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AIVL Annual Report 2010

Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users

League Incorporated

Annual Report

30 June 2010

Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League

AIVL Annual Report 2010 Page | 2

Contents

About AIVL ............................................................................................................ 3

AIVL’s Aims and Objectives ............................................................................. 4

AIVL Member Organisations ............................................................................ 5

President’s Report .............................................................................................. 7

Treasurer’s Report .............................................................................................. 8

AIVL STAFF ........................................................................................................... 9

CAHMA and Connection Staff .......................................................................... 9

Executive Officer’s Report .............................................................................. 10

New AIVL Resources ........................................................................................ 15

STATE & TERRITORY REPORTS .................................................................... 18

Member Organisation: SAVIVE ................................................................................ 19

Member Organisation: WASUA ............................................................................... 21

Member Organisation: NUAA ................................................................................. 23

Member Organisation: CAHMA ............................................................................... 28

Member Organisation: HRV - Harm Reduction Victoria ........................................... 30

Member Organisation: NTAHC – NT Aids & Hepatitis Council ................................. 34

Member Organisation: QuIVVA ............................................................................... 36

Member Organisation: QUIHN – Queensland Injectors Health Network ................... 38

Member Organisation: TasCAHRD – Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis & Related Diseases .................................................................................................... 40

Financial Statements ....................................................................................... 43


About AIVL The Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) is the national peak organisation for the State and Territory Drug User Organisations and represents issues of national significance for illicit drug users. The organisational philosophy of AIVL is user-centred and supports the right of people who use illicit drugs to self-organise and form peer-based structures and processes in order to reduce drug related harm. AIVL operates within a health promotion framework as articulated in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) which defines health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health”. The Charter outlines five strategies for achieving the above process which are:

• Building healthy public policy;

• Creating supportive environments;

• Strengthening community action;

• Developing personal skills; and

• Reorienting health services. With this overall framework in mind, AIVL undertakes a broad range of health promotion and disease prevention activities and programs. One of the primary aims of the organisation is to prevent and reduce the transmission of blood borne viruses amongst people who inject illicit drugs such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV and to ameliorate the negative impact of such conditions amongst those already infected. Although AIVL represents and addresses issues affecting all illicit drug users, AIVL and its member organisations will maintain a priority focus on injecting drug users and injecting drug user issues due to the higher levels of harm and marginalisation routinely experienced by people who inject drugs. AIVL takes a non-judgmental approach to drug use and recognises the fundamental role that drug use has played historically within society. AIVL believes that people who use illicit drugs have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and be able to live their lives free from discrimination, stigma and health and human rights violations. As an organisation, AIVL is committed to achieving fundamental reform of the current drug laws and a re-orientation of the health system in relation to issues affecting people who use illicit drugs.


AIVL’s Aims and Objectives The objectives for which AIVL is established are (in no particular order of priority):

1. To provide an avenue through which the interests of people who use illicit drugs can be represented at the national level.

2. To maintain an effective, efficient, well-funded organisation which is primarily accountable to its membership.

3. To address and represent the health needs of people who use illicit drugs at the national level through a health promotion and disease prevention approach.

4. To prevent the transmission of blood borne communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, etc, among people who inject illicit drugs.

5. To promote and represent the health and support needs of people with hepatitis C and/or HIV/AIDS who inject drugs.

6. To promote the provision of high quality, accessible and relevant services to people who use illicit drugs throughout Australia.

7. To challenge social and legal barriers to the health and well-being of people who use illicit drugs in Australia including, ensuring that users have access to the resources and means to reduce drug related harm.

8. To promote and protect the health and human rights of people who use illicit drugs in Australia.

9. To offer developmental national activities designed to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the State and Territory Drug User Organisations throughout Australia.

10. To form strategic alliances and partnerships to address issues affecting people who use illicit drugs at the national level.

11. To maintain an active public voice on issues affecting people who use illicit drugs at the national level.

12. To operate as a genuine partner in research undertaken on issues affecting people who use illicit drugs in Australia.

13. To link and collaborate with like-minded organisations outside Australia to promote the principles and objectives of AIVL on an international level.

14. To support like-minded organisations, networks or projects in the Asia Pacific region to ensure users have access to the resources and means to reduce drug related harm and promote health.


AIVL Member Organisations

ACT - CAHMA Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation Advocacy

NT – NTAHC

Northern Territory AIDS & Hepatitis Council

NSW – NUAA NSW Users & AIDS Association

SA – SAVIVE

SA Voice for IV Education

VIC - HRV Harm Reduction Victoria

WA – WASUA

WA Substance Users Association

QLD – QuIHN Queensland Injectors Health Network

QLD – QuIVAA

Queensland Intravenous AIDS Association

Tasmania – TasCAHRD Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis & Related

Diseases


AIVL Executive Committee

PRESIDENT Louise Grant

Louise Grant is currently employed as a Site Manager at a community based not-for-profit organisation which is part of Australia’s Job Network. Louise has worked in the alcohol & other drugs (AOD) and mental health sectors for over 22 years, including employment with AIVL’s Western Australian member organisation WASUA (WA Substance Users Association). Louise has a psychology degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Social Policy & Addiction Studies, near completion of a Social Work degree & commenced her Masters in Social research and evaluation. She is passionate about social justice issues, pharmacotherapy treatment and harm reduction.

VICE PRESIDENT Sarah Lord

Sarah Lord currently manages the ‘Pharmacotherapy, Advocacy, Mediation and Support’ (PAMS) Service, a state-wide telephone service for pharmacotherapy consumers and service providers funded to assist with client and program related problems and concerns. The PAMS Service is a program of ‘Harm Reduction Victoria’, AIVL’s Victorian member organisation, which is the only peer based drug user organisation in Victoria. Sarah has a strong focus on social justice issues, peer education and advocacy (provided for and by peers). She has worked within the alcohol and other drug field for approximately 20 years and has a diploma in this area of work. Sarah has served as a member of AIVL’s Executive Committee since 2005.

TREASURER Michelle Spudic

Michelle Spudic has a long history of involvement in social justice issues, particularly focussing on drug users. She worked for SAVIVE (AIVL’s South Australian member organisations) for over 4 and a half years as a Peer Educator, and has been an illicit drug user for over 18 years. Michelle takes every opportunity to raise awareness of drug user issues, especially in relation to values and discrimination. Her work in the hepatitis C sector now working with rural communities and workforce, enable her to educate people on drug user rights, and encourage people to challenge their values and beliefs about drug users. Michelle has been Treasurer with AIVL since 2009.

SECRETARY Paul Gill

Paul Gill, aka ‘Ringo’, has been involved with AIVL since his first association with the organisation as a Western Australian delegate in the early 2000s. He has previously been on the AIVL Executive Committee as Assistant Secretary, and has formerly worked at WASUA, AIVL’s Western Australian member organisation. Ringo has been involved in the drug user movement for over ten years, and a drug user for over twenty years.

ASST SECRETARY Sue Beresford

Sue has over 30 years experience of the issues that affect illicit drug users. As a parent of 5 children, she is passionate about supporting other parents. Sue has lived in Northern NSW for the past 15 years, and knows the problems of isolation and lack of access to basic services for drug users first hand. She was involved in forming a peer based group to work through some of these issues with others in the region. With support from NUAA, (AIVL’s NSW member organisation), ACON and the local NSP this group is actively involved in local events including World Aids Day and Hepatitis Awareness Week. Sue is committed to raising awareness, and harm reduction and activisim to effect change in the lives of drug users. Sue joined the AIVL Executive Committee in 2008.

AFAO BOARD REPRESENTATIVE

Jenny Kelsall

Jenny Kesall has worked with injecting drug users for the past 20 years in both research & educational capacities. She worked for many years at the Burnet Institute (1990-2002) in the Epidemiology & Social Research Unit and The Centre for Harm Reduction. She has also been involved in a range of peer based projects in Australia and Asia with a focus on injecting drug use and blood-borne viruses . Jenny is currently employed as a senior staff member at Harm Reduction VIC (formerly VIVAIDS), the AIVL member organisation for Victoria.

MEMBER LIAISON OFFICER

Sue Brownbill

Sue Brownbill has been involved in drug user activism since the 1970s and she currently works in NSP in South Australia. She is committed to peer education and also to the need to educate other workers in the alcohol & drug field and the broader public. Sue is also interested in the particular issues that older drug users face and sees this as the next area where activism will be needed. She first joined AIVL’s Executive Committee in 2006.


President’s Report As I reflect on the year past in my final term as AIVL President, I am once again struck by just how much the organisation has achieved, despite ever-present limited resources. As you will read throughout this report, AIVL's funded programs and projects continue to grow and they are exceptionally well managed by a committed and dedicated team, led by Annie Madden, AIVL's Executive Officer. Whilst I would like to acknowledge AIVL's funded programs, I would also like to acknowledge the unfunded activities that AIVL also undertakes, often behind the scenes and without due recognition, in an attempt to improve the lives of people on pharmacotherapy programs and people who use illicit drugs. The Executive Officer’s report provides the detail on the enormous achievements of the organisation across the 2009/2010 financial year. In terms of funded programs, AIVL’s Hepatitis C & Other BBVs Program has continued to develop valuable resources, including the new Hepatitis C Treatment Diary, a fourth edition of Handy Hints, the new ‘Our C-ciety’ social networking site, ‘Inside Out’ Prisons Diary and a raft of new online resources soon to be released. The team has also managed to completely redesign the AIVL website during 2010 which will greatly enhance AIVL’s capacity to engage with drug users across the country. AIVL’s Facebook page has contributed to a whole new wave of communication, via the internet, with drug users within and outside Australia. Coupled with the re-launched website, we are ensuring that AIVL remains a relevant, and cutting-edge organisation. There is no doubt that online communication is fast becoming the face of AIVL’s engagement with Australian drug users. AIVL's International work has continued to develop with the successful implementation of year two of AIVL’s Regional Partnerships Project. Whilst this work has been both exciting and at times arduous, I believe that AIVL has found a balance between participating at an international level whilst maintaining our ability to represent national interests of injecting drug users in the Australian context. CAHMA & The Connection (auspiced by AIVL) have continued to build their profile of work and it has been great following their progress and seeing the expertise continue to develop within both these groups. Special mention should also be made of both the TSU Phase Two Project and “Trackmarks” both now winding up, and with the “Trackmarks” website set to be launched in February 2011. Both of these projects are providing a voice for drug users in terms of treatment services, the history of the user movement and our impact upon drug policy. Once again I would like to thank all of the AIVL staff, both past and present, for the fantastic work they have done, as well as their dedication and commitment. I would particularly like to thank AIVL’s Executive Officer, Annie Madden, for her endurance, commitment and passion as she continues to encourage, inspire and support so many of us in the work that we do. Similarly, I would like to thank the rest of the AIVL Executive Committee for their time and energy and the many drug users around the country in both paid and unpaid positions within our member organisations, as well as those working within their own networks to better the health and human rights of people who use illicit drugs. Louise Grant AIVL President


