Government on how to most effectively address the needs of the complex and co-occurring cohort in the ACT context
- Provide advice to support relevant policy development for this cohort