Intensive treatment for alcohol misuse
A new treatment program for Indigenous people involved in non-violent alcohol offences is a positive alternative to jail and a chance to break the cycle of alcohol misuse.
According to a graduate of the Queensland Indigenous Alcohol Diversion Program (QIADP), the only way to beat alcohol misuse is to choose to change.
Roy Izzard started drinking when he was 13 years old and says it has been a long and difficult road struggling with family breakdown, unemployment and ill health. Now, thanks to QIADP, he has experienced a taste of life free from alcohol, and is looking forward to the future.
QIADP is an intensive voluntary program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are alcohol-dependent or regular binge drinkers. It is a 16 to 24-week residential program and treatment plan developed by Queensland Health and includes medically supervised or home-based detoxification services, residential structured rehabilitation, as well as individual and group counselling programs.
People can be referred to the QIADP program if they are charged with offences where alcohol is a factor, such as drink driving, minor assault and property offences. Indigenous parents who have an alcohol problem can also be referred if they are involved in the child protection system.
For Roy it took four months of intensive support from caseworkers at the Yumba-Meta supported accommodation service in Townsville to start to make the changes that would turn his life around. “I did anger management and parenting courses, budgeting and talked about substance abuse,” Roy says.
Queensland Health social worker with the Townsville QIADP program, Donna Langridge, says the team consists mainly of Indigenous staff. “We support people to explore past, present, social, cultural and historical factors that influence their alcohol use,” Donna says.
To contact the QIADP program in Townsville and Palm Island phone (07) 4778 9677. For the Cairns and Yarrabah program, phone (07) 4050 3900, and for Rockhampton and Woorabinda phone (07) 4920 6952.