Treasurer’s Report

As AIVL’s Treasurer, I am pleased to present this year’s financial statements, as part of this Annual Report, to the membership. I am also pleased to report that the last year has been yet another successful one for the organisation. AIVL has continued to meet all of its financial and legal responsibilities and obligations in compliance with Australian law, Australian and international accounting standards, and all of its funding agreement requirements for both its own operations and that of the organisation it auspices, CAHMA - the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy, AIVL’s member organisation in the ACT. During the 2009/2010 financial year, AIVL and CAHMA in combination received just over $1.95 million in grant funding for the following programs and projects:

� Hepatitis C & Other BBVs Program

� HIV Consortium Program (AIVL’s International Program):

- Program Management Development Project

- HIV Consortium Regional Partnership Project

� Junkmail Magazine

� Treatment Service Users (Phase Two) Project

� TrackMarks - Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) Project

� Auspicing of the ACT Drug User Organisation CAHMA & its projects, including: - ACT Health Project - NGOTGP: Treatment Support Service Project - OATSIH: The Connection Indigenous Project - Commonwealth Capacity Building Grants: Co-morbidity Training Project

Each month the Executive Committee have been provided financial reports which demonstrate the organisation’s financial position and its financial performance, by way of monthly Balance Sheet’s and Profit & Loss Statements. In addition, all of the organisation’s grant income and expenditure statements have been provided for regular monitoring. At the end of this financial year AIVL recognised an operating profit of $28,000. Whilst less than last year ($58,260), this result was in line with the Organisation’s expectations. The full financial statements are attached as an Appendix at the end of the Annual Report. Over the next twelve months, AIVL will continue to seek to diversify its revenue base, both through seeking additiona/alternative funding sources, and through the soliciation of donations through the organisation’s Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, for which any donations over $2 are tax deductible. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment from AIVL staff. Work quality continues to be of exceptional standard, including the financial responsibilities. The organisation’s financial management continues to be transparent, accurate and up to date. Michelle Spudic Treasurer


AIVL STAFF

EXECUTIVE OFFICER – Annie Madden

Fiona Poeder Hepatitis C Program Manager

Jude Byrne Senior Project Worker

Sam Liebelt Project Officer

Tiia Harrison Project Officer

Laura Liebelt Senior Policy Officer

Dayle Stubbs Finance Manager

Tea Ou Finance Officer

Faye Irwin Administration Officer

Ele Morrison International Program Manager

CAHMA and Connection Staff

CAHMA Manager – Nicole Wiggins

Aimee Capper Connection Project Officer

Geoff Ward Project Officer

Peter Parkes Project Officer


Executive Officer’s Report

The past 12 months have literally flown past as the AIVL team and the organisation as a whole have undertaken a number of major programs of work and have continued to build the profile and reputation of the organisation. Across the 2009/10 financial year, AIVL has also continued to pursue the mandate of the organisation which is to promote and protect the health and human rights of people who inject and those on opioid pharmacotherapy programs. Overall it has been a successful year for the organisation with increasing recognition for the important role that AIVL undertakes at the national level and both the quality and quantity of the organisation’s work. Ongoing Funding & Projects in 2009/2010 National Hepatitis C Program: AIVL’s core hepatitis C related funding continued through 2009/2010 with AIVL commencing a 12 month National Hepatitis C & Other BBVs Program funded by the BBV & STI Section of DoHA. Some of the key projects and activities of the 2009-2010 program included:

• Stage One of a National Anti-Discrimination Project including commissioning of a Market Research Report on the attitudes of the general public and medical professionals towards IDU;

• Continuing the National Peer Educators Training Workshop (including a published independent evaluation);

• Delivering “ Dulangirr Gubbynidgel” – Hepatitis C Aboriginal IDU Peer Education Workshop Kit;

• Finalising the Training Module for Mainstream Services – Providing Services for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People Who Inject Drugs;

• Publishing a new bi-monthly, online ‘AIVL Research & Policy Update’ (with 5 issues published to date);

• Launch of a new online social networking site ‘Our C-ciety’ for people contemplating, on and recently completed hepatitis C treatment;

• Redesigning of the AIVL website www.aivl.org.au (to be launched in late Nov 2010); • Developing a new Online National NSP Listing and National Legal Guide (to be launched

with the redesigned website) • Developing a new Online Vein Care Resource (to be launched with the redesigned website); • Developing a new Hepatitis B Fact Sheet with a focus on hep B vaccination; • Launched a new national discussion paper on ‘Legislative and Policy Barriers to NSP and

Injecting Equipment’; • World Hepatitis Day & Awareness Week – launch of Barriers to NSP Paper (above); • Developed a new national discussion paper ‘Hepatitis C Models of Access & Service

Delivery for People with a History of Injecting Drug Use’; • Developing a new national discussion paper on the ‘Cost of Opioid Pharmacotherapies in

Australia’; • Presentations at national, local and international conferences; • Participation in hepatitis C research projects with relevance for IDU (see details below); • Representation on MACBBVS and BBV STI Sub-Committee (also see advocacy work

below); • Launched the “C-Through” - Hepatitis C Treatment Resource; • Launched the “Inside Out” – Prisons Diary; • Launched Edition 4 Handy Hints; • Disseminated new AVANT Card on “Hepatitis C & Household Transmission Risk”.

Representation, Advocacy & Lobbying: Along with all the above project work AIVL has also regularly contributed submissions to government and parliamentary processes including submissions to numerous Parliamentary, Government and Non-Government Inquiries. Some of the submissions in 2009/2010 include:


• Submissions to the National Hepatitis C Strategy 2010-2013 Development Process; • Submissions to the National Hepatitis B Strategy 2010-2013 Development Process; • Submissions to the National HIV Strategy 2010-2013 Development Process; • Submissions to the National Indigenous Australians STIs & BBVs Strategy 2010-2013

Development Process; • Submissions to the development of the Implementation Plans for the above national

strategies; • Advice to BBVSS Working Group on NSP performance indicators for Australian Health

Care Agreements; • Submission to the National NSP Framework Consultation Process; • Submission to the National Drug Strategy Consultation Process; • Continuing advocacy on the ethical and human rights issues associated with Naltrexone

Implants;

• Continuing advocacy on the need for NSP in Australian Prisons;

• Advice to the review of the National Minimum AOD Data Set;

• Advocacy on the Anthrax Contaminated Heroin issue; • Submission to the Job Capacity Assessment and Job Capacity Account Review; • Input into the Productivity Commission Inquiry on issues for NGOs; • Advocacy meeting with and written briefing for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to

Health; • Hosted a visit to Australia from a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

(LEAP) including meetings with key federal parliamentarians and participation in the AGM for the Parliamentary Group for Drug Law Reform;

• Participation on Drug Strategy Branch COAG NSP Supporting Initiative Multilateral Steering Committee;

• Participation in the MACBBVS Legal Working Group including drafting a discussion paper on barriers to NSP access, BBVs & discrimination and BBVs & criminalisation;

• Participation in the MACBBVS Research & Evaluation Working Group;

• Partnership building and MOU establishment with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO);

• Advocacy on Privacy Issues Associated with the E-Health Identifier Legislation; • Advocacy activities in relation to the Health System Reform Process including a

submission in response to the Medicare Locals Discussion Paper on Governance and Functions; and

• Advocacy paper to the Ministerial Advisory Committee on BBVs & STIs (MACBBVS) and the BBV & STI Sub-Committee (BBVSS) on the distribution of retractable needles & syringes through pharmacies at the state/territory level.

In addition, AIVL has undertaken education, lobbying and advocacy work to strengthen our relationships with Federal Parliamentarians and their advisers including meetings and liaison with at least six federal members from all the major political parties during 2010. Throughout the year, AIVL has also continued to respond to media issues affecting people who use/inject illicit drugs including media releases developed and interviews conducted on radio, in print and television media. Media releases in 2009/10 have included “World Hepatitis Day: Increasing Access to NSP”, “Congratulations MSIC”, “World AIDS Day”, “Return on Investment 2: Cost Effectiveness of NSP in Australia Report” and “International Drug Users Day”. Research Collaborations: AIVL has continued over the past 12 months to ensure that the issues and needs of people who use/have used illicit drugs are effectively represented and addressed in key research being conducted at the national level including:

• Annual NSP Survey Steering Committee; • IDRS – Illicit Drug Reporting System National Advisory Committee; • ETHOS - Hepatitis C Treatment in Opioid Pharmacotherapy Settings Project National

Steering Committee; • ACHOS - Chronic Hepatitis C Observational Database Steering Committee; • ATAHC - NCHECR Newly Acquired Hepatitis C Research Project Steering Committee; • UNSW HCV Vaccine Preparedness Initiative Steering Committee;


• Pharmacy Guild of Australia Funding Models for Pharmacotherapy Project Expert Advisory Committee;

• Drug Policy Modelling Project Advisory Committee; • Regulating Hepatitis C: Rights and Duties Project Advisory Committee; • NCHSR Scientific Advisory Committee; • Return on Investment in NSP in Australia (Mark II) Advisory Committee; • National BBV & STI Surveillance Committee; • PPSAC Pharmacy and Hepatitis C Project; • Research & Policy Consortium on Peer Education;

• Input into Anex national survey on Indigenous IDU issues and NSP access.

