Establishing The Canberra Collaboration: For ATOD Research, Policy, Practice… & Participation! Carrie Fowlie, ATODA & David McDonald, Social Research & Evaluation Presentation at The Canberra Collaboration: ACT ATOD Research Networking Workshop Thursday 31 October

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners and custodians of the lands upon which we meet, and pay my respects to the Elders, ancestors and families. I extend my respects to all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are here today.

About ATODA 3 year old sector-wide peak & work (NGO & government) Seeks to promote health through preventing and reducing ATOD-related harms Works collaboratively to provide expertise and leadership in the areas of social policy, sector and workforce development, research, coordination, partnerships, communication, information Evidence-informed, public health, human rights, social justice, harm mimimisation Partners: ACT and Federal governments, consumer groups, treatment services, research institutions, etc. About ATODA

‘Traditional’ ACT ATOD Sector Service Consumers, People who use ATOD, Families & Friends Health, Practitioners & Service Providers Policy & Government Researchers & Institutions Law EnforcementThe Community

The Canberra Collaboration approach Service Consumers, People who use ATOD, Families & Friends Health, Practitioners & Service Providers Policy & Government Researchers & Institutions Law Enforcement The Community

For some people, the pathways towards achieving this are clear, whereas for others evidence-informed policy is seen as an unattainable goal. Evidence-informed policy is a particularly difficult challenge for the ATOD field because of the multiple inputs into policy activity in this area. Policy development and implementation: –Are impacted upon by attitudes, values, public opinion, etc. –Have to compete with other sectors such as medical care, law enforcement, education, social welfare, etc, –Making it difficult for ATOD research to have as much impact on policy activity and its implementation as many would like. An era of evidence-informed policy

Practitioners: Are concerned that their practice may not be as evidence- informed as it could be. They are keen to ensure that the services that they provide are of the best possible quality, reflecting the latest and best knowledge about what works, with whom, in what circumstances. Researchers: Would like to be more effective in influencing ATOD policy. However many are isolated from the policy environment. They may not know what questions policy makers are dealing with that could be supported through research. An era of evidence-informed policy

There are many people engaging in research in the ATOD field in the ACT. Many of these do not identify specifically as ATOD researchers, finding their professional identities within their own disciplines. They apply the paradigms, research strategies and methods that characterise their own disciplines to answering research questions relating to drugs. This constitutes a missed opportunity for the benefits that come from integrating a range of different worldviews and approaches to research… or does it?! An era of evidence-informed policy

About ATODA To establish a structure, and process, to achieve the goal of better interaction and integration between ATOD researchers, policy workers, practitioners and consumers in the ACT and region. This could: Enhance research utilisation in policy development and its implementation Support knowledge transfer and exchange Mobilise knowledge Support demonstration of research impact Improve the quality of our practice and services And most importantly improve the health and wellbeing of our community The vision ACT ATOD Research, Policy and Practice

About ATODA Forward looking, united, engaged Evidence-based, collaborative Potential engagement across the sector – consumers, policy, practitioners, researchers Strengthening an innovative and exciting environment Solutions focused, localised Energy from examples of progress Think big… why not?! Good ideas, good evidence and energetic people want to action ‘what works’ Some examples from the ACT sector… Attributes & opportunities

About ATODA Implementing expanded naloxone availability in the ACT Opioid overdose prevention and management program that provides naloxone on prescription to potential overdose victims Consumer led (CAHMA) supported by a multidisciplinary committee (I-ENAACT) Policy workers involved, bringing their unique insights and providing conduits to the decision-making areas of government – in the ACT and nationally Researchers are involved in both developing the program and its evaluation (Burnet, NDRI, Kirby, Social Research & Evaluation) Additional research and publication opportunities, e.g. Strategic advocacy and drug policy: a case study of the ACT overdose management program (Drug Policy Modelling Program) e.g. An Australian First

