#54 • December 2011
Community News
ADVANCES IN TREATMENT The Future of Hepatitis C Medication
WIN! Hepatitis SA provides information, education and support to the hepatitis C community and those at risk. Street: Mail: Phone: Fax: Web: Email:
3 Hackney Road, Hackney PO Box 782, Kent Town SA 5071 (08) 8362 8443 1300 437 222 (08) 8362 8559 www.hepccouncilsa.asn.au admin@hepccouncilsa.asn.au
Remember that from now on, the best letter printed in each issue of the Hepat itis SA Community News will receive a $2 5 shopping voucher. Write to us about anything to do with the magazine, the Council, living with hepatitis C, or living well ideas. Well done this time to Shayne (se e p4)!
STAFF
Email the editor at james@hepatitissa.asn.au
Executive Officer: Kerry Paterson Administration: Megan Collier Kam Richter Info and Support Line Coordinator: Deborah Warneke-Arnold
SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.
Info and Support Line Volunteers: Fred Will Debra Michele Steve Karan Louise Janette Educators: Mahdi Nor Nicole Taylor Michelle Spudic (Rural) Dale Halliday
About the Cover
Peer Education Coordinator: Maggie McCabe
The cover makes use of an etched engraving by James Gillray from 1804, courtesy of the collection of BibliOdyssey (See more at bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2011/10/medical-caricatures.html).
Peer Educator Mentor: Fred Robertson Peer Educators: Anya Karan Megan Philip
Krystal Penni
Mark Will
Correspondence: Please send all correspondence to The Editor at PO Box 782, Kent Town, SA 5071, or email james@hepatitissa.asn.au.
Information and Resources Coordinator: Cecilia Lim Info and Resources Volunteers: Amanda Dayna Gauri Phil Philip Yvonne
Markk
Publications Officer: James Morrison Info and Resources Officer: Rose Magdalene ICT Support Officer: Bryan Soh-Lim Librarian: Joy Sims BOARD Chairperson: Arieta Papadelos Vice-Chairperson: Shabeena Laundy Secretary: Stefan Parsons Treasurer: Darrien Bromley Senior Staff Representative: Kerry Paterson Ordinary Members: Lisa Carterr Bill Gaston Tess Opie
Catherine Ferguson Carol Holly Jeff Stewart
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Hepatitis SA. Information contained in this newsletter is not intended to take the place of medical advice given by your doctor or specialist. We welcome contributions from Council members and the general public. A nagging feeling of things left undone.
Introducing Hepatitis SA
Please note that we have now changed our name from the Hepatitis C Council of South Australia to Hepatitis SA, and this magazine is now the Hepatitis SA Community News. We will still be offering all of our current services under our new name, as well as broadening our focus to help people who are living with hepatitis B. Note that we have not change our physical or postal addresses, and that our old email and web addresses will continue working. Here Executive Officer Kerry Paterson explains the change: Over the past few years, we have begun to expand our work to take on more of a role in responding to chronic hepatitis B in South Australia. This includes activities such as advocating for a SA Hepatitis B Action Plan, facilitating SA participation in a national hepatitis B needs
assessment, training our staff in hepatitis B knowledge, facilitating hepatitis B education evenings for GPs, developing a hepatitis B information resource, and providing information and support to people with chronic hepatitis B through our telephone service. Both the Australian government and the SA government are recognising hepatitis B as a major health concern, with the development of the first National Hepatitis B Strategy in 2010 and the proposed development of the SA Hepatitis B Action Plan for early 2012. It is timely for our organisation to change our name to Hepatitis SA to be more inclusive of people with hepatitis B, and to align ourselves more closely with the national peak organisation, Hepatitis Australia, and other state and territory hepatitis organisations such as
Hepatitis NSW, which have also made this change to be more inclusive of hepatitis B in their identities. The majority of our work is still concerned with providing information, support, referral, education, prevention and advocacy services for and on behalf of people affected by hepatitis C, and this will remain the case for the foreseeable future. However, we hope that additional funds will be made available to Hepatitis SA through implementation of the National Hepatitis B Strategy and SA Hepatitis B Action Plan in the near future to enhance the hepatitis B services we currently provide. Kerry Paterson
Hepatitis SA Community News December 2011 • 1
Waiting for the Future The promise of 2016 “We’re hoping for 95 to 100 percent success rates from [hepatitis C] treatment in the next five years.” That was the startling introduction to the 18th National Symposium on Hepatitis B and C, from Associate Professor Paul Desmond, Director of the Melbourne St Vincent’s Hospital gastroenterology department. Hepatitis C treatment has remained basically the same for a number of years. In the nearly six years since I started working at what was then the Hepatitis C Council of South Australia, the only significant change has been the removal of the requirement to have a liver biopsy before going on treatment. That’s meant that it has been
Hepatitis SA Community News 2 • December 2011
a lot about the promise of the two new hepatitis C medications which will soon be available in Australia: telaprevir and boceprevir. That promise still holds, but it was surprising to hear at the symposium that in many ways these new drugs are already seen by many clinicians as old hat. “As of November 2011, there are eight new hepatitis C drugs in phase III trials,” explained Paul Pockras of the California-based Scripps Institute. “These eight drugs can be tried in various combination regimes to improve their efficacy. Some of these medications are already achieving 100% success rates in their trials.” These medications were