National Treatment Service Users (TSU) Project: Phase Two of the TSU Project which had the main aim of developing consumer participation in drug treatment services was finalised in 2009/2010. As a result of the successful completion of the TSU Phase One Project, AIVL secured funding, in partnership with NCHSR, from the Drug Strategy Branch of DoHA to undertake a Phase Two project commencing in July 2007. The project involved the development and implementation of five consumer participation demonstration projects in different types of drug treatment services across NSW, VIC and WA including opioid pharmacotherapy programs, detox and residential rehabilitation services. Data was collected at baseline and follow-up to inform an evaluation of each of the projects. The TSU Project aims to raise awareness of the importance of people who use drug treatment services having a meaningful say in those services. The five demonstration projects in Phase Two have highlighted the complexity of consumer participation in this environment and raised issues such as understanding consumer participation, levels of support for consumer involvement, the role of ‘stability’ in consumer representation, ex-users Vs current users and the impact of power dynamics between staff and clients on consumers participation in drug treatment settings. A final report on the evaluation of the demonstration projects has been developed and is currently at approval with DoHA. It is anticipated that TSU Phase Two Final Report will be available in late 2010. In the meantime, members can access a copy of the report from TSU Phase One on the AIVL website. A workshop will also be conducted at the APSAD Conference in late Nov 2010 on the main findings from TSU Phase Two. “Track-Marks” - Drug Policy Project: “Trackmarks” is a ground-breaking consumer-led drug policy research project focused on documenting the history of drug user organising in Australia and the contribution that drug users have made to Australian drug policy. In short, “Trackmarks” is about our history – the history of the Australian Drug Users Movement and making sure that this precious history is documented for posterity. Over the past 2 years, we have been busy pulling together one of the main outcomes of the project which is an online archive and timeline documenting some of the key drug policy issues that drug user organisations have responded to over the past 20 years using policy summaries, web-interviews with key activists and policy people, submissions and letters to government and parliamentary processes, a timeline of Australian user groups, etc. A national consultation process has been conducted and a report from this process is currently being finalized. This report will focus on the contribution of drug user organisations to Australian drug policy and how drug user advocates have experienced this involvement. The final component of the site is the development of a “Meaningful Engagement Kit” aimed at assisting policy makers and drug user advocates to ensure the involvement of consumers in drug policy processes is meaningful and productive. Although there have been some delays to the project over the past 12 months, the “Trackmarks” website is now in its final stages of development and will be launched in early 2011. “Trackmarks” is funded by the Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) from UNSW. HIV Regional Partnerships Project: AIVL is now more than halfway through the implementation of our 3 year Regional Partnerships Program which is part of the HIV Consortium for Partnerships in the Asia and Pacific Regions. AIVL is a member of the Consortium which includes 8 other Australian HIV organisations across the research, clinical and community sectors. The main aim of AIVL’s Regional Partnership Program is to support the ongoing development of drug user organisations in Asia and build meaningful partnerships with our peer counterparts in the region. AIVL is currently implementing our year two


work plan which has as one of its main outcomes to support the recently formed Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ANPUD) through funding for the ANPUD Regional Co-ordinator position and other operational costs. Other activities over the remainder of the project will include continuing to maintain and build new partnerships with national and local drug user networks in a number of Asian countries and working with existing AusAID and other donor initiatives on harm reduction, HIV and IDU within Asia including HAARP. Other international program work has included participation on the ANCD Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee, being on the Board of the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and working with the Nossal Institute for Global Health & ARCSHS on a mentorship and training program for drug user advocates from Asia. The HIV Consortium Partnerships Program (including AIVL’s project) is currently under review by AusAID as a standard requirement for all AusAID funded programs. This review will decide whether the HIV Consortium Partnership Program will be funded beyond June 2011. “Junkmail” National Magazine: In 2009/2010 AIVL continued to publish our national magazine “Junkmail”. As “Junkmail” is now produced through via a private (rather than government) funding source we have been able to cover a broader range of issues of interest to people who inject drugs and assert greater editorial control over the publication. The new level of funding does not allow us to publish as frequently as in the past but we aim (within capacity) to publish two issues every 12-18 months. The new issue of “Junkmail” is currently under-distribution. All 13 back issues of “Junkmail” are also available online at www.aivl.org.au Unfunded Work Drug Treatment & Harm Reduction – Consumer Representation: Although AIVL received some one-off funding for our national consumer representation work in relation to drug treatment issues in 2008, ongoing funding was not forthcoming and AIVL continues to be unfunded for the significant amount of advocacy work we do in this area. Despite this, AIVL has worked hard to continue effectively representing the issues affecting drug users and people in drug treatment over the past 12 months. We have very recently finalised the draft national discussion paper on the “Cost of Opioid Pharmacotherapies” and represented pharmacotherapy consumers on a Pharmacy Guild project into funding models for pharmacotherapy treatment. As outlined in the research, advocacy and representation sections above, AIVL staff have also been involved in key harm reduction and drug treatment national research projects and represented and advocated for consumers on drug policy issues of national significance including naltrexone implants, retractable needles & syringes, heroin prescription and the development of the national drug strategy. In addition to key BBV conferences and events, AIVL staff have attended and presented at numerous national and international drug policy conferences on issues such as drug treatment access, human rights, drug law reform, etc. Another unfunded drug policy project has been the development of a new policy paper on the “Needs of Older Opioid Injectors”. While this paper is soon to be publicly released, we will also be presenting on the needs of older opioid injectors at the APSAD Conference in late 2010 on the theme of opioids and access to pain management. As part of the redesigned AIVL website, we have also developed a new online petition focused on advocating for heroin prescription. Over the past few months, AIVL has also been supporting our member organisation in the ACT – CAHMA – to advocate for a pilot of peer-distributed naloxone to reduce opioid overdose risk. This advocacy work is ongoing and has led to a greater interest in AIVL’s national policy position on this issue from a number of organisations and jurisdictions. An AIVL policy paper on peer-distributed naloxone has been drafted and will be finalised by the end of 2010. HIV and Injecting Drug Use: As in previous years, AIVL also continues to represent the needs and issues for people who inject illicit drugs in relation to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Unfortunately, this continues to be an unfunded role for AIVL which significantly reduces our capacity but not our commitment to the issues. In 2009/2010 AIVL continued to work at the national policy level particularly on the development of the new National HIV Strategy 2010-2013 and associated implementation plans. AIVL is also in the process of finalising a brief intervention resource which will be launched on World AIDS Day 1 December 2010. The resource is aimed at recommencing the conversation among people who inject drugs about HIV.


AIVL Supporting Member Organisations CAHMA (and The Connection): AIVL has continued to provide auspicing support for the ACT peer-based drug users’ organisation, CAHMA, during 2009/10 with an ongoing commitment to assisting the organisation to work towards independence. In this regard CAHMA has had an extremely successful year by retaining funding for ongoing projects in the areas of BBV peer education and harm reduction, drug treatment support and advocacy, comorbidity and mental health and client referral and support. The Connection – Peer-Based Indigenous Youth Program also continues to operate as a program of CAHMA providing a regular community BBQ, Connection Newsletter, referral, advocacy, peer education and support for local Indigenous drug users and their families. In addition to the auspicing support provided to CAHMA, AIVL has continued throughout 2009/2010 to provide members with a strong and active voice at the national level on all issues affecting people who use/have used illicit drugs. From the free access to education and advocacy resources to the AIVL Elist, website, peer education training workshops, submissions, consultations and forums, AIVL provides a raft of services and benefits for its members and has continued in 2009/2010 to provide individual support to member organisations as needed. One of the main issues that AIVL has been working on with our member organisations is the current reforms to the Australia healthcare system. This is a significant piece of work for AIVL and its members which will continue into 2010/11 and beyond as we attempt to ensure the needs of people who inject drugs and pharmacotherapy consumers are proactively addressed within the new health system. Recently AIVL has also welcomed a new level 3 member organisation in the NT AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTAHC). This means that once again AIVL now has level 1 or level 3 members in every state and territory.

The quality and amount of work conducted by AIVL over the past 12 months is owed in large part to the excellent AIVL staff team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the current staff for their continued commitment, dedication and hard work. We have added a new staff member Tea Ou over the past 12 months in the position of Finance Officer replacing Leota Patterson who was previously in the position. We have also restructured the Finance & Administration Manager position held by Dayle Stubbs into a much needed and welcomed Operations Manager role. We have also farewelled John Van Den Dungen from the Aboriginal Peer Educator position and Steve Liebke from the position of Hepatitis C Education Officer. AIVL is very fortunate to have an amazing staff team with a great mix of youth and experience and almost endless commitment and passion for the issues and people that AIVL represents. In this regard it is a constant source of pleasure to work with such a dedicated team. I would also like to recognise the support, work and commitment of the current AIVL Executive Committee. The AIVL Executive Committee has worked very hard for the organisation over the past 12 months and I would specifically like to recognise the support I have received as Executive Officer from members of the committee. The work of an Executive Committee is often invisible as it mostly occurs behind the scenes. I would therefore like to recognise the willingness of Executive Committee members to represent AIVL on committees, panels and at conferences. This work greatly expands the capacity of our otherwise small organisation. Finally, AIVL has had another year of strong and positive working relationships with the member organisations and many other national and international organisations. As an organisation AIVL continues to develop its professionalism and profile while always staying true to our community and experiences. We finish 2010 in a strong place as an organisation but with work still to do in strengthening the future of our national drug user network and movement. It is not always easy to operate as a national drug users network in a world where the behaviours we talk about are illegal and people we represent are stigmatised and excluded. Despite this challenging environment we need to find ways to build a stronger and united national voice for people who use illicit drugs. As we move into 2011, AIVL will remain focused on maintaining the respect and credibility that we have developed over 20 years of survival. We look forward to continuing our fight to promote and protect the health and human rights of people who use illicit drugs in partnership with our members in 2011. Annie Madden AIVL Executive Officer


New AIVL Resources During the year, AIVL’s Education Team produced a number of new resources, a couple of which we’ve highlighted here.

C Through Hepatitis C Treatment Diary

AIVL’s ‘C Through’ diary is a hep C Treatment diary for people who inject drugs and/or are on pharmacotherapies (eg methadone or buprenorphine). It is designed to be used during treatment as a tool to monitor and manage the treatment experience, and also to provide information about what to expect during treatment. It is a perennial diary, so it is not for any particular year, but can be used in whatever year you start treatment.


New AIVL Resources

Handy Hints

Handy Hints “the Bible” is back! Newly updated for 2010, Handy Hints is one of AIVL’s most popular and sought after resources. First published in 1990, this 4

th edition has new sections

addedand others expanded to better reflect the current landscape of the drug using community in Australia. Whilst the emphasis is still very squarely on blood borne virus prevention, this edition alos provides information on how to avoid some of the adverse health complications that can arise for Injecting drug users. Problems such as abscesses, and vein collapse for example. For this edition, the State and Territory Directory information has been somewhat condensed, however, because the range and number of services has increased since we last published Handy Hints, we have added a new section to the (soon to be relaunched) AIVL website that provides NSP listings and a Legal Guide for each State and Territory in Australia. Handy Hints is an easy to use reference guide covering issues that affect injecting drugs users - it is a restricted publication and not for general distribution. Copies are available from your local drug user organisation, or by contacting AIVL direct.


New AIVL Resources

Our C-Ciety Social Networking Site

Inside Out Diary

During 2010 AIVL launched a hepatitis C treatement support social networking site called ‘Our C-Ciety’ for HCV positive injecting drugs users and those on pharmacotherapies who were thinking about treatment, currently undergoing treatment and/or had already completed treatment for their hep C. Acknowledging the barriers for people who inject to honestly discuss their situation with their medical practitioners, this site offers a safe, confidential space to explore their issues and concerns. Hopefully those who have experienced treatment will also share their experiences.

Inside Out is a perennial, any year diary dedicated to all people currently imprisoned throughout Australia who are unable to access the same standard of health services as is provided to the general community. This diary is aimed at providing those in prison with information about hepatitis C - what the virus is, what it does, transmission risks, testing and treatment. It also contains other information for when you get out and useful contacts.


