BUDGET 2005: Reducing demand for drugs in our communities

The Progressive Party has continued to support efforts to reduce demand for drugs in communities and to improve access to treatment services for victims of addiction in this year’s budget round, the coalition government's sixth.

A further five Community Action on Youth and Drugs or CAYAD programmes are to be funded by $3.23 million (GST exclusive) over the next four financial years for at-risk communities where illicit drug use is highest, Mr Anderton said.

The locations for the five new CAYADs will be based on need, determined by analysis of Police Department statistics, school suspensions/stand down data, deprivation and youth employment statistics.

They are likely be determined by July, with contracts in place by October of this year, the Progressive leader said.

"The CAYADs are there to try and reduce the demand for drugs in the community.

Mr Anderton said for those who have fallen victim to the drug peddlers, access to treatment is also vital.

"That is why our Budget 2005 initiatives also include measures to improve access to treatment in three simple but significant ways. An investment of $68,000 (GST exclusive) for a free alcohol and other drug service directory is being provided so that people don't have to pay to find out where to go for help.

"This directory will now list gambling addiction services as well as Alcohol and Other Drug services. The Budget also includes an investment of $60,000 (GST exclusive) to go toward an evaluation of an online alcohol and other drug treatment service trial. This service, if successful, could be a more user-friendly way for victims of drugs to gain immediate access to treatment. A further $50,000 has also been allocated for training in the use of an early intervention resource so victims of drugs can be better identified and helped.

Background: Community Action on Youth Alcohol and Drugs: Five new CAYAD sites

A further five CAYAD sites are to be established in at-risk communities where illicit drug use is highest. These sites will be established and run along the lines of the existing CAYAD sites established around New Zealand.

The five new community sites will be selected on the basis of need (as determined by an analysis of Police Department statistics, school suspensions/stand down data, deprivation and youth employment statistics). Each initiative will be tailored to its community’s particular needs and will be developed in the context of community information and experience, together with evidence-based research to find local solutions to local issues.

A needs assessment process was undertaken for the phase two CAYAD sites, and this could be updated to identify these phase three sites.

CAYAD projects are located in rural and urban settings across the country. Five initial projects (phase one) sites were implemented in 1998 in Opotiki, Nelson, Hokianga, Whangaruru and Kaitaia. Fifteen further (or so-called Phase Two) site projects were established with funding secured in Budget 2003 by the Progressive Party and another one was established in the township of Murupara in 2004 with funding secured from the National Drug Policy Discretionary Fund which was created in Budget 2004.

During 2001, the Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit (APHRU) team at Auckland University undertook further impact evaluation work with the community action projects in the Hokianga, Whangaruru and Kaitaia. Overall, the CAYAD project was viewed by key informants as making an important contribution to promoting positive social change in the three Northland communities studied.

Broad impact measures included decreases in drug-related school suspensions and stand-downs in these areas, decreases in reported incidence of youth crime, changes in attitudes and behaviour related to excessive drug use, and greater co-ordination of services for young people and their families. The implementation of the further fifteen projects commenced in December 2003 with four sites identified as baseline study sites. The projects involve inter-sectoral collaboration and co-ordination between the range of health, and community stakeholders and agencies involved in the CAYADs. Data was gathered prior to the start of CAYAD sites in Clendon/Manurewa, Waitakere City, Huntly and the Whanganui communities, so impacts can be measured. An initial Formative Evaluation Report is now available and subsequent reports are due in May and August 2005, with a final report due in 2006.

The interim evaluation report is generally positive and notes that all projects are now fully staffed and have reference or stakeholder groups in place. The evaluators make several recommendations of where improvement can be made including the need for ongoing national co-ordination.

Total GST excl. 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09

$0.867 $0.774 $0.788 $0.804

Background: Evaluation of Online Alcohol & Other Drug Treatment Service

A trial of an Online Alcohol and Drug Service for adults with alcohol and other drug related harm is to take place in the northern region. It is being conducted in conjunction with the community alcohol and drug service (CADS) in Auckland. Having recognised the potential value of integrating an online service with their existing service CADS have agreed to provide a venue where the studio can be located and qualified staff for the duration of the pilot.

The benefits of such an evaluation are:

Online counselling is an innovative form of intervention in New Zealand and if it is to be carried on an evaluation of effectiveness is required.
Evaluation from the start will enhance the data collection
Evaluation will enhance service and workforce development in New Zealand.

Objectives:

Evaluate the pilot online alcohol and other drug treatment service being conducted in the northern region

Components:

Development of the evaluation protocols (including an advisory committee)

Formative evaluation of the project;
Review of online client data, conduct consumer outcome surveys;
Analyse clinical data and publish a report.

Budget:(excl GST) ($)0.060

Background: Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Service Directory

The Alcohol Drug Association New Zealand (ADANZ) currently collates, maintains and produces a directory of intervention services (self-help, private and public pay services) which is available for a small fee in hard copy or via the Internet. The small fee is necessary as the cost of maintaining and producing the directory is not included in the various ADANZ contracts.

The directory was originally produced through Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) grants and does not include information related to problem gambling intervention services.

Objectives:

To update and maintain an addiction treatment directory;
To provide an updated directory of intervention services free of charge to health and social services;
To provide via the Internet an updated resource to those wanting help for the assessment or management of addiction related harm;
To maintain the website;
To update the directory including problem gambling intervention services;
Entries to include contact information for the various services, hours of operation (including after hours numbers, admission criteria, range of services offered. An appendix will also include key resources for self-help including phone lines, chat rooms and web sites;
Review the directory before finalisation;
Enhance the ADANZ website to create an access point to the directory;
Web site to include counter to monitor use;
To distribute directory to addiction treatment services, mental health and corrections services - free of charge;
Maintain a supply of directories to distribute when asked for;
Monitor and maintain the directory;
Evaluation of usefulness, at least 12 months after release

Budget: (GST excl)

Year 1 ($)0.020

Year 2 ($)0.016

Year 3 ($)0.016

Year 4 ($)0.016

Background: Train the trainer

In 2004, Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton obtained funding in order to develop a resource for use in secondary prevention.

Secondary Prevention in this context is the prevention of problematic addiction-related behaviour and escalation of harm including early intervention. Secondary prevention training is relevant for those working in the criminal justice system, budgetary advice, social services as well as those in Primary Health Organisations.

Secondary prevention techniques permit those working with patients to better identify signs of potential problems and risky behaviour in their patients.

The resource and training manual has been developed and is currently undergoing review and trial.

By July 2005 the final manual and training programme will be available.

To ensure optimal utilisation of the resource this proposal is for a series of train the trainer’s courses.

This means an organisation will identify a person(s) in their organisation as the trainer for the organisation and that person will be trained in the use of the resource. They will then be equipped to train others within their organisation on the correct utilisation of the resource.

Objectives:

1. Maximises the potential use of the resource package
2. Increases the integrity of the training

Components:

Develop train the trainers package;
Produce resources;
Marketing of courses;
Carry out 3x2 day train the trainer courses;
Observed supervision (including into following year);

Budget:(excl GST)

Year 1 ($)0.040

Year 2 ($)0.010

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