VAADA - The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association

VAADA - The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association The Victorian Alcohol & Drug Association Inc. For more information about VAADA and the Victorian AOD sector, please visit www.vaada.org.au.

(VAADA) is a member-driven peak body, whose goal is to promote the reduction of alcohol and drug-related harms in the Victorian community. The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) is the peak body for the Victorian alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector. Our aim is to reduce the harms associated with AOD use within the Victorian community by supporting the sector to provide prevention, advocacy, treatment, rehabilitation and research and education.

A difficult but important story from The Age on the challenges people face accessing AOD treatment.When someone is ready...
14/04/2026

A difficult but important story from The Age on the challenges people face accessing AOD treatment.

When someone is ready to seek help, delays can have serious impacts.

Services across Victoria are doing critical work in a system under pressure — and this story highlights why improving access to timely support matters.

Read the article: https://ow.ly/HWHl50YIv2c

Image: From the Age Article, Uniting's Emma Hooper, Senior Manager, and Nathan Farley, Harm Reduction Clinician

The Walk for Truth is a powerful, community-led initiative calling for a national commitment to truth-telling — an essen...
09/04/2026

The Walk for Truth is a powerful, community-led initiative calling for a national commitment to truth-telling — an essential step toward justice and healing.

Join one of the Walk for Truth legs, leaving from Naarm on 19 April and arriving in Canberra on 27 May.

🚶🏾‍♀️‍➡️More info on the Walk for Truth: https://www.walkfortruth.com/

We stand alongside First Peoples through our Pledge of Support for Treaty, recognising that lasting change must be grounded in truth, self-determination and respect.

📄Read our Pledge:https://www.vaada.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/VAADAs-Pledge-of-Support-for-Treaty.pdf

08/04/2026

Are you working in an adult alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment service?

Help researchers understand how conversations about drink and drug driving are happening in your service.

Victorian alcohol and other drug service providers are invited to take part in a confidential online survey exploring how service providers discuss drink and drug driving with their clients.

Your insights will help shape the development of a future resource to support these conversations across the AOD sector.

👉Participation involves:
Completing a brief online survey about your experiences and perspectives. It takes about 15 minutes. After finishing the survey, you can choose to enter a separate prize draw to win 1 of 50 retail vouchers, each worth $50. Participation is voluntary and confidential.

👉Who is eligible
Adults 18+ currently working in an adult AOD treatment service in Victoria, including clinicians and peer and lived experience staff, and managers.

If you are interested in participating, click here to read the explanatory statement and access the survey:
https://monash.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rFt2vxw7QSecC2

For questions, contact: michael.savic@monash.edu

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards!These awards celebrate the people and teams mak...
08/04/2026

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards!

These awards celebrate the people and teams making a real difference to the health and wellbeing of Victorians.

We encourage organisations across the sector to consider nominating and sharing their work.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/hHax50YFjuX

📬 The April VAADA Newsletter and sector update is now live, showcasing what's been happening at VAADA, updates in the fa...
02/04/2026

📬 The April VAADA Newsletter and sector update is now live, showcasing what's been happening at VAADA, updates in the family violence and workforce spaces plus articles from Victoria’s broader AOD sector.

Inside you'll find...
🔹 Applications are NOW OPEN for the AOD Leadership Accelerator Program
🔹 VAADA is looking for volunteer Accountant to join its Finance, Risk and Audit Subcommittee
🔹 We recently hosted the Shepparton AOD Regional Workforce Forum
🔹 The first of the AOD Snapshot Series has been released. The Rural and Regional Workforce Snapshot.
🔹 VAADA signs open letter to the Prime Minister as part of the 1000 Reasons Campaign
🔹 VAADA's Aboriginal Advisory Committee has been established by the VAADA Board
🔹 Welcome Beth Locke to the VAADA Team
🔹 Elevate! Updates
🔹 Plus 8 updates and news articles from the sector

Stay connected with the latest in AOD advocacy, workforce development and sector reform.

👉 Read the April Sector Update: https://www.vaada.org.au/vaada-monthly-newsletter-edition-38-april-2026/
👉Subscribe to ENEWS: https://ow.ly/UJ2m50YC94u

💥 Applications are NOW OPEN for the AOD Leadership Accelerator Program. 25 places are being offered for our first progra...
01/04/2026

💥 Applications are NOW OPEN for the AOD Leadership Accelerator Program. 25 places are being offered for our first program in 2026 which will run from 7 May to 6 August 💥

SUBMIT AN EOI OR FIND OUT MORE HERE 👉 https://elevate.vaada.org.au/accelerator-application/

The AOD Leadership Accelerator Program is a three-month intensive leadership course designed to build participants’ leadership understanding, confidence and capability within the context of the AOD sector, delivered by VAADA - The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association and RMIT University with the support of the Victorian Department of Health.

If you’re an emerging leader (not currently in a leadership role but aspiring to step into one) or a new manager/leader (in the role for 12 months or less), this is a valuable opportunity to build your leadership capability within the AOD context.

EOIs are OPEN NOW and will close Friday, 17 April.