STATE & TERRITORY REPORTS


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: SSAAVVIIVVEE

Membership Level: Level 3 State/Territory: South Australia

SAVIVE currently has 10 paid staff and 7 (unpaid) volunteer peer educators. In additiona to a full-time Manager, there is an Outreach NSP Coordinator, an NSP/Volunteer Coordinator, an NSP Worker/Peer Educator and 6 co-located NSP Workers/Peer Educators. SAVIVE is a program of the AIDS Council of SA and is funded by Drug and Alcohol Service SA (DASSA) from two sources - South Australian Department of Health (DoH) and COAG Illicit Drugs Diversion Initiative. SAVIVE’s core funding, from DoH, is to provide sterile injecting equipment (NSP service) and peer education to injectors. Additional funding comes from COAG for the placement of peer educators within NSPs in community health services to increase access to treatment options, health, welfare and other services for injectors. During the year AIVL facilitated peer education workshops for a group of SA injectors. The workshop participants bonded well as a group and SAVIVE aims to support this group of users to continue developing their peer education skills. AIVL also provided written support and was influential in ACSA’s decision to produce it’s filtering resource, and the AIVL E-list continues to be a good resource for peer engagement around the country. Over the past year the following work has been undertaken by SAVIVE:

� SAVIVE staff and some volunteers commenced the Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs. This has been an important opportunity for SAVIVE staff and volunteers to build on their existing skills and knowledge and achieve a nationally recognised qualification.

� The development of a new vision statement (Social Justice for People Who Inject Drugs), mission statement and goals.

� SAVIVE peer educators provided education and training to over 500 students and health workers from various agencies.

� SAVIVE is no longer a participating agency in the annual IDRS survey of injectors.

� Series of ‘Healthy Liver Lunches’ held at 4 metro NSPs in conjunction with Hepatitis C Council of SA.


� Large increase in sale of wheel filters and accompanying education (currently unfunded by govt.).

� Drug & Alcohol Services S.A. installed 4 syringe vending machines in 2 metro, 1 CBD and 1 country location on 12 month trial (currently under review).

SAVIVE is undertaking the following projects in the coming year:

� Art of Inclusion - visual art and writing workshops for injectors with the aim of exhibiting and publishing completed artwork and writing;

� PWID hep C treatment resource in conjunction with the Hepatitis C Councial of SA;

� Continued publication of ‘Pure S’ magazine.

In terms of issues for injecting/illicit drug users in SA, the following are highlighted:

1. Access to drug treatment, particularly OMT. Long waiting periods for public places and fewer private prescribers.

2. Vein care and access issues

3. Onerous conditions those on OMT face, particularly those on combination pain management regimes

4. Discriminatory treatment of users in regard to child access and family court directions.

5. Discriminatory treatment of PWID when presenting to health care facilities should they identify as users. Fuelled by hysterical depictions of drug use and users in the media.

ACSA is moving to new premises in January 2011. While the new premises will provide scope for SAVIVE to broaden our approach to client engagement, the closure of the Norwood site will reduce a large number of clients’ access to clean equipment in the eastern suburbs. This is of great concern.


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: WWAASSUUAA

Membership Level: Level 1 State/Territory: Western Australia

2009/2010 has been a year that has seen WASUA not only match but surpass its achievements of previous years. Exciting developments for the year have included the funding of a fixed site Needle and Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP) in the South West (Bunbury) which will compliment the existing mobile service. The addition of this site will enable service users in the southwest of Western Australia to access similar services that are on offer at the Murray St, Perth site. Negotiations are in progress which will see the co-location of other allied health services such as the Southwest Hepatology Nurse and Southwest Population Health Unit. This will enhance the capacity of the service by offering on site treatment, testing for hepatitis C and testing for sexually transmitted infections. Again we are adopting the principle of the “one stop shop” model that has proven successful in our metropolitan service. The securing of suitable premises has proven to be a hurdle, as it was with the Perth based premises. Contrary to the experience we had in Perth, the City of Bunbury together with the local media and public has been supportive of the project. In the interim, the mobile service has continued to expand its reach into the Southwest and Great Southern regions of WA. New sites being visited or in the process of being formalised include: - Australind, Bridgetown, Collie, Manjimup, Katanning and Kojonup. Another development is the striking of an in principle agreement between the Western Australian Aids Council, Hepatitis WA and WASUA to form a partnership to jointly operate the proposed fixed site NSEP in Fremantle due to open in early 2011. Another highlight of the year has been the forging of a partnership between WASUA and the Kaata-Kourliny Employment & Enterprise and Development Aboriginal Corporation (KEEDAC) located in Narrogin. Members of the Outreach team and Drug Treatment and Referral Service have gained the trust and acceptance of local aboriginal people to the point that they were invited to participate in men’s and women’s business at a number of camps and gatherings on the south coast of WA. This has paved the way for further developments and funding opportunities in relation to injecting drug use peer education programs. Although the initial costs incurred to facilitate this partnership were considerable WASUA believes this to be a more than worthy investment given the available research data on blood borne virus infection rates within aboriginal and non aboriginal people in this region. Consumer issues that continue to be of real concern in WA are as follows:

� Naltrexone implants and the need for consumers to be fully aware of the procedure, the efficacy of such a treatment, the costs incurred so as to be able to give informed consent

� Infringement notices which incur a fine of $250 being issued for people carrying sterile injecting equipment on public transport. Often known offenders are being targeted which has resulted in some having accrued fines in excess or $1000

� The lack of prescribing doctors and dosing pharmacies for pharmacotherapy’s in rural and remote regions.


� The retention of the Drugs of Addictions Register despite undertakings of the previous government to remove it from the statutes.

Special mention must be made to Russell Boyd our former Financial Administrator who, for health reasons, resigned in September 2010. Russell has been a long standing employee with WASUA and through his great business acumen and political insight has seen the organisation prosper both financially and culturally. His leaving has been one of great sadness but his legacy will live on with us and we wish him all the best for the future. Another who needs mention is Steve Buck. Sadly Steve passed away in July 2010 due to Hep C related causes. Steve fulfilled a number of roles whilst employed at WASUA; NSEP worker, Acting Manager and finally in the role of Coordinating the Southwest Mobile service. He was also involved with AIVL in a number of capacities. For those of us who knew Steve he was brash, upfront and loud. However his dedication to WASUA and the cause of harm reduction was unquestionable. He will be sadly missed. As a part of the WASUA Organisational Development Project consultants were engaged to develop a Strategic Plan for the next 5 years. This identified both strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and has provided clear directions for the future. With the implementation of this Strategic Plan it is envisaged that WASUA will further consolidate its place in the health and AOD sector of Western Australia. The objective is to become the primary voice which advocates for people who use illicit drugs and or drugs illicitly in the state of Western Australia. To this end WASUA is well placed to fulfil this role and with a continuation of the passion and dedication toward harm reduction already demonstrated by the staff can only march inexorably onward to this goal. Mark Lowery Executive Officer


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: NNUUAAAA

Membership Level: Level 1 State/Territory: New South Wales

NUAA has had a jam-packed year and if there is a lesson to take in to the next year it is that we must prioritise well. Of course top of our priorities is always and should always be improving the lot of “people with a history of drug use” as we are saying now. I think this phrase does help us be specific about the range of drug users we work with. In many ways, nothing much has changed for our community. Policing regimes remain contradictory to harm reduction and violate human rights, people are still be forced to wait for pharmacotherapy treatment places, NSP coverage falls short against need, access to hepatitis C treatment is for many unachievable and overdoses are still occurring. However we have has some great successes. We have maintained our peer education programs, improved our NSP, succeeded in installing a much need vending machine on our premises here in Surry Hills, advanced peer support in hepatitis C treatment, increased community participation across NUAA’s programs, Users News has been distributed across the state as well as in prisons, we have maintained high level of representation at various committees and advisory structures and we have advanced our policy program. A key focus for us this year has been to ensure that there has been a balanced discussion on the hot topic of transitioning to injecting and we have been able to get the spotlight on the need to deregulate the Needle and Syringe Program. NUAA is now in its 21

st year. This was marked with a wonderful celebration at Parliament House. It

was a fantastic event community, partners and supporters coming together to reflect on the past, celebrate our successes and look to the future. Our motto for the 21 years anniversary is 21 year on, 21 years strong. Many AIVL delegates, staff and executive members will have memories of NUAA over the past 21 years and it was inspiring and humbling to hear people such as Julie Bates and Annie Madden speak of their memories. I also couldn’t help thinking silently of those friends of mine and friends of friends and members and staff of NUAA who are no longer with us. Without wanting to be overly emotive, it is for them and to ensure that those of us still living have long and fruitful lives, that NUAA really exists. So what have we been doing? NUAA has fifteen staff based in Sydney, at Surry Hills and at Redfern and in Newcastle working on various projects.


It would not be possible to list every single achievement and project and go into detail so what follows is necessarily a summary. In addition we have restructured our teams slightly to streamline them and the work they do. All projects and positions now fall into one of the following:

� Policy and Communications Team

� Community Programs and Services Team

� Organisational Services Team

Policy, Advocacy and Communications Team Users News Users News has continued to be a well loved and regarded part of the NUAA landscape this year. Four editions were published (issues 58- 61). This year, three writing workshops were delivered in various setting including; the NSW Compulsory Drug Treatment Program, Cabramatta Community Centre and at Sliverwater prison. Website Investment in our website continues this year with a change to our front page that has proven to be very popular. Rolling media on the issues that are important to our community are uploaded daily and for some the website has become a good reliable source of the news that matters. NUAA Newsflash In response to the evaluation of our publications this year we merged the NUAA Newsflash and NUAA Bulletin. The publication is distributed via email. Research Partnerships This year we have worked in partnership with the National Centre in HIV Social Research and the National Centre in Epidemiology Research on various research projects. A highlight of our partnership this year has been the progress made toward the establishment of the NUAA Ethics Committee that is being established in partnership with the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League. Foundation work undertaken this year will see a pilot of a community ratification process in partnership with the University of NSW Human Research Ethics Committees be undertaken next year. This will ensure that for the first time the community will have a say in the research that impacts so greatly on people’s lives.

