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How the health system copes with the drug dependent Hans Lovejoy
A local father has told The Echo of his heartbreaking and ongoing struggle to save his daughter from the ravages of heroin addiction and the lack of available assistance from NSW Health. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says his daughter had a happy and supported childhood, and is unlike many other cases where drug abuse is attributed to violence or neglect. ‘But like many young people do, she started experimenting with drugs in her early teens,’ he said. With her repeated overdoses and dependency, he says the system is failing to help the most vulnerable in the community, and that the NSW Health system has no support systems in place. ‘Young people who wish to detox can only be seen on a walk-in basis, and only if beds are available,’ he said. ‘If you have no money, you have to wait three weeks at least to get into the nearest public hospital detox unit, which is Riverlands. ‘Young Australians can easily die in that period of waiting. Or they give up and just keep on shooting up.’ He says that in his experience nurses in public hospitals have not been trained to diagnose or treat the combination of mental illness
and drug addiction. ‘At the psych ward at Tweed hospital, they just drug up mentally unstable patients – which is all of the psych ward patients – and the only way you can be admitted is if you are considered a danger to yourself. This is so they are not a problem to staff or themselves. And after two to 10 days, they kick them out onto the street again.
Early intervention ‘There is absolutely no psychological counselling or attempt to give them life skills to survive. ‘Early intervention is essential with drugs,’ he says. ‘We need a live-in hospital facility in our Shire for our kids whose guiding principles are compassion and street smarts by professionally trained staff in mental health and drug addiction. ‘Help is needed to guide recovering young addicts back to full and productive lives again. Considering their mental health is as important as their physical health.’
Health District director replies Comment was provided by Dr Richard Buss, executive director mental health and drug & alcohol, Northern NSW Local Health
District (NNSW LHD). He said, ‘The complexities of caring for a person with ongoing mental health issues, and/or drug and alcohol dependency problems can at times be exhausting and overwhelming for all involved.’ ‘I would encourage any family member who is experiencing difficulties due to caring for a loved one experiencing mental health and/or drug and alcohol dependency issues to contact our services to discuss their specific concerns. ‘The NNSW LHD has a number of avenues for individuals, and their families, requiring support due to drug and alcohol dependency, with multidisciplinary teams providing a range of treatments. ‘The NNSW LHD Drug and Alcohol Services provide comprehensive services to the community, including assessment, withdrawal management services, opioid treatment programs, community counselling, the Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT) program and specialised services for pregnant women and new mothers.
No ‘wrong door’ policy for support ‘NNSW LHD has a “no wrong door” policy regarding how people can access drug and alcohol
support, either through referrals, face-to-face interview, walk-ins, or via the telephone. ‘Patients who access our services are supported in a range of ways, dependent on their individual needs and goals. People are initially assessed for detoxification and booked into the first available bed. ‘During this planned admission, the individual is supported throughout this process by a qualified drug and alcohol counsellor in the community. ‘There are numerous treatment options available and at times the use of medication is appropriate to assist the person in their recovery. ‘At all times, a range of interventions and recovery strategies for the
person are considered and incorporated into their treatment and recovery.
Planned detoxification ‘During the planned detoxification, our qualified staff works with the patient to develop a support plan prior to discharge with the aim of reducing the likelihood of relapse into drug use. ‘I encourage anyone experiencing difficulties due to drug and alcohol dependency to contact either the Richmond/Clarence Drug and Alcohol Service, which includes Riverlands Withdrawal Management Service, on 6620 7600 or the Tweed/Byron Drug and Alcohol Service on 07 5506 7010.’
Land wanted to shelter homeless, abused animals Owing to the recently proposed ban on greyhound racing and given the desperate plight of greyhounds in NSW, local group Companion Animals Welfare Inc (CAWI) says ‘there is a strong possibility that some of these dogs will end up in our care’. ‘We desperately need an animal rescue centre that caters for dogs in Byron Shire as soon as possible’. After working on the project for
11 years, CAWI says it is nearly at the stage of purchasing land for an animal shelter. If you have some land that you think would be suitable for CAWI to purchase, you can contact them on 6685 1444. Foster carers and volunteers are also encouraged to contact the organisation. Q See more at http://cawi.org.au.
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brunsecovillage.com.au 2 August 10, 2016 The Byron Shire Echo
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo