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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250812T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250812T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250721T230654Z
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UID:65503-1754992800-1754996400@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Comorbidity Guidelines Webinar- Substance-related psychosis: what to ask and what to do
DESCRIPTION:This webinar will give an overview of substance-related psychosis and is part of the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use Comorbidity Project webinar series\, which is focused on applying evidence into practice\n\n\nhis webinar will take place on Tuesday 12th of August 10am-11am AEST \nThis webinar will be presented by Associate Professor Julia Lappin \nAssociate Professor Julia Lappin is an Associate Professor at UNSW School of Psychiatry and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. She is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Prince of Wales Hospital\, Sydney. She led the development of the NSW Tertiary Referral Service for Psychosis\, a state-wide service for NSW and served as its inaugural Clinical Director for five years. She currently runs implementation projects of interventions which improve quality of life in people with mental health disorders. Julia has a broad range of interests across research and clinical practice\, with a focus on improving outcomes in mental health disorders\, particularly mental health harms related to substance misuse. \nBy the end of this webinar\, attendees will be able to: \n\nTo understand the relationship between psychotic experiences and substance use\, particularly cannabis and methamphetamine;\nTo detail the evidence for what works in treating co-morbid psychosis and substance use;\nTo know what to ask when assessing risk factors for the development of psychotic symptoms and enduring psychotic illness;\n\nRegister here: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jYzUygbSS0a59i_8rzFhtQ#/registration
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/comorbidity-guidelines-webinar-substance-related-psychosis-what-to-ask-and-what-to-do/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ORGANIZER;CN="The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use":MAILTO:matilda.centre@sydney.edu.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250808T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250808T134500
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250616T055142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250815T001554Z
UID:64535-1754658000-1754660700@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Connect & Learn webinar - Identifying and supporting clients with cognitive impairment\, presented by Georgia Bolt
DESCRIPTION:Connect & Learn Webinar \nFriday 8th August 2025 – online from 1pm to 1:45pm \nIdentifying and supporting clients with cognitive impairment\,\npresented by Georgia Bolt\nThis webinar is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation. \nThis presentation situates cognitive impairment as a key factor to be considered within the AOD sector. Practical strategies are offered to support clinicians in (a) identifying clients who may be experiencing cognitive difficulties\, (b) recognizing risk factors for acquired brain injury\, and (c) adapting clinical practice to support clients\, with a view to optimizing treatment engagement and retention. \nObjectives: \n\nLearn how to recognize\, identify\, and screen for cognitive impairment;\n\n\nDevelop an understanding of factors that may contribute to cognitive impairment in SUD\, including risk factors for acquired brain injury;\n\n\nConsider practical\, evidence-based compensatory strategies to adapt clinical practice to support clients with cognitive impairment;\n\n\nWhere indicated\, understand referral processes for\, and optimal timing of\, neuropsychology assessment at Turning Point\n\nGeorgia Bolt is a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist working at Turning Point and Austin Health providing neuropsychological assessment and consultation for adults with a range of co-occurring neurodevelopmental\, neurological\, medical\, mental health\, substance-related\, and neurodegenerative conditions within acute inpatient and community outpatient settings. \nShe works collaboratively with clients/consumers\, their supporters\, and other multi-disciplinary clinicians across the healthcare sector to inform comprehensive formulations\, differential diagnosis\, and guide future management\, including addressing cognitive\, behaviour\, and decision-making capacity related issues\, and\, where indicated\, supporting clients/consumers to access disability supports. \nGeorgia is also completing a PhD at Turning Point Eastern Health Clinical School/Monash University investigating a novel personalised mHealth cognitive intervention for middle-older adults drinking at harmful/hazardous levels in the community. She has authored academic manuscripts and co-authored a book chapter on Cognitive Assessment\, Management and Training in AOD settings\, presenting at national and international conferences. \nConnect & Learn webinar series address a wide range of practice-relevant topics presented by local expert clinicians. The webinars aim to enhance the capabilities of Victorian AOD and MH workers in responding to substance use and addiction issues among their clients and consumers. \nIMPORTANT INFORMATION: This webinar is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation – your ticket will be cancelled if you don’t work for a Vic DH funded organisation. \n\nDate & time: Friday 8th August 2025\, 1pm to 1:45pm AEST\nVenue: online\nRegister: click here \nClick here to subscribe to the Turning Point mailing list
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/connect-learn-webinar-identifying-and-supporting-clients-with-cognitive-impairment-presented-by-georgia-bolt/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ORGANIZER;CN="Turning Point":MAILTO:info@turningpoint.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250807T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250807T140000
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250604T010043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T010043Z
UID:64167-1754571600-1754575200@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Talking point: Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use\, presented by Tanya Saraiya
DESCRIPTION:Talking Point: Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use. \nThursday 7th August 2025\, 1pm – 2pm AEST – ONLINE \nUp to 90% of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) have trauma exposure and up to 41% have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However\, studies estimate that less than 12% of people with OUD and co-occurring PTSD receive treatment for their PTSD. \nDr. Saraiya will present her early career work on assessing and addressing underlying trauma among people struggling with opioid use. Specifically\, she will share findings from a new integrated therapy for opioid use disorder and PTSD and the development of a digital toolkit to assess for intimate partner violence in three opioid treatment programs in South Carolina. \nThroughout this talk\, other projects and associated reflections on how systemic racism and healthcare barriers influence trauma and opioid use treatment will be discussed. \nTanya C. Saraiya\, PhD is an assistant professor\, licensed clinical psychologist\, and director of the PATH Lab in the department of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Broadly\, her research aims to understand and attend to traumatic stress and PTSD in individuals in recovery for substance use. \nAcross this work\, she strives to focus on health disparities and ongoing inequities that present based on individual and collective identity\, culture\, race\, and context. \nDate: Thursday 7th August 2025 – ONLINE \nVenue: Online \nTime: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST \nCost: Free \nClick here to subscribe to the Turning Point mailing list
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/talking-point-addressing-underlying-trauma-in-opioid-use-presented-by-tanya-saraiya/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Online
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250730T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250730T140000
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250317T012758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250815T001445Z
UID:60858-1753880400-1753884000@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Talking Point - Using Law to Reduce the Cancer Burden of Alcohol\, presented by Clare Slattery\, Legal Policy Advisor at the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer
DESCRIPTION:Talking Point – Wednesday 30th July 2025\, 1pm – 2pm AEST – ONLINE \nUsing Law to Reduce the Cancer Burden of Alcohol\, presented by Clare Slattery\, Legal Policy Advisor at the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer \nAlcohol use is linked to more than 200 diseases\, injuries and other health conditions\, including cancer. Law is one of the most effective policy tools to address alcohol-related harm. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends countries reduce alcohol-related harm by introducing pricing\, availability and advertising measures\, in order to reduce the burden of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases caused by alcohol use. \nAwareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains low. To address the limited public awareness of the harms associated with alcohol use\, including cancer risk\, the WHO has increasingly recommended countries provide consumers with information about the harms associated with alcohol use through measures such as health warning labels on alcohol. According to the WHO\, in 2019\, less than 40% of countries had government mandated health warnings of any kind on alcohol labels. \nNext year\, Ireland will become the first country in the world to require all prepacked alcohol sold in the country to include the warning that ‘There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers’. The Irish measures are included in comprehensive alcohol control laws introduced in the country which seek to address the enormous burden of public health\, social and economic harm caused by alcohol use in Ireland. \nThis presentation will explore why law is a critical tool for addressing the cancer burden of alcohol\, including a case study on cancer warning labels in Ireland\, and the role of cancer organisations in ensuring cancer prevention is highlighted in alcohol laws around the world. \nClare Slattery is a Legal Policy Advisor at the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer\, the only centre in the world dedicated to using legal expertise to prevent cancer and protect those affected by it. Clare’s work supports countries to adopt effective public health laws to prevent noncommunicable diseases\, defend those laws from legal challenge\, and ensure policy coherence between health\, human rights and trade and investment law. \nThe McCabe Centre collaborates with individuals\, organisations\, and governments to fight cancer and other noncommunicable diseases through its role as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Law and Noncommunicable Disease and a Knowledge Hub of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Based in Melbourne\, Clare has a background in public health\, international law and legal research. \nDate: Wednesday 30th July 2025 – ONLINE \nVenue: Online \nTime: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST \nCost: Free \nClick here to subscribe to the Turning Point mailing list
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/talking-point-using-law-to-reduce-the-cancer-burden-of-alcohol-presented-by-clare-slattery-legal-policy-advisor-at-the-mccabe-centre-for-law-and-cancer/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Online
ORGANIZER;CN="Turning Point":MAILTO:info@turningpoint.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250722T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250722T134500
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250604T010057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T010057Z
UID:64152-1753189200-1753191900@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Connect & Learn webinar series address a wide range of practice-relevant topics presented by local expert clinicians. The webinars aim to enhance the capabilities of Victorian AOD and MH workers in responding to substance use and addiction issues among their clients and consumers.
DESCRIPTION:An introduction to AOD peer work including misconceptions\,\nchallenges\, benefits and best practice\,\npresented by Benn Veenker\nTuesday 22 July 2025 – online from 1pm to 1:45pm\n\nThis presentation will start with unpacking exactly what is lived and living experience and what does this mean within an AOD context. There will be a deeper dive into the work that AOD peer workers engage in and what frameworks they adopt when working with people who access AOD services. A broader discussion will also cover the lived and living experience workforce (LLEW) and the challenges that LLEW face when working within organisations\, alongside with the common misconceptions that they encounter. \nThroughout there will be case examples of what peer work looks like as well as highlighting the benefits of embedding LLEW within organisations. \nBenn Veenker is a passionate recovery advocate and is consistently working at breaking down the stigma associated with substance use and mental health. Benn has been sharing his lived experience over the past 12+ years with the goal of shortening the time it takes for individuals to seek help for their substance use and/or mental health. \nCurrently Benn is employed at Turning Point – Addiction\, Treatment\, Research and Education centre – as the Manager for Lived Experience Workforce and Advocacy where he intentionally uses both his lived and work experience to support the development and growth of the lived experience workforce across Turning Point.     \nWho should register? This webinar is suitable for workers in the AOD\, mental health\, allied health and welfare sectors.\nDate and time: Tuesday 22nd July 2025\, 1pm to 1:45pm AEST\nVenue: online\nRegister: click here\nLink to view previous webinars: https://www.turningpoint.org.au/education/webinars \nClick here to subscribe to the Turning Point mailing list
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/connect-learn-webinar-series-address-a-wide-range-of-practice-relevant-topics-presented-by-local-expert-clinicians-the-webinars-aim-to-enhance-the-capabilities-of-victorian-aod-and-mh-work/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250625T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250625T140000
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250324T013519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250324T013519Z
UID:60945-1750856400-1750860000@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Lisdexamfetamine in the treatment of methamphetamine dependence\, presented by Dr Nadine Ezard.