Policy and Advocacy This has been an exciting year for NUAA’s Policy and Advocacy program. A great deal of advocacy work has been undertaken promoting in particular the need to deregulate the NSP in NSW, in particular looking at peer distribution. This work has been supported by an Expert Advisory Committee. In addition, NUAA co hosted and event in Sydney in partnership with the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League to discuss and explore what is required to ensure easy access to equipment. A major position paper developed explored self determination and representation of people who inject. The document was been based on the AIVL position paper on the same issue and is informed by a workshop that was undertaken by the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. Policy Symposiums proved popular and were hosted in Lismore, Sydney and Hunter. They promoted hepatitis C treatment, the deregulation of the NSP and in particular peer distribution of equipment and How to get where we want to go: policy and research at NUAA. Flashcards also continued and a further nine were developed covering the following issues including:

� NSP & the Community

� Increasing distribution of sterile injecting equipment

� Peer Distribution & deregulation of sterile injecting equipment provision

� Hepatitis C Treatment


� Equitable Provision of Injecting Equipment

� Drug User Organisation Self Determination

Organisational Services Team This year the Organisational Services Team undertook a number of tasks to enhance the quality of NUAA’s policies and process. Highlights include:

� Developing an in house training program for staff

� Assisted with our annual membership consultation

Community Programs and Services Team This is a busy team, working across the state building and sustaining relationships with peer networks, providing education and training and support as well as providing NSP both from our office in Surry Hills and through outreach programs. In addition this team is championing peer support in hepatitis C treatment. PeerLink The Aim of PeerLink is to recruit, train and sustain groups of people who inject to act as Volunteer Peer Educators and work within local networks and with local services. Our improved model generated many outcomes. We developed:

� Training Program for Peer Educators this has an accompanying training manual.

� Training program and manual has also been developed and delivered to partners/ service

providers.

� Tool kits for the peers and providers has also been developed

We have been successful in training in excess of 21 peer educators who delivered over 1000 information and education sessions both 1-1 and group settings This year, PeerLink has been externally evaluated by the National Centre in HIV Social Research the report is due by the end of 2010.

Peer Participation Program This year saw the launch of our Peer Participation Program. This program has enhanced our connection with our community by increasing participation. The program supports community members to work across NUAA’s programs. The program continues to grow. The Peer Participation Program has continued to recruit through the NUAA website, Users News and through the NSP. Word of mouth is the most common introduction to the Peer Participation Program. NUAA also held the first information stall at Kirketon Rd Centre during Volunteer Week 10-16

th May, to promote the Peer Participation Program. Two more

information Stalls where held on the 8th June at the Homeless Connect Expo at Sydney Town Hall

and Hep C Picnic in the Park at Redfern Park 10th June.

Lotus Group The Lotus Group continued this year with established and new members joining the project. Lotus Group continued to focus on working within networks of peers from the Asian community in the Liverpool area. The objectives for Lotus Group include:

� To increase knowledge levels around safer using and blood borne viruses and related issues

of the core group of peers involved in the Lotus Group

� To build self esteem


� To build a sense of community belonging and decrease isolation

� To improve communication skills and support self expression

And utilises strategies such as:

� Workshops activities

� Yum cha gatherings for discussion groups

� Art projects and activities

� Excursions

� Information & technology

Over the year, 40 support sessions were held, 18 activities were undertaken these included a visit to the Easter Show, a hepatitis C video session, hepatitis C treatment discussion forum and a session on legal issues. Working again with the Casula Power House, a follow up arts project was completed. The Lotus Group members produced individual t.shirt designs and learned how to screen print.

Enhanced Treatment for Hepatitis C in Opioid Substitution Settings (ETHOS) This year NUAA has continued to be an important partner and collaborator in the ETHOS Project and has led the development and delivery of peer support for people contemplating and accessing hepatitis C treatment. NUAA is now working in Newcastle pharmacotherapy clinic and Regent House in Sydney piloting two differing models of community controlled peer support. It has been an exciting year demonstrating the value of and the unique approach that NUAA has to community controlled peer support. In addition, NUAA’s ETHOS workers participated in the ETHOS workshop and presented on the peer support elements of the project. NUA remains on the ATHOS Advisory Committee and we Chair the Peer Support Sub Committee. To support this work in 2009 we launched with AIVL a document outlining our approach to community controlled peer support which has been helpful in guiding our participation in the ETHOS program This is ground breaking work and demonstrates the value of equal partnerships.

Needle and Syringe Program Our NSP in Surry Hills has grown from strength to strength. A coat of paint and reshuffle has made the NSP more inviting and welcoming. There is now access to the internet, a space to sit and read as well as a group area so that we can undertake safer injecting sessions with ease. We have averaged about 500 visits per month to the service. Our NSP delivery has also been enhanced with the installation of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service Vending Machine. Placed just by our doorway the machine provides 24 hour access to equipment and has gained in popularity an average of 325 fitpacks are sold per month.


Scaling up our NSP coverage is important. We have continued to deliver weekly outreach sessions to 3 areas of high need in the Hunter New England area in partnership with ACON. We commenced negotiations with Sydney Southwest Area Health Services to enhance their NSP program in two high need areas as well as offer peer education support in the Redfern Area. A word should be reserved here for the NUAA Board of Governance. We have had a Board that has worked hard across the year and plainly cares for NUAA now and wishes to steward it into the future. NUAA would like to thank our outgoing President, Christine Huber, and wish her well in Queensland in the future. Thanks for your years of work, and thanks also to all Board members past and present. Here’s to another great year of work! Sione Crawford Nicolette Burrows NUAA Staff AIVL Delegate 2008 - 2010 NUAA Board AIVL Delegate 2010-2011


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: CCAAHHMMAA

Membership Level: Level 1 (auspiced by AIVL) State/Territory: Australian Capital Territory

CAHMA, auspiced by AIVL, currently has 5 staff members, a full-time Manager plus 4 part-time staff: a Policy and Advocacy Officer, an Indigenous Peer Support Worker, a Peer Educator and a Project Worker Assistant. CAHMA receives funding from the ACT Health Department and also from the Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing. CAHMA currently runs five separate projects/programs with this funding, including:

� ACT Health - recurrent core funding, primarily to provide advocacy and representation at government committee level;

� ACT Health - a 12 month community health grant;

� Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing (ACT Office):

o NGOTGP - Drug Treatment Support Service

o OATSIH - The Connection Indigenous Project

o Improved Services Initiateve Capacity Building Grant - Comorbidity Training Project

Over the past 12 months CAHMA has worked to build its reputation and capacity at various levels throughout the community. Some of CAHMA’s key achievements/activies include: PHATT Consumer Represntation Monthly meetings of PHAAT and promotional activities such as BBQ’s at the OTS (Opioid Treatment Service) PHAAT has developed a of range of draft pharmacotherapy consumers issues papers submitted to OTAC (Opioid treatment advisory Committee) including Urine Testing Policy Paper; Peer Distribution of Naloxone Paper and injectable opioids paper. CAHMA participated in the Pharmacotherapy training for pharmacist and Doctors by providing a presentation on consumer perspectives of treatment. This training is held about every 3 months and CAHMA will be participating in each training day. ATODA- Alcohol Tobacco Other Drugs Association; New ACT Peak The first AGM for ATODA was held in November with the CAHMA Manager becoming Vice President to ATODA. CAHMA has lobbied to ensure that consumers were represented on the board and will ensuring that consumer issues are addressed given high priority with the new peak. Hepatitis C Funding for Injecting Drug Users CAHMA has written to both the Hepatitis Resource Centre and ACT Health BBV section and since meet with both regarding concerns around there being no specific funding and consequently no specific targeted activities for injecting drug users in hepatitis C health promotion and prevention education. CAHMA made a written submission to the Mid Term review of the ACT BBV strategy outlining these concerns.


ACT ATOD Strategy CAHMA was specifically requested by ACT Health to submit a paper on Indigenous Peer NSP, Peer NSP & Foot patrol proposal to the ATOD Strategy for inclusion as an action in the strategy. AMC Evaluation Advisory Group CAHMA has been a member of the group is involved in the 18 month evaluation of the new prison AOD services with specific focus on the entry and exit testing of BBV in order to monitor transmission and evaluate the need of a prison based NSP. This commitment from the government to evaluate AOD services after 18 months was in response to lobbing for a prison NSP. CAHMA has been an active participant on this committee with the 18 months now completed and all final data submitted to researchers will be providing comments and feedback to draft report due in early December 2010. Peer Distribution of Naloxone CAHMA has submitted a paper to ACT Health Drug Strategy Group for a pilot program of peer distribution of naloxone. The proposal has received wide spread support from government and non-government agencies including support from the new ACT ATOD Peak ATODA. CAHMA hosted a meeting with Dr Sarz Maxwell from Chicago who has run a peer naloxone program for approx 10 years. CAHMA and AIVL are co-hosting a peer distribution of naloxone program information afternoon tea at APSAD and CAHMA is co-convenor of a morning session being held at APSAD on naloxone. Over the coming year, CAHMA and PHATT will continue to promote greater consumer involvement in PHATT and continue to lobby on policy issues relevant to pharmacotherapy consumers. Continued involvement in the ACT peak organisation (ATODA) will also be maintained with CAHMA Manager, Nicole Wiggins being elected Vice President, ensuring a voice for consumers and for injecting/illicit drug users’ issues. There continues to be a lack of hepatitis C funding for CAHMA, but the formation of a working group through ATODA will support CAHMA in ensuring this issue is addressed and rectified. We have further meetings planned with ACT Health and are also resubmitting our application for membership of SHAHRD, the advisory group to the health minister on BBV issues. An Indigenous Peer NSP, Peer NSP & Foot Patrol proposal to be included in the ACT ATOD Strategy will be followed up through an ATODA working group along with a range of other lobbying strategies on this issue. CAHMA also continues to lobby for an NSP in the local prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre. In addition, a program for peer distribution of naloxone is being vigorously pursued by CAHMA. Currently, in the ACT, several issues stand out:

� Peer NSP

� Prisn NSP

� Peer distribution of naloxone

� Hepatitis C funding for peer-based education and prevention programs

� Pharmacotherapy programs’ access and quality issues

CAHMA would like to thank AIVL for its input and feedback on policy papers and for its support for CAHMA’s lobbying and advocacy issues. The use of AIVL’s discussion papers and research assists us in providing evidence that supports CAHMA campaigns. The auspicing arrangement with AIVL continues.