up to 48 weeks. Dr Pockras suggested that telaprevir will go from being the first drug to earn more than US$1 billion in a year to a bargain-basement treatment for Americans without good health insurance. (And if ever you have ever doubted the value of Australia’s public health system, as flawed as it can be, listening to what it’s like working as a doctor in the US, with its fanatical loathing of “socialised” medicine, will soon dissolve those doubts.) Such astonishing results in trials are, of course, not always going to be generalised to the wider population, and as always, some hepatitis C genotypes remain easier to treat than
medications really do seem to offer an amazing future for the treatment and cure of hepatitis C. Professor Greg Dore, of the Kirby Institute’s Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, and one of Australia’s most respected hepatitis experts, was also suggesting that the next five years will see a revolution in HCV treatment. “From 2016, we’re probably looking at interferonfree treatment,” he said. “Hepatitis C will primarily be treated as an infectious disease, not a liver disease, and we’ll be treating people at all stages of the disease, not just those with a certain degree of fibrosis.” Of course, all of this does present a problem for people looking at hepatitis C treatment now. Do you have the current treatment, or do you wait for the newer drugs? There’s no blanket answer that can be offered to everybody. As ever, you need to talk to your specialist and your nurses about what’s best for you. And you can always call the Info and Support Line on 1300 437 222 for more information. For more information on the potential future medications discussed at the symposium, turn to page 10. James Morrison
Hepatitis SA De
CHI Study on Twitter The CHI Study has made a leap into the 21st Century, finally, by entering the world of Twitter: @CHI_Study_HepC is our name. We believe that this decision is already reaping rewards, with a small, albeit very noticeable, increase in the number of new “baseline” participants. The CHI Study is an online, longitudinal social research study investigating the experiences of people who have lived, or are living with hepatitis C. Hepatitis SA would like to remind you Hepatitis SA Community News 4 • December 2011
about the CHI Study, and also to request that those tech-savvy people who themselves have Twitter please follow the study at @CHI_Study_HepC. If you have a Twitter account but don’t have time, or are not particularly active in your tweets, please feel free to send an email to A.Larner@latrobe.edu. au with your Twitter name, and also the names of any friends/associates who are interested in getting the tweets. At your request,
we can send you an invite/ request to follow CHI. For those of you who are more active tweeters, we would very much appreciate it if you would help us spread the word about CHI. For non-tweeters, please visit http://twitter.com/ CHI_Study_HepC C to get the latest information on the CHI study. Andrew Larner Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health and Society La Trobe University
Biopsies Begone for Hep B Liver biopsy requirement removed for hepatitis B treatment The federal government announced in early November that liver biopsy would no longer be a mandatory prerequisite to commence governmentfunded treatment. Simple blood tests (ALT and HBV DNA) are now considered sufficient to assess whether treatment is appropriate or not. This is good news for people with chronic hepatitis B living in rural and remote Australia where access to a liver biopsy is very limited, and also good news for those reluctant to undergo this invasive test for cultural or other reasons. The mandatory requirement for liver biopsy for hepatitis C treatment was removed five years ago; Hepatitis SA welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to also remove it for hepatitis B. This is a major step in the right direction, and the momentum now needs to
be maintained to reduce the rapid rise in unnecessary deaths from hepatitis Brelated liver disease and liver cancer. Fibroscans—similar to an ultrasound—are available in some hospitals and can be used to assess liver damage. However, in certain circumstances, a liver biopsy may still be advisable. In these cases the client would need to provide their consent for this invasive procedure, having been fully informed by their treating doctor of the risks and benefits of the test over other options. Dr Benjamin Cowie, an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist, noted that “only 2.5% of Australians with hepatitis B currently receive antiviral treatment. However, this needs to be scaled up to five times this number to prevent progressive liver disease and liver cancer.”
He added that deaths due to liver cancer are increasing faster than any other internal malignancy in Australia, with over 80% of these attributable to chronic hepatitis B and C. Treatment for hepatitis B has proven to substantially reduce the risk of liver cancer in those for whom it is indicated, and comprehensive care for people living with hepatitis B is estimated to be a very costeffective cancer prevention strategy for Australia. Anything which removes barriers to treatment for hepatitis is to be warmly welcomed.
Spread S r ad th the W Word! r Are you u a prisoner? r? Have yo you spent time m in prison? so We would d llove to hear ar your exp experiences o of dealing ng with hepatitis is C and treatment at in n prison. p Contact on Michelle ch at michelle@hepatitissa.asn.au, e@ ss u ring 1300 u, 04 437 222, 2, or talk ca isi to a p peer educator on on one of their p prison visits.
