Substance Misuse Limestone Coast (SMLC) is preparing to host its second Limestone Coast Alcohol and Other Drug Regional Summit this month, bringing together leaders, frontline workers and key decision-makers from across the state.
The lead topic on the agenda at this year’s event is comorbidity, which SMLC Project Manager Sophie Bourchier said was a timely and relevant issue for those working in the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) sector.
“Comorbidity is the term generally used to describe the presence of more than one condition, which could be a dependence on alcohol and a mental health issue, both requiring treatment,” she said.
“The balancing act for practitioners and frontline workers is which condition to treat first, sometimes resulting in people being turned away from treatment because the organisation or agency may be an AOD or mental health funded agency and is not equipped, or funded, to treat both conditions.”
Special guest speaker for the event will Dr Melinda Beckwith PhD who is the Senior Research Officer for the University of Sydney, Medicine and Health and the Matilda Centre for Research on Mental Health and Substance Use.
Other key speakers include South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS) executive officer Michael White and Acting chief executive of Warrnambool’s Western Region Alcohol and Drug Centre (WRAD Health) Mark Powell.
Ms Bourchier said the day’s agenda will also include updates on the opening and management of the two alcohol and drug detoxification beds at the Mount Gambier Hospital, referral pathways, gap analysis and discussions of regional AOD and comorbidity models.
“As the region’s peak health promotion, education and advocacy organisation, it’s SMLC’s mission to identify those opportunities and service gaps, and proactively work with local organisations, funding bodies and policy makers to seek funding to fill those needs,” she said.
The 2023 event has been funded by the Stand Like Stone and OneFortyOne Partnership Grant.
The Limestone Coast Alcohol and Other Drug Regional Summit will be held on November 23 at Mount Gambier’s Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre.