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: HHRRVV -- HHaarrmm RReedduuccttiioonn VViiccttoorriiaa

Membership Level: Level 1 State/Territory: Victoria

Issues for Harm Reduction Victoria (HRVic) and for Victoria Hepatitis C Funding Last year, Harm Reduction Victoria was subjected to a ‘desk-top review’ by our principal funding body, the BBV Branch of Public Health, Dept of Health. It was a confusing process as the terms of reference seemed to change from one meeting to the next. Although HRVic supplied all the information requested of us, the review wandered on indefinitely and the Department did not sign off on our proposed schedule of health promotion workshops. In December 2009, the wheels fell off the review completely due to major staff changes and re-structuring of the Department and a number of loose ends were left dangling at the end of last year. Fortunately, our core funding was rolled over without negotiations but we were unsuccessful in securing funding for the Young Drug Users Program which was dependent on COAG Hep C Education and Prevention Funding, now administered locally as the Victorian Hepatitis C Program. HRV has been able to sustain the Young Drug Users’ Program with retained earnings, in the expectation that the Department would eventually reconsider the matter. However, this is not sustainable in the longer term. Despite the Department’s undertaking to work with us in the New Year (2010) to re-develop a proposal, which better fitted their funding requirements, no such development has occurred to date. The BBV Branch has recently appointed a new Manager, who was due to meet with us last week (October 2010). We were hopeful that some of these issues could be resolved at that meeting but it was cancelled at the last minute by the Department. The saga continues… . . . . The upshot of all this is that currently there is no specific funding for hepatitis C prevention among people who inject drugs under the Victorian Hepatitis C Program in Victoria. We think this is an extraordinary state of affairs particularly in the light of the new National Hepatitis C Strategy. PAMS The PAMS submission for a 0.6 FTE Program Assistant was funded by the Drug Policy Unit of the Department of Health, 12 months only, while the government seeks a recurrent source of funding. Last year, PAMS also received a one-off grant of $5,000 from the City of Yarra to help with fee support for pharmacotherapy clients living or receiving services in Yarra. We have an application for a similar grant in with the City of Melbourne for next year. PAMS continues to be very busy, basically operating at twice our performance indicators. SSDT Act The Severe Substance Dependence Treatment (SSDT) Bill became law in Victoria several months ago, much to our dismay. This Act allows for people who are at risk of death or serious injury due to substance dependence and who are unable to “make decisions” about treatment “because of their dependence” to be civilly detained and subjected to involuntary “treatment”. HRV, together with several community legal and human rights advocates, opposed the Bill and challenged it on Human Rights grounds, according to the Victorian Charter. Although our efforts were unsuccessful, the


Greens were able to move a few amendments, one of which is to review the Act’s operations after 12 months. We also challenged the legislation on the grounds of redundancy – people may be unable to make decisions about treatment due to severe mental illness or brain injury, in which case the Mental Health or Guardianship Acts would apply, but such a situation does not logically arise due to substance dependence alone. We also argued that the test of capacity to give informed consent for treatment has to be the same rigorous legal standard of competency used in the Mental Health Act and the Crimes Act, which in a new iteration recently issued for consultation, contains very high levels of protection for individuals. It is disquieting, then, that the Government does not consider that people who use drugs have the same entitlement to legal protections from civil incarceration and involuntary medical procedures as people with mental illnesses. Interestingly, regarding Victoria’s new Charter of Human Rights, the Court of Appeal recently identified that the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act, which is based on the presumption of guilt (where drugs are found on a person’s property / place of residence but not in their possession) was incompatible with the Charter which is based on the presumption of innocence and due process. However, the Court did not uphold the appeal against conviction on these grounds. All the government is required to do under the Charter is to acknowledge the Court’s observations and say that the breach is justified in the community’s interest. So much for Charters of Human and Civil Rights! Review of Victorian Pharmacotherapy System. This year the Victorian Government finally honoured its pledge to conduct an independent review of the state ORT system and HRV was invited to have 2 people on the advisory committee. Although we had significant input into the process and the eventual recommendations, the majority of service providers and administrators involved in pharmacotherapy remain largely conservative and risk averse, which made it difficult for HRV to have as much influence as we would have liked. Some of the issues which were broadly supported included the vital need to reconfigure the Specialist Pharmacotherapy Services and to increase the number of funded Addictions Specialists to bring Victoria more into line with NSW. HRV also advocated for the easing of restrictions and obstacles for extended, take-home scripts / unsupervised dosing for long-term, stable ORT clients, especially those on Suboxone. Given Suboxone’s high safety rating compared to many prescribed and over the counter meds, it is difficult to justify the barriers that still prevent people from receiving 14-28 day supplies. However, it is difficult to be confident that the Government will respond to the review’s recommendations given its track record and the funding implications (cost). We shall see . . . . . .! Norm Stamper and Ethan Nadelmann’s Visit to Australia In many other jurisdictions across Australia, the local and/or national drug user organisations (DUO) were invited to participate in hosting the visit of Norm Stamper from LEAP late last year. However, in Victoria this did not occur and ANEX, an organisation which claims to represent harm reduction programs and to be a national organisation, was appointed to the organising committee for Victoria. Not only were we not invited to participate, we were not even informed of the visit, until the schedule of Stamper’s public lectures was announced. By chance, we were alerted to Ethan Nadelmann’s impending visit to Australia and happily we have been able to prevent the same story from unfolding all over again. Although both NUAA and AIVL were involved in pre-organising the Stamper and Nadelmann visits, HRV did not learn about them from these sources. It is easy to assume that if 1 DUO knows, we all know but that is clearly not always the case. Perhaps the AIVL network could play more of a role in ensuring that state and territory organisations are informed of all important upcoming events, like these 2 visits by leading advocates of drug law reform Police Corruption The organised crime/police corruption saga in Victoria continues, with the withdrawal of murder charges against former drug squad detective sergeant, Paul Dale and the mysterious execution of convicted murderer and crime boss, Carl Williams while in maximum security at Port Phillip prison. Although a long list of drug squad detectives has been convicted of corrupt practices over the last ten years, the Office of Police Integrity (the body set up to contain police corruption in Vic) has achieved very little. Major prosecutions against former Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby and former


Secretary of the powerful Police Association, Paul Mullet, have recently failed, due to technicalities and / or incompetence. It becomes increasingly evident that greed and police corruption are a consistent and direct effect of the illegal trade in prohibited drugs. HRV is hopeful that greater discussion of drug policy will be encouraged by the Stamper and Nadelmann visits and by international developments. We are also hopeful that these events will assist the broader community to stop and think about the corrosive effect of prohibition on public institutions and the health of citizens. Due to these recent gangland killings and the imprisonment of police officers convicted of supplying precursor chemicals to gangsters, there has been a significant reduction in the manufacture, supply and quality of methamphetamine and ecstasy in Victoria over the last few years. Increasingly, cocaine and drugs like MCAT seem to be filling the psychostimulant void. However, the supply of heroin in Victoria has been unaffected and has remained consistent since the end of the drought in 2001. NSP The State government recently announced 2 million dollars in recurrent funding over 5 years for the HIE 24 hour NSP program in St Kilda, which was previously funded as a pilot program. While the patronage of the service has been good, only a small percentage of NSP transactions have actually been taking place at night. There are no other 24 hour services in Melbourne, though several hospitals (i.e. Werribee and Geelong) provide syringes 24/7 for those willing to attend such services. As yet, no syringe vending machines have been approved in Victoria. Although HRV supports the call for vending machines in high demand areas, we suggest that other changes to the way NSP services are provided are perhaps more important. 24 hour services will never be available in every suburb and town. Clearly, round the clock access to NSP is a problem, but a bigger problem as we see it is the habit of handing out syringes in small numbers and users not ensuring that they always have an adequate supply on hand for themselves and their friends. The continued high rate of syringe re-use and syringe sharing continues to drive the hepatitis C epidemic and must therefore be addressed as the major challenge. Peer distribution and, in particular, peer education, are essential if we are to achieve widespread behaviour change. Regrettably, the government and other agencies continue to perceive the problem in terms of service access and hardware, rather than one of empowering users to educate and look after each other. Consumables / injecting paraphernalia other than syringes, swabs and plastic spoons are not available for no cost from many NSPs in Victoria, although most of the primary NSPs have some items of equipment available on a cost recovery basis, e.g. wheel filters, SteriFilt or sterile water. While most primary and secondary NSPs provide cotton wool, it is not sterile packaged cotton wool and therefore constitutes a potential infection risk to consumers. Substandard, unhygienic materials should not be supplied to people who will use them to prepare injections. HRV is working with NSP providers to determine which items of injecting paraphernalia are the highest priority from the clients’ perspective for free distribution by the government, should lobbying for funded equipment be successful. Only one primary NSP in Melbourne has a high demand for butterflies and large bore syringes, since methadone injecting is not prevalent in Victoria and consequently the use of butterflies for other applications, such as in pill injecting, has not been taken up more broadly. Sadly, HRV still does not operate a fixed site NSP, although we distribute equipment through networks and workshops on an outreach basis. We hope to persuade our landlord to approve a trial NSP in the near future, but in the past he has been philosophically opposed to the idea. DanceWize DanceWize (formerly RaveSafe) has prospered over the last year, after re-establishing productive working relationships with the major event promoters in Victoria. The promoters disliked the previous name RaveSafe, which they claimed drew undue attention to the drug aspect of the dance scene, which was bad for business. The major promoters have also agreed to part subsidise DanceWize and a nominal fee is charged, based upon the number of volunteers deployed at each event. This income has helped to strengthen the DanceWize Program and to reverse the trend towards budgetary deficit over recent years. Police sniffer dog operations at certain dance party events have continued to be an issue of some concern. HRV argues that ramping patrons outside dance parties does not reduce drug use; it simply


reduces people’s options for safer drug use. Fortunately, most people who are apprehended are in possession of small amounts only and are usually referred for assessment and counselling, rather than charged with criminal offences. However, few of those apprehended will, in fact, benefit from assessment and counselling and in any case, help is more likely be effective if it is sought out voluntarily rather than police and/or court mandated “treatment”. It is unfortunate that this issue, which can dramatically impact on a young person’s future, remains dominated by the politics of image and message. The worst cases of drug affected party-goers assisted by the DanceWize crew often occur at some of the more commercial parties, where alcohol is omnipresent and heavily promoted. Happily, despite concerns about G and alcohol taken together, there have been no deaths at dance party events this year in Victoria. Drug Overdose Peer Education This program continues as one of HRV’s mainstays. Over recent years, the focus has changed from fatal heroin overdose to one of recognition, prevention and management of all acute adverse drug effects, involving psychostimulants, poly drug use, G, Ketamine and emerging new drugs. The DOPE program has also been making significant inroads into the Koori community, developing stronger trust and credibility with Koori community and services. HRV is looking forward to working with the Aboriginal controlled health organisation (VACCHO) to implement the AIVL Indigenous project and to deliver better outcomes for Koori people who inject drugs. The DOPE workshops also comprise an important part of our workshop program at the Melbourne Assessment Prison, the only correctional facility at present that invites us to provide harm reduction peer education for prisoners. Richmond Housing Estate Proposal HRV has been involved with a host of local services concerned about the loss of amenity and sense of safety in the Richmond public housing estate, the current centre of the street based heroin trade in Melbourne. HRV has developed a proposal to work with drug users as part of the solution. To fund this project, which would be run by HRV in partnership with North Richmond Community Health, submissions have been made to the regional office of the Department of Health and the City of Yarra Safer Communities Committee. Although the concept has been enthusiastically embraced by many stakeholders, including the Office of Housing and the Neighbourhood Justice Centre, funding has been slow to occur. However, HRV remains confident that our two linked submissions will ultimately be successful. Should this project be effective in reducing drug-related nuisance in the Richmond estate, it could be rolled out in other high density public housing locations across the city. The project aims to build accords with local police and encourage people coming to the area for drugs to be discrete and to take their drugs home with them, rather than using in the estates. We do not suggest that the police ignore drug trafficking; rather, we argue that targeting users is not particularly helpful or successful as far as reducing supply and that day-to-day policing should be concerned with nuisance behaviours, not drug use per se. To their credit, the local residents are beginning to see things in these terms and they support efforts to work with users, rather than against them. We are hopeful that the program will help to improve public amenity and safety and resident’s enjoyment of their homes and neighbourhood. Film Event : After the War on Drugs By the time of the AIVL AGM, HRV will have held its public film event ‘After the war on drugs’. This collection of films, many from past International Harm Reduction Conference Film Festivals, will be presented to the general public in the hope of raising awareness of drug policy issues. A panel of experts, including Annie Madden, will help lead discussion and relate the films’ themes to the local context. A previous film event was targeted mainly at the NSP and AOD sector. We are hopeful that this event will attract people from outside the ranks of the long-converted. Conclusion While the issues of funding and our relationship with funding bodies continue to make HRV’s position somewhat tenuous, the organisation has maintained its core capacity and achieved significant recognition for its expertise and advocacy on behalf of people who inject or use illicit drugs in Victoria over the past year.