Hepatitis is SSA Community Ne News December 2011 • 5
PBS Delays Reconsidered Agreement reached on PBS deferrals Over the past two issues we have reported on an alarming move by the government to restrict the listing of new drugs, including those for the treatment of hepatitis, as part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, as well as the community reaction. In this issue we are pleased to bring you news of a governmental backdown. Here one of the main negotiators in the process explains the good news. I’m delighted to be able to inform you of the return to integrity and independence of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) following a decision by the federal government to place a moratorium on PBS deferrals for 12 months from 1 October 2011. A statement of principles of commitment between the Australian Government, the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF), Medicines Australia (MA) and the Generic Medicines Industry Association (GMiA) now confirms that the Government will not defer the listing of any medicine recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee or any price increase (recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority) over $10 million per year (in each forward estimates year) for 12 months until 1 October 2012. Hepatitis SA Community News 6 • December 2011
As part of this agreement, consumers will have a seat at the table in discussions about budget measures and future PBS policy. The joint agreement follows a commitment from the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to work with key stakeholders to achieve a resolution (by 30 September 2011) to the dispute over the Government’s decision to defer PBS listings in February 2011. Key parts of the Agreement include: • Medicines and price increases deferred from February 2011 to be listed immediately on the PBS (as of 1 December 2011) • Government will not defer the listing of any medicine (recommended by the PBAC) or any price increase (recommended by the PBPA) under $10 million per year (in each forward estimates year) for 12 months to 1 October 2012 • Support for a number of technical amendments to relevant legislation to correct anomalies • Short-term discussions between Government with CHF, MA and GMiA on ways to manage any deferrals into the future, as well as savings for the 2012-13 Budget • Long-term discussions between the above
parties on savings and other measures after the memorandum of understanding between Government and MA (2014). This is an excellent outcome for Australian health consumers, for the 60 key national health organisations who backed the campaign to protect the integrity of the PBS, and for those seeking more certainty in the way important medicines are made available. The holding back of medicines recommended for listing on the subsidised PBS has been a huge issue for health consumers. It will restore certainty of access to affordable, subsidised medicines while maintaining the integrity and independence of the PBS— something that consumers highly value. This agreement shows that the Government is listening and responding to the concerns of Australians while seeking to ensure the future of the PBS—a scheme which is the envy of the world. Carol Bennett Chief Executive Officer Consumers Health Forum of Australia
The Hip Hop Hep project is a collaboration between Magill Training Centre, Adelaide’s Burundian community, the Vietnamese young user group, and Aboriginal young people from Taoundi College. The project combines hepatitis C education and conversation with music and songwriting to give young people a voice about important health issues that affect their lives. Hip Hop Hep employed a young musician to assist with lyrics, recording and editing of the hip-hop song produced by the group. Participants had the opportunity to learn the facts about hepatitis C, including transmission risk factors,
prevention information, and the social and emotional impact of hepatitis C upon individuals, their families and communities. Over the period of three workshops, the participants also deepened their understanding about the virus as they began to express their ideas in response to the information they were learning, through
the medium of hip-hop lyrics. Injecting drug use, body art practices (involving tattooing and piercing) and violence were all discussed, as were isolation, depression,
stereotyping, shame and stigma. We met with the four organisations selected to be involved in the project, chosen based on the youth-at-risk profiles the organisations worked with. Once the workers from these organisations were on board, the participants were then selected by the workers. This meant that we could get into the project fast. Each organisation had three sessions to complete the project. The first session gave the participants knowledge of hepatitis C. The second session gave participants the skills to write hiphop lyrics.
Hepatitis C, Anxiety & Depression A physical illness and its effect on the mind The physical aspects of living with hepatitis C have been widely studied and are quite well known. What is also well known, but much less studied, is the effect that living with the virus has on the minds and emotions of those with chronic hepatitis C. A team of South Australian researchers from the universities of Adelaide and South Australia, and from the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, have taken a closer look at this issue, examining it from the points of view of patients, hepatologists and counsellors. With a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of patients’ psychological distress and associated reactions, coping and helpseeking behaviours, and an understanding of whether doctors and counsellors are aware of patients’ views, there is the potential to enhance well-being and increase treatment uptake and adherence. Head researcher Benjamin Stewart presented some of the study’s findings at what was the Hepatitis C Council of SA’s annual general meeting in early November. Individuals with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) are at increased risk of a wide range of psychological symptoms and psychiatric disorders, Hepatitis SA Community News 8 • December 2011
SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS... “This is the worst thing that’s ever, ever happened to me, and I’ve had a bad life. I was sexually abused when I was five, I got raped when I was 17. But people feel sorry for you for that. They don’t feel sorry for you with [hep C]. They automatically think you’ve done something bad.” “No, I don’t think it’s had a great bearing on me, emotionally. I’ve never got upset and cried about it or anything like that. I was never really distressed about it.” “[When first diagnosed] I