DESCRIPTION:Talking Point – Wednesday 25th June 2025\, 1pm to 2pm AEST – ONLINE \nLisdexamfetamine in the treatment of methamphetamine dependence\, presented by Dr Nadine Ezard. \nWe conducted a randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial of 250mg lisdexamfetamine daily vs placebo among 164 adults with methamphetamine dependence at 6 outpatient services around Australia. The study was impacted by COVID19 and 43% of the sample dropped out of treatment prematurely. \nThe lisdexamfetamine group reported 9 fewer days use over the 12-week period and greater self-reported treatment effectiveness and treatment satisfaction but this wasn’t sustained into the last 4 weeks of treatment\, the primary endpoint. \nResults are consistent with recent ASAM guidelines recommending consideration closely monitored specialist off-label stimulant prescription for the treatment of stimulant use disorder and more work is required to understand the potential role of prescription amphetamines in the treatment landscape. \nDr Nadine Ezard is an Addiction Medicine Specialist (MBBS\, BA\, MPH\, PhD\, FAChAM) and a founding fellow of the Australian Chapter of Addiction Medicine. She is a professor and the inaugural Director of the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales. Also\, since 2012\, she has been the Clinical Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney\, which serves people with a variety of substance use disorders in inpatient\, outpatient and community settings and strives to embed innovation in practice. Previously\, she worked for the World Health Organization\, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees\, and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. \nNadine has more than 30 years of clinical and research experience in addiction medicine and public health practice in Australian and international contexts. She is a worldwide recognised researcher in substance use and its translation into consumer-focused harm-reduction public health interventions\, models of care and policy for vulnerable populations. \nHer current research focusses on working with people who use stimulants and related drugs to develop new and effective interventions\, and she has a particular interest in substance use disorders among refugees and other displaced populations.
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/lisdexamfetamine-in-the-treatment-of-methamphetamine-dependence-presented-by-dr-nadine-ezard/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Online,Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.vaada.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/banner.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Turning Point":MAILTO:info@turningpoint.org.au
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250603T120000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20250603T130000
DTSTAMP:20260516T223059
CREATED:20250523T004808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250523T004808Z
UID:63914-1748952000-1748955600@www.vaada.org.au
SUMMARY:Windana First Peoples’ Healing Program webinar: Collaborating for more culturally connected alcohol and other drug support
DESCRIPTION:Webinar\nJoin us during National Reconciliation Week 2025 for a free webinar hosted by Windana’s First Peoples’ Healing Program team with DDACL. \nIf you work in Victoria’s Health Care and Social Assistance sectors\, this will be a valuable session for raising awareness of culturally connected services available. \nBased on the land of the Bunurong People\, the First Peoples’ Healing Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 to 55\, and their immediate families\, with concerns related to alcohol and other drug use. It offers a flexible approach which includes First Peoples’ supports that have been identified within the community\, supporting a person’s journey and connection to self\, Mob and Country. \nIn this webinar\, you’ll learn about the First Peoples’ Healing Program\, including its availability for secondary consultation and as a point of contact for workers seeking to connect clients with Windana. Allison\, Barb and Junelle will guide you through the program’s purpose\, origins\, connection to Closing the Gap\, person-centred support model\, referral pathways and collaboration with other organisations. \nWe are pleased to welcome Dean from DDACL to the webinar. As a key partner of the First Peoples’ Healing Program\, Dean will provide an overview of DDACL’s work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities\, the programs they offer\, and their collaboration with the First Peoples’ Healing Program. \nAttendees are welcome to ask questions via the webinar chat. You can also email questions in advance to firstpeoples@windana.org.au\, and the team will aim to address them in the presentation. \nThe First Peoples’ Healing Program is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the South Eastern Melbourne PHN. \nArt in cover image is by Hunter Dillon (Instagram: @worimi.by.hunter). \nRegister here:\nhttps://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Iowvr86tTBy3RgcrhM5ZWQ
URL:https://www.vaada.org.au/event/windana-first-peoples-healing-program-webinar-collaborating-for-more-culturally-connected-alcohol-and-other-drug-support/
LOCATION:Zoom webinar
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vaada.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Webinar_Zoom-registration-cover_1280.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Windana":MAILTO:windana@windana.org.au
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