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: NNTTAAHHCC –– NNTT AAiiddss && HHeeppaattiittiiss CCoouunncciill

Membership Level: Level Three State/Territory: Northern Territory

Needle and Syringe Program Report Harm reduction and providing information, support and education are key to our NSP work. NTAHC manages three Needle and Syringe primary outlets - in Darwin city, Palmerston and Alice Springs. We also provide fit kits to a range of pharmacies and other secondary outlets like health services and Alice Springs hospital. Our goal is to ensure injecting drug users across the NT have access to information and support, and importantly clean injecting equipment and the means to dispose of these safely. In Darwin region, 375,291 kits of injecting hardware were distributed this year, 28,477 in Alice Springs region. Yes, the numbers are huge, and keep our staff very busy ensuring that as many as possible of these are returned for safe disposal. Our staff also support other organisations by providing a disposal unit emptying service to ensure that all fits are safely disposed of where possible. Secondary outlets in Darwin region distributed 1,680 fit kits provided by NTAHC. Return rates of injecting equipment in the Darwin region is 92% and surveys of clients indicate that most injecting equipment that is not returned is still disposed of safely. In Alice Springs, our return rate is 110% - indicating that people who are accessing injecting equipment elsewhere are still using our disposal services - an excellent outcome! All NTAHC's NSPs employ a range of staff and we always aim to include the employment of injecting drug user peers in our staff team. This has been the case this year in all three outlets and ensures that our NSP clients are provided with the best possible service and feel safe and comfortable accessing those services. NTAHC is very aware that peers are a key asset to the organisation and our clients and we value our peers in NSPs. Health promotion and casual intervention in our NSPs is a key part of our harm reduction strategy. Health promotion information most accessed in our NSPs includes hepatitis C information and subsequent referral to our support program, information regarding safer injecting and filtering pills, withdrawal and rehabilitation services and specific information regarding steroids, benzodiazepines and pharmacotherapies. Bang! our user magazine is ever popular with up to date information on drug use, health and nutrition and both national and international information on trends. Production of Bang! is currently in-house by our NSP staff team and follows closely with the NSP themes. Service delivery changes in our restructure have included handing overall management of NSP's to our Program Manager to ensure that rosters are managed effectively and casual staff are working to capacity. Each NSP is staffed with a Senior NSP Service Provider with support from casual staff. Other changes include implementing a 'cross program fertilisation' as a trial. This includes rostering staff from our ATSI team, men's and women's health and our SWOP project to the NSP regularly to ensure that our clients know the faces, learn about the programs and are encouraged to access other programs. Referral rates to other programs via the NSP have increased since this change.


Advocacy has increased in our NSP work - particularly advocacy for clients experiencing issues regarding detoxification services, rehabilitation services and access to pharmacotherapy programs. This year has seen a consolidation of our NSP services enabling us to use the regular client surveys that we conduct to plan for future services. Examples of potential growth in the NSP arena include potential development of:

� a syringe vending machine program

� additional disposal units in strategic places to enable easier disposal

� a mobile health promotion service including fit kits

� further development of the network of secondary outlets

A most important development that NTAHC will be working on is engaging injecting drug users to re-form a user group. The NT has seen several groups over the years but NTAHC can now offer administrative support to a new group and this could enable the members to get on with the job of advocacy for themselves and peers. LGBT Services Dementia , Gay and Lesbian People - a paper by Heather Birch - launched in both Darwin and Alice Springs in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: QQuuIIVVVVAA

Membership Level: Level Two State/Territory: Queensland

2009-10 has been a year of significant progress at QuIVAA, and one that has seen a number of exciting developments take place. Early in the financial year, QuIVAA received a grant from QuIHN to commission a needs analysis to determine the viability of a pharmacotherapy advocacy and support service in Queensland. The research demonstrated a clear need and broad support for such a program. On the back of this assessment, QuIVAA decided to ‘roll the dice’ and employ a part time community development worker whose role it would be to try to find funding for this and other projects, and find means of reinvigorating and sustaining the organisation. QuIVAA self-funded this position until the end of the financial year, at which time QuIHN provided a capacity-building grant which enabled the contract to be extended. QuIVAA also received a volunteering grant from FaCSIA, enabling us to purchase some IT equipment, along with a badgemaker, and tables and a marquee to enable us to attend events. The QuIVAA staff member has developed a project around the findings of the pharmacotherapies needs analysis. Much support has been received for the project, including from Queensland Health’s Drugs of Dependence Unit, but so far no funding has been secured. We have also developed some consumer representation capacity building workshops and have submitted for funding to run these. We are hopeful of being able to conduct a pilot with QuIHN in the near future. The relationship between QuIHN and QuIVAA has gone from strength to strength this year and has seen a range of collaborations. The QuIVAA staff member sat on the stakeholders’ committee for QuIHN’s MixUp program, enabling QuIVAA to lobby successfully for greater peer involvement in the initial program roll out. The first round of peer ed. training sessions will consequently now include peer co-facilitation. Also, QuIVAA staff and board members collaborated with the QuIHN NSP to hold a commemorative celebration on OD awareness day, which was well received by all. QuIVAA also successfully lobbied QNSP for the provision of safe disposal units in the Moreton Bay Islands region, which is an area that seems to have a significant population of IDU’s but is outrageously under-serviced. Lastly, a good deal of energy has been expended in QuIVAA gathering itself, and regaining mastery over its administration, after some changes in the board structure revealed that things were a little ‘all over the place’. I am pleased to say that there is a renewed vigour about the QuIVAA office these days, with a mix of new blood and expertise working together to try to make the organisation meaningful once again in the lives of users, and there are a number of focuses for the immediate future, including increased networking within the sector, membership drives, website development, not to mention continued efforts to find funding for the projects that have been developed, as well as new ones. In addition, QuIVAA attracted a surprising amount of media attention after releasing a statement calling for an investigation into the feasibility of injecting facility/facilities in South East Queensland, and we have learned much from the process. Positively, we uncovered some significant support from


within the community, and we are working away quietly at getting an independent needs analysis commissioned. We also intend to work on consumer representation initiatives, and developing services that we might potentially contract out….as the money in the bank won’t last forever, and funding is proving difficult to come by, we need to think of alternative methods of sustaining ourselves.


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: QQUUIIHHNN –– QQuueeeennssllaanndd IInnjjeeccttoorrss HHeeaalltthh NNeettwwoorrkk

Membership Level: Level One State/Territory: Queensland

Altogether another busy year has passed for us here at QuIHN. Generally, in Queensland I have found that whilst in some ways the Global Financial Crisis (GF) has created some funding issues, it has also created more accountability which has been a good thing. Governments have had a bit of a shake up and from what I have seen, many changes have been planned and are due to be implemented. Although some of the new health reforms will have huge implications into the way things are being funded, I think this will also provide opportunities for services such as QuIHN to further build credibility and ensure ethical quality is attached to outcomes. From a Queensland perspective, I am also pushing for increased consumer participation within QNADA and also at the Ministerial Advisory Committee level, a committee I currently sit on. QuIHN is one of two Queensland member organisations in the AIVL network. It has a total of fifty paid staff across the State. These positions include full-time, part-time and casual paid employees. QuIHN also has a total of 25 volunteer (ie unpaid) staff. Volunteers include board members, student placements and general program staff volunteers. QuIHN sometimes uses the mechanism of its volunteer program to recruit people into paid positions within the organisation. This approach allows us to understand people’s skill levels, as well as ensuring organisational or cultural fit for both the employee and QuIHN. QuIHN receives funding from QLD Health Communicable Disease Branch, for the prevention of Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs), as they relate to injecting drug users. This funding primarily assists with the facilitation of three NSPs based in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. It also provides funding to develop relevant resources, and deliver health promotion events and activities across the State, targeting people who inject drugs (PWID), and the broader community. This funding contract is due to expire in June 2014. QuIHN also receives funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) within the NGOTGP grants program area. This funding assists with the delivery of a psychosocial, biomedical, clinical and non-clinical therapy service delivered from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. We also receive funding from the Improved Services Initiative to develop dual diagnosis capacity within our services. This includes developing training for all staff, primarily in base level mental health, development of protocols, policy development and the enhancement of data collection. This funding is due to expire in June 2011. QuIHN receives funding from Commonwealth Dept of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). This funding assists QuIHN in the delivery of therapeutic education, support and advocacy services to families and children who are part of our client base. We assist in


parenting programs, family/carer support groups and provide individual advocacy with DOCS, to assist in keeping families together. This funding is due to expire in June 2011. QuIHN also receives funding from SEA GP to employ a No Wrong Doors Coordinator. The Coordinator works with services, NGOs and Government to develop and maintain sound referral and support pathways for clients. It also assists services with the development of assessment tools and provides resources to other services to assist them to work more effectively with their own client groups. In addition to the above, there are a few other smaller grants QiIHN currently receives, but which cease by the end of this (2010-11) financial year. These grants are provided to support capacity in partnerships and fundraising and to provide administration/book keeping support for a youth collaborative project. QuIHN also applies for a range of small grants for specific events, such as Hepatitis Awareness Week, Mental Health and Drug Action Week. Highlights from the past twelve months for QuIHN include:

� Re-development of the Mix Up Project

� Purchase of property on the Gold Coast (Burleigh Heads)

� Engagment in a Quality Assurance Process

� Initiation of a process to re-locate the Brisbane office

� Employment of a Staff Development & Support Worker

� Donations fo 2 medical vans for outreach use, based in Cairns and the Gold Coast

� Provision of financial support to QuIVAA

Over the coming twelve months QuIHN will be re-locating its Brisbane office. Other planned activities and projects include:

