Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Overview
ATODS provides information, clinical assessment, counselling, treatment and referral for individuals, groups and families with a range of alcohol and other drug related problems. The Service offers a range of activities around health promotion, increasing community awareness on topical issues, and the training of future health and welfare professionals on the management of substance abuse and dependence.
Services available
- Provision of clinical assessment and psychological interventions to individuals, their partners and families on substance-related matters.
- Provision of opiate substitution and other pharmacological-based programs for the management of addiction.
- Provision of planned withdrawal from substances under medical supervision.
- Referral of clients with more complex issues to a range of public and private health and welfare services across the public and private sector.
- Development and delivery of a range of prevention and health promotion initiatives using a community development approach.
- Broad awareness raising programs and education on substance-related issues within the community.
- Education and training of health professionals in the assessment and management of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs in primary health care settings (eg evidence based practices).
- Consultative services on the development of policies and procedures to more effectively manage the substance-related problems of staff and / or clients in workplaces.
- In conjunction with the Department of Corrective Services and Department of Justice and Attorney General, Townsville Health Service District contributes to the Pilot Townsville Drug Court Program.
Location
| Location |
35-38 Gregory Street, North Ward QLD 4810 |
| Postal Address |
PO Box 5224, Townsville Mail Centre QLD 4810 |
| Phone |
+ 61 7 4778 9677 |
| Facsimile |
+61 7 4778 9666 |
| Hours |
Business 8am-4.30pm Monday to Friday. Closed to public 12.00pm Friday. |
How to access ATODS services and programs
Client self-referral to treatment services:
New and previous clients can access clinical treatment services by attending an intake session at the North Ward Health Camps at 35-38 Gregory Street office. Intake sessions are available at these times (no appointment required) -
Monday to Friday: 09:30 - 1200
Monday to Thursday: 13:00 - 15:30
Intake sessions involve face-to-face contact and, for this reason, must be attended in person. The initial consultation will take about 15-45 minutes. On first contact, clients will be asked to complete some initial paperwork.
For information on bus services to various locations, contact "Sunbus". Assistance is available to persons with reading and writing difficulties. Support persons can attend the initial consultation at the request of the client. An indigenous health worker is available to provide assistance when required. Clients with a physical disability or substance intoxication can be seen on the ground floor of the building - please request assistance from staff on the ground floor.
Following attendance at an intake session, clients may be offered ongoing treatment services. Appointments for assessment and counselling sessions are available at a number of locations. These presently include the Townsville main office and the Kirwan Campus of Community Health.
Formal referral to clinical treatment services:
The ATODS Referral Form will need to be downloaded from the web page. Further instructions are located on the back of the form. Alternatively, please phone reception staff on (07) 4778 9677 to arrange for a form to be faxed to you.
ATODS Liaison Services to The Townsville Hospital (TTH):
This service is only available to inpatients. ATODS staff provide a weekly service to TTH. To access the service, the ATODS Referral Form (see above) must be completed by a medical officer or nurse practice coordinator from the hospital ward. After the Referral Form is faxed to ATODS, then the referral person will be contacted to arrange a visit.
Services provided include:
- Aboriginal liaison worker, in conjunction with Aboriginal Health Liaison worker (Social Work Dept, TTH), can assist indigenous clients to explore treatment options and advice on discharge planning.
- Clinical staff can provide information about treatment options and to arrange a follow-up appointment with the service.
- Clinical staff can provide consultation service to hospital staff on the management of difficult or complex patients, evidence-based practices and clinical management pathways.
Training Services:
Training and information services can include:
- Provision of information and awareness sessions on topical issues for all community based health and welfare workers - information about future courses can be downloaded here.
- Provision of training sessions on the clinical management of substance-related issues for health workers employed by Queensland Health (eg nursing staff, medical specialists and medical officers, etc) - information can be obtained from the Staff Development Unit, TTH.
- Provision of training for General Practitioners on prescribing methadone syrup and buprenorphine can be obtained from ATODS Senior Medical Officer and staff from the Opioid Substitution Program - phone (07) 4778 9677.
- Development of individualised training programs to meet the specific needs of a particular service - Service Request Form can be downloaded here.
Health Promotion Programs:
Develop and implement a range of harm reduction projects in partnership with community members, government and non-government service providers to reduce the harm associated with substance misuse.
Current projects include:
- Townsville-Thuringowa Partying Safe Kit and Party Safe Survival Guide.- This resource has been developed for parents and adolescents on tips and hints for holding a safe and fun party. The kit was developed in partnership with the Queensland Police Service and the Townsville/Thuringowa Safe Community Project.
- Charters Towers Community Alcohol Harm Reduction Project - This program focuses on the development and implementation of a local multi-strategic action plan aimed at reducing the prevalence of alcohol related harm within the Charters Towers community.
- Townsville CBD Safer Venues Project - This project will encompass the formation of a collaborative partnership between Queensland Police Service, Liquor Licensing, ATODS, Townsville City Council, Townsville/Thuringowa Safe Community Project & Flinders Street East Licensed Venue Managers Group. The partnership will work closely with the stakeholders to address issues of safety in relation to licensed venues in the Townsville Central Business District.
- 'Rethinking your Drinking' - A range of strategies are being developed to raise awareness on standard drinks and alcohol misuse,.
- Townsville Health Service District Tobacco Action Plan - This project will focus on the development and implementation of a multi-strategic action plan aimed at supporting the phasing in of the total smoking ban within Queensland Health facilities. The action plan will address prevention, intervention and treatment.
- Indigenous Tobacco Project - An Indigenous tobacco project focussing on culturally appropriate prevention, intervention and treatment programs for Indigenous people across the lifespan within the Townsville Health District (includes Townsville, Thuringowa, Palm Island and Ingham)
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Related Links
There are a number of useful local contacts and websites covering a range of addiction issues. These are useful resources for government departments, health workers, community-based workers, curriculum developers, teachers, and students completing projects and assignments.
Other Local Drug & Alcohol Services
Community-based residential treatment services (ie detoxification / rehabilitation program) -
- Ferdy's Haven Drug and Alcohol Rehab, Palm Island - For further information on services provided, phone (07) 4770 1152.
- Ozcare Residential Drug & Alcohol Treatment Services (ORDATS), Townsville - For further information on services provided, phone (07) 4772 0855.
- Salvation Army Townsville Recovery Services, Townsville - For further information on services provided, phone (07) 4772 3607.
- Stagpole Street Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Unit (DARU), Townsville - For further information on services provided, phone (07) 4771 5655.
Self-help services & groups (no referral required) -
- Quitline - Free, 24-hour, telephone advice and information for smoking cessation. Phone 131 848.
- Alcohol & Drug Information Service (ADIS) - Free, 24 hour, telephone information services for alcohol and drug issues. Phone 1800 177 833.
- Alcoholics Anonymous - For further information on local meeting times, phone (07) 4771 5411.
- Narcotics Anonymous - Further information on local meeting times can be obtained from most local drug & alcohol service providers.
Diversionary Centre -
- The Reverend Charles Harris Special Care Centre (Diversionary Centre), The Bohle - For further information, phone (07) 4774 4430.
Clinical Tools / Information:
Screening Instruments / Tools -
Self-Help Resources and Clinician Manuals -
Education and training, health promotion public health issues, statistics, and research information:
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Feedback to the service
ATODS would like your feedback about our services. We would very much like to get your positive comments and compliments too. Please feel free to provide comments on our feedback form.
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