On 28 October, College President, Dr Elizabeth Moore, gave evidence at the public hearing in Melbourne for the Inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia.

During her testimony, she highlighted the importance of integrating alcohol and other drugs (AOD) services within the broader health system and ensuring equitable access to these services, especially for those in rural, regional, and remote areas and to support individuals with substance use disorder. She emphasised that our AOD services should adopt a whole-person-centred approach for individuals that also involve family, carers, and the community. This is important because it allows us to address the complex needs of individuals wholistically, recognising the critical role that support networks play in recovery. She also recommended our models of care consider the reality of working in multidisciplinary teams, to ensure there is clarity and to reduce fragmentation, to effectively meet the needs of individuals accessing services.

For more information on the College’s involvement in this area, please refer to our submission to the Inquiry and College Position Statement: Recognising and reducing alcohol-related harm.