� Consumer forums

� Database redevelopment

� On-going professional development for staff

� Increasing consumer participation within the QuIHN workformce and within all levels of the organisation

From QuIHN’s perspective, the following are the most pressing issues for PWID in Queensland:

� Pharmacotherapy

� Access to medical services

� Affordable housing

� Employment

� Legal support

QuIHN continues to find its relationship with AIVL one of great benefit. AIVL provides both a national and international perspective on issues of relevance for PWID. The leadership role AIVL provides for the States/Territories, plaus the resources we continue to receive are highly regarded by clients, and by QuIHN’s staff. I would like to thank AIVL for its constant ethical advocacy for PWID and for its work in the AOD sector more broadly. Geoff Manu General Manager QuIHN LTD


MMeemmbbeerr OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn:: TTaassCCAAHHRRDD –– TTaassmmaanniiaann CCoouunncciill oonn AAIIDDSS,, HHeeppaattiittiiss && RReellaatteedd DDiisseeaasseess

Membership Level: Three State/Territory: Tasmania

tasCAHRD has fourteen paid staff across all programs, including casual employees. In addition there is one volunteer worker. tasCAHRD receives funding for its hep C program through the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services. The two NSP outlets are funded through a grant administered by the Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – Population Health Division. This is a one year agreement. There was no increase in funding in June 2010 to cover CPI. Over the past twelve months and number of initiatives have been conducted, including:

� The Clinical Consultation Service for PWID was evaluated as successfully achieving its aims and has become a permanent service for NSP clients

o In total 106 consultations were undertaken at TasCAHRD o Consultations related primarily to drug treatment, vein care and mental health.

� Received a small grant from the DHHS to lift limitations on distribution of filters, butterflies and tourniquets

o Limitations were lifted for a period of 3 months in order to determine actual demand for equipment.

o Statistics from the project may be used to lobby for additional equipment from DHHS � Morphine ‘snapshot’ conducted at TasCAHRD NSP outlets to determine preparation and

filtering methods including; the form of morphine used, extraction methods, current filter methods and type of filters used. In total 58, brief interventions were undertaken during December relating to extraction and filtering options.

� Developed and distributed a filter resource to NSP consumers based on ‘snapshot’ data and research findings from a UTAS research project ‘Injecting MS Contin: What is the Harm Reduction Evidence?’

� Harm Reduction Program face book profile created. Site used to exchange harm reduction information and to monitor correspondence from face book ‘friends’.

� Participated in NCHECR National Finger Prick survey

� Participated in IDRS survey

� Organised UTAS IDRS consumer reference group meeting.

� Participated in ANEX/ National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Indigenous IDU Project. Provision of local indigenous IDU information to inform the project.

� Attended the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) Consultation Forum on Drug and Alcohol Issues, Hobart. Highlighted the following issues:

o Limited treatment services/options for IDU in Tasmania. Outlined associated harms.

o Increased funding required addressing identified gaps in treatment services.


o The need to fund mainstream healthcare service providers to employ Aboriginal workers. Aboriginal health issues need to be addressed in a culturally appropriate and sensitive manner.

� Attended ‘Breaking the Cycle – Tasmanian Corrections Plan 2010-2020’ Consultation Forum, Hobart. Advocated for the following:

o Inmates/residents participation in the planning process

o Introduction of NSP’s in prison

� Delivery of Harm Reduction information sessions to all inmates/residents.

� Facilitated harm reduction information session to staff at the Alcohol and Drug Service (community team), Hobart. Advocated for the following;

o Development of effective communication strategies between ADS and NGO service providers

o Development of effective referral pathways

o Re-commencement of NSP at ADS South

� Introduced Ventii filters in TasCAHRD NSP outlets, free of charge, to assist with the filtering process. Introduction of filters based on research findings from a UTAS research project ‘Injecting MS Contin: What is the Harm Reduction Evidence?

� TasCAHRD Hep C television advertisement aired. Subsequently there has been an increase in website hits and phone calls to Hep C info line.

� Two Tasmanian delegates were recruited to attend the RB/AIVL National Consumer Workshop on opioid pharmocotherapy

� In line with the state elections TasCAHRD requested responses from the three major political parties on how they would deal with the problem of Hep C in Tasmania. Two responses were received and posted on www.hepintas.com/news/.

� Attended ‘Voices on Choices’-Working towards consumer-led alcohol and drug treatment research report launch.

� Supported a group of consumers by supplying a meeting place. Group concerned primarily with pharmacotherapy. NSP staff and representative from Advocacy Tasmania were also present.

� Attended Hobart City Council reference group meeting for discussion of new Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy.

� Attended Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference in Melbourne

� Supported Positive speaker to address health care providers about Living with Hep C

In addition to the above, tasCAHRD’s plans for the upcoming year include:

� Conversations Over Dinner: a project which provides opportunities for people affected by Hep C to meet others with similar concerns, share information and strategies in a safe and confidential environment. Free dinner is provided.

� ‘Street Shots’- A project based on Hepatitis NSW ‘Street Shot’ which aims to engage with youth-targeted organisations and work together to increase services and workers capacity to address hepatitis C needs of the young people they work with.

� Promote and provide information about prevention, health maintenance and treatment to people with hepatitis C (including prisoners) through the provision of the Hepatitis Support and Information Line

� Promote the Program website to increase awareness of the site among community members and health care providers.

� Facilitate case management and support to people newly diagnosed, living with, considering or receiving treatment, or people who have not been successfully treated for hepatitis C.


� Provide information sessions on the prevention of blood-borne viruses to the community, particularly targeting those people who are at risk of, or injecting drugs.

� Participate and represent the organisation’s hepatitis program and it’s clients on relevant committees and working groups relating to people who are at risk of, or living with hepatitis C.

� Facilitate processes that will enable people with, or at risk of hepatitis C to participate in relevant studies relating to health and social issues.

The top five current issues for injecting drug users in Tasmania are:

1. Lack of pharmacotherapy treatment options available. Long waiting lists can deter people from applying which could mean the current demand for treatment is underestimated.

2. No after hour access to equipment. A Syringe vending machine is still not operational in the Hobart vicinity

3. Rural areas which have high IDU use but no access to NSP’s. Public transport is expensive and sparse and there are confidentiality issues about accessing pharmacy outlets in small towns.

4. People on treatment programs at ADS facing radical reductions or complete withdrawal from high doses of methadone. This has affected patient’s mental wellbeing resulting in severe repercussions.

5. The limited distribution of pill and bacteria filters is not adequate for the high level of pill and methadone injection in the state. NSp workers are advising PWID to filter mixes yet are unable to supply amounts needed. This results in people sharing and reusing filters.

AIVL has provided assistance to tasCAHRD throughout the year by providing harm reduction information resources for distribution to Tasmanian injecting drug users on topics including: safer injecting, hepatitis C and International Drug Users Day. It has also supported the presence of peer delegate in advocating for consumer representation on Tasmania’s new Advocacy Tasmania alcohol and drug program. AIVL also funds two State delegates to attend the AGM and has supported consumers’ attempts to establish a drug user organisation in Tasmania. Restructuring of tasCAHRD has meant that the Harm Reduction Program no longer exists and the NSP now falls under the Hep C program. Coupled with a lack of increased funding from the DHHS to support the NSPs, this has resulted in a reduction in TasCAHRD’s coverage - a previously state-wide focus on Harm Reduction issues has become more localised (covering mainly the two outlets TasCAHRD currently operates). In some respects, perhaps the most significant loss to the PWID community in Tasmania is the demise of the local ‘user’ magazine ‘Taste’. Production of a user magazine could potentially be the focus of a consumer group should one become established in the State in the future.


Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League

Financial Statements

for the year ended

30 June 2010


AIVL - Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League Incorporated

For the Year Ended 30 June 2010 CONTENTS Page Financial Statements Executive Committee’s Report 45 Auditors Independence Declaration under Section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 48 Income Statement 49 Statement of Comprehensive Income 50 Balance Sheet 51 Statement of Changes in Equity 52 Cash Flow Statement 53 Notes to the Financial Statements 54 Executive Committees' Declaration 74 Independent Audit Report 75



Executive Committee’s Report

30 June 2010

The members of Executive Committee present their report on the AIVL - Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League "the Association" for the financial year ended 30 June 2010. Committee Members The names of the Executive Committee members in office at any time during, or since the end of, the year are: Names Appointed/Resigned Louise Grant (President) Michelle Spudic Appointed on 12/11/2009 Paul Gill Appointed on 12/11/2009 Sarah Lord Susan Brownbill Steve Robinson Resigned on 12/11/2009 Jennifer Kelsall Appointed on 12/11/2009 Kerry Shying Resigned on 12/11/2009 Susan Beresford Louise Temple Resigned on 12/11/2009 Executive committee members have been in office since the start of the financial year to the date of this report unless otherwise stated. Principal Activities The principal function of the Association during the course of the financial year was to develop and distribute educational resources and to undertake various policy and advocacy activities in the field of illicit drug use and Hepatitis C in Australia.

No significant change in the nature of these activities occurred during the year.



Executive Committee’s Report

30 June 2010

Meetings of Committee Members The number of meetings of the Association's Executive Committee members held during the year ended 30 June 2009, and the number of meetings attended by each committee member were: Meeting of Committee

Members

Eligible to attend

Number attended

Louise Grant (President) 10 7

Michelle Spudic 7 5

Paul Gill 7 3

Sarah Lord 10 10

Susan Brownbill 10 7

Steven Robinson 3 2

Jennifer Kelsall 7 5

Kerry Shying 3 2

Susan Beresford 10 9

Louise Temple 3 1

The profit from ordinary activities for the financial year after providing for income tax amounted to $28,000 (2009: $58,620). Dividends paid or declared No dividends paid or declared since the start of the financial year. Significant Changes in State of Affairs No significant changes in the Association's state of affairs occurred during the financial year. After balance day events No matters or circumstances have arisen since the end of the financial year which significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Association, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Association in future financial years. Environmental Issues The Association’s operations are not regulated by any significant environmental regulation under a law of the Commonwealth or of a state or territory. Proceedings on Behalf of Association No person has applied for leave of Court to bring proceedings on behalf of the Association or intervene in any proceedings to which the Association is a party for the purpose of taking responsibility on behalf of the Association for all or any part of those proceedings. The Association was not a party to any such proceedings during the year.


47 AIVL - Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League Incorporated

Executive Committee's Report

30 June 2010

Indemnifying Officers or Auditors No indemnities have been given or insurance premiums paid, during or since the end of the financial year, for any person who is or has been an officer or auditor of the Association. Auditors Independence Declaration A copy of the auditor's independence declaration as required under section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 is set out at page 48. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Members of the Executive Committee:

Louise Grant.................................................

President Dated this 5th day of November 2010

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