About ATODA Integrating research within policy contexts and developing funding opportunities e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tobacco Control Strategy: Post-graduate position funded ACT election 2012 commitment: $660,000 for justice reinvestment research ACT Budget advocacy: For justice reinvestment funding to be allocated Surveillance & monitoring: Advocacy for (and then ACT Health) commitment to funding for the ACT adult prison Inmate Health Survey & annual sub analyses … All directly linked with policy and practice Research within policy

About ATODA Maximising opportunities to strengthen research within practice and policy settings e.g. Qualification Strategy: existing sector funding to pilot workers to undertake post-graduate ATOD qualifications Looking for a project / supervisor: potential research projects, masters students, PhD students in services Services evaluations & research: engaging with services to co- fund research positions, research settings Policy & research employment: opportunities to undertake research & translation work, secondments …Supporting evidence informed practice and policy Students

About ATODA Implementing practice based research and commissioning researchers to translate the evidence base e.g. Screening and brief intervention: ACT electronic Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test Pilot Screening in the ATOD field: paper on best practice screening tools in the ATOD sector NHMRC tobacco research project: Randomised controlled trial with ATOD services in the ACT (University of Newcastle & co) NHMRC ‘We’re Struggling in Here!’: Winnunga Holistic Health Care Prison Model …Demonstrating impact Practice

About ATODA Commissioning evaluations and reviews to strengthen policy and practice e.g. Independent evaluation of drug policies and services at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (Burnet Institute) Review of the need to expand rehabilitation services (Rod MacQueen & Andrew Biven) ACT Drug Diversion Programs (Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre) 3 x service specific reviews / evaluations (LeeJenn) National peak body capacity building evaluation (Social Research & Evaluation) …Influencing policy Evaluations and reviews

About ATODA e.g. Research eBulletin: A concise summary of newly-published research findings and other research activities of particular relevance to ATOD and allied workers in the ACT. Collaboration between research consultant and peak body, disseminated to 500+ subscribers Annual Conference: 100 people from the diverse areas of our sector (research, policy, practice, consumers and families) ACT Research Spotlight & Register: Identifying, collating and promoting ACT specific ATOD research/ers and its implications Presentations & papers: various forums, including government advisory structures, to present ideas and advocate for development, collaboration & change And of course forums like today! Knowledge dissemination

About ATODA Embedding research expertise within policy and advisory structure to support interpreting the evidence and evidence-informed decision making e.g. ACT Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Strategy Evaluation Group ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tobacco Control Strategy Alexander Maconochie Centre Health Policies and Services Advisory Group Embedding research expertise

About ATODA Engaging ATOD agencies, practitioners, researchers and service consumers through consultancies e.g. Workplace Tobacco Management Pilot Project research & evaluation Expanded access to residential treatment for people on opioid maintenance therapy evaluation Service Users Satisfaction Survey Workforce Remuneration and Qualification Profile Consultancies

About ATODA Engaging with the sector and its networks to access consumers & research participants, including feeding back research findings to participants e.g. ACT Drug Offense Thresholds Study Implementing Expanded Naloxone Availability in the ACT Illicit Drug Reporting System Ecstasy and Related Drug Reporting System NSP Survey Service User Satisfaction Survey Consumers & research participants

About ATODA Development and provision of university level graduate and post-graduate ATOD units Facilitate the preparation of joint grant applications across institutions and involving a number of different drug researchers for major, high impact studies that are beyond the reach of individual researchers. Conduct in-house Chatham Rule discussion sessions in complex areas of ATOD policy. Facilitate the exchange of personnel between research institutions, ATOD policy development bodies and service delivery agencies in the community. More possibilities…

About ATODA So much work underway… with so much possibility! National interest in working in the ACT, how can we better support local researchers to be involved? Need for improved coordination and communication Potential for an ACT ATOD research agenda Strategic planning and thinking Structured approaches Moving forward..

About ATODA We can make our own opportunities! Join and contribute to the eBulletin Join a Canberra Collaboration working group Be part of the ‘directory’ of ACT ATOD researcher gems Contribute your research to the register And many more… Thank you for coming along today Get involved!