Thread by @CroakeyNews

#RethinkAddiction: Improving treatment and support session, with Adrian Dunlop @RANZCP, Heather Pickard former CEO @WeAreSHARC, Melanie Walker @TheAADC, @SArunogiri @RANZCP

Have you ever wavered? Heather Pickard said she chose a 'non expert response' to people in distress, to stay working in/with a community she received her own support from: she didn't want to be a client anymore, she wanted to be the CEO #RethinkAddiction

Mental health reform in Vic: Pickard says thinking around lived/living experience workforces "fills my heart with absolute joy". But it's a valuable part of the picture, not everything. We need to ensure reform is balanced, sustainable, compassionate, real #RethinkAddiction

. @SArunogiri - admits addiction sector undervalued/unrecognised in health care: needs to share stories of transformation, that treatment actually works, and to have visible leadership to the rest of the sector. #RethinkAddiction

Economic benefits of treatment are clear says @SArunogiri but a whole range of unmeasured harms, eg gambling - so many of harms are unmeasured/unquantified, incl big harms in terms of people's trajectory in life. Require health economics studies, investment #RethinkAddiction

In other conditions, eg asthma, try different treatments, multidisc approaches over time, onus not on individual, but saying we haven't found the right treatment approach, eg stepped care in cancer. "We don't apply that in AOD. One size fits all." @SArunogiri #RethinkAddiction

"Evidence is there already, it's just a failure to respond. Not many politicians show leadership in the AOD space. (Need a) better connection, to see our community is an important part of their community, and they don't.": Adrian Dunlop @TheRACP #RethinkAddiction

How much traction get with non-addiction colleagues? Adrian Dunlop says consultation liaison doctors and nurses play important role. "It would be great if a much better investment in that." #RethinkAddiction

Melanie Walker @TheAADC says @AlisonRitter1's New Horizons report found about 200k a year accessing treatment each year, up to 500k missing out. "When would that happen in cancer treatment, that we'd say we might treat one-third of you." #RethinkAddiction

Stigma is not just external. Is internalised stigma also in addiction sector, it's not something that all people share, with own circle and publicly. But there is clear evidence about harm reduction/treatment, and low hanging fruit: Walker #RethinkAddiction

A lot of things need fixing, are many priorities that governments/funders have to prioritise. We need a clear, cohesive voice from the sector, otherwise can be dismissed as not knowing what it wants: Walker #RethinkAddiction

Walker: No national governance structure for AOD sector anymore, post COAG. Other sub-sectors still have. It means for AOD that it's hard to talk to government, no coordinated approach. New govt been shocked to hear, wondering why no advice #RethinkAddiction

"It's about the squeaky door. Are some really strong lobby groups in this country. We need to get better about telling our stories. We really need to make sure people understand what's going on. " Walker #RethinkAddiction

"Our workforces could be far better unionised, because unions do have a bit of grunt," says Adrian Dunlop to applause at #RethinkAddiction

DOA sector has not had a funded peak body since Peter Dutton defunded it when he was Health Minister in 2013 #RethinkAddiction
aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_…

Community pharmacy plays a huge role, particularly in rural and regional areas. But are expected to deal with lot of complexity that they're not funded for. They need to be part of the discussion #RethinkAddiction

Heather Pickard: "it's not what the clinicians have to learn from us with lived experience, it's what we can learn together: what are the elements that work when we meet people with compassion, open-hearted ways." Divide between clinicians/lived exp futile #RethinkAddiction

Interesting question at #RethinkAddiction re connection between addiction and trauma, partic childhood trauma, and whether it being recognised - been a clear theme/issue here.

. @SArunogiri says it's the elephant in the room of addiction treatment, others talk re capacity.

Fair Treatment Campaign was disrupted by the pandemic: Walker agrees it could/should be revived, but it's caught up in lack of national governance arrangements, need to make sure first that someone is listening #RethinkAddiction fairtreatment.org

Are two qualified youth addiction specialists in all of Australia, "it's an area that needs a lot of expansion", says Adrian Dunlop #RethinkAddiction

People don't always require complex intervention, says Heather Pickard, sometimes they need a safe place to land, a compassionate ear: addiction sector needs to know how to work with community as well as seeking more intensive responses. #RethinkAddiction

Next steps for lived/living experience workforce? Heather Pickard says addiction medicine specialists, advocates run out of steam eventually. Need to build succession in for LE, mentor young peers, unify nationally, bridge the clinical/lived exp divide. #RethinkAddiction

#RethinkAddiction feedback

Melanie Walker laughs that she once tried to get a Complex Needs Alliance funded, but it fell over because noone in government could work out where it fitted - "they can see at policy level why useful but you need to chunk it up into little bits to fit" #RethinkAddiction