VAADA, along with over 50 organisations have signed the Alliance for Gambling Reform open letter calling on the governme...
01/04/2026

VAADA, along with over 50 organisations have signed the Alliance for Gambling Reform open letter calling on the government to protect children from gambling advertising. The letter has just been featured in a full page spread in the The Sydney Morning Herald, and shared widely online. 👉https://www.vaada.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-03-23-OpEd-Tim-Costello.pdf

The 1000 Reasons Campaign is deeply relevant to VAADA as we know that gambling and alcohol and other drug issues strongly intersect. Banning gambling ads and inducements and supporting a national regulator will go a long way in reducing gambling related harm.

must put people before profits and politics.

It’s time to move beyond rhetoric and commit to real, meaningful change.

Following on from our previous post, here are a few highlights from the second half of the AOD Service Providers Forum i...
29/03/2026

Following on from our previous post, here are a few highlights from the second half of the AOD Service Providers Forum in Shepparton.

Natalie O’Halloran (The Salvation Army Australia) led table discussions, using case examples to explore how GHB related risk presents, and guided conversations around management approaches. It was interesting to hear everybody's insights into client care.

The day saw a pivot for our last session, when we turned the audience to think about themselves, rather than the communities they work with. Jen Thompson invited the audience to reflect on the importance of body and nervous system literacy, trauma stewardship, and collective care. This was an important reminder of how we sustain ourselves and each other in AOD work.

Thank you to our exhibitors, Goulburn Valley Health, Gateway Health, and Relationships Australia Victoria for their contributions on the day. We also extend a big thanks to Sonya Leigh (Caraniche) for her excellent MCing, and to Aunty Nikki James for her generous Welcome to Country and sharing knowledge of the Yorta Yorta Nation.

Finally, a big thank you to Murray PHN for sponsoring the event and supporting the coming together of AOD workers across the Goulburn Valley region.

On Wednesday, VAADA and Murray PHN along with local and regional partners hosted the AOD Service Providers Forum in Shep...
27/03/2026

On Wednesday, VAADA and Murray PHN along with local and regional partners hosted the AOD Service Providers Forum in Shepparton, bringing together AOD workers from across the Goulburn Valley region.

This year, local services highlighted a strong interest in learning more about GHB, which shaped a focus for the day.

The morning featured a range of speakers, beginning with Scott Drummond (VAADA), who shared insights from the Rural and Regional Snapshot of the 2025 Workforce Survey. You can explore the snapshot here 👉https://www.vaada.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DOC_Rural-and-Regional-Snapshot_FINAL_11032026.pdf

We also held a panel discussion on navigating risk in AOD practice, with valuable perspectives from Natalie O’Halloran (The Salvation Army Australia), Sally Robson (Goulburn Valley Health), and Carolyn Winbanks (Primary Care Connect).

A standout session came from Liam Neale, Harm Reduction Victoria (Australia), who shared a lived experience perspective on GHB. Liam offered practical insights and harm reduction strategies to support AOD clinicians working with clients who use GHB.

📌Stay tuned, more highlights from the second half of the day to come.

In 2025, VAADA conducted its second Victorian AOD Workforce Survey, with more than 480 workers sharing their insights an...
26/03/2026

In 2025, VAADA conducted its second Victorian AOD Workforce Survey, with more than 480 workers sharing their insights and experiences. The full report is available here 👉 https://ow.ly/wt8j50YvF1f

Today, we’re releasing the first in our 2025 Snapshot series: Rural & Regional Workforce 👉 https://ow.ly/7i3Y50YvF1g

This Snapshot takes a closer look at the realities of working in rural and regional Victoria, from workforce sustainability to service pressures and opportunities. The data speaks clearly to both the strengths and the structural challenges experienced by the regional workforce.

We encourage you to read the Snapshot and consider what the findings mean for rural workforce planning and investment.

🔎 More Snapshots will be released in the coming months.

Today is World Oral Health Day 🦷VAADA's Scott Drummond joined Katy Theodore, Advocacy Lead, Australian Dental Associatio...
19/03/2026

Today is World Oral Health Day 🦷

VAADA's Scott Drummond joined Katy Theodore, Advocacy Lead, Australian Dental Association (Victorian Branch), and Tony McBride Victorian Oral Health Alliance Spokesperson and Chair of Your Community Health at the the World Oral Health Day Victorian Parliament Breakfast.

Oral health is an important — and often overlooked — issue for people accessing alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment. It can impact everything from physical health to confidence and recovery.

VAADA was proud to co-sponsor this Thursday’s Parliamentary Breakfast, bringing together AOD, dental and community health sectors to highlight the need for more connected, holistic care.

Better outcomes happen when we work together to support the whole person.

Last week VAADA attended the Alliance of Rural and Regional Community Health (ARRCH) Future Ready 2026 Conference. One ...
17/03/2026

Last week VAADA attended the Alliance of Rural and Regional Community Health (ARRCH) Future Ready 2026 Conference. One of the standout hightlights was seeing Lisa Walklate, Senior Leader AOD Wellbeing Services from Bendigo Community Health Services win the inaugral "Living the Values" Award. The award acknowledges the personal attributes that underpin Lisa and her team’s successes – her integrity, philosophy and deep commitment to community health.

Congratulations, Lisa! It's a well-deserved recognition of you and your team's incredible work.
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Omnia Health, Ballarat Community Health, Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, Grampians Community Health, Bellarine Community Health, Primary Care Connect, Northern District Community Health, Sunraysia Community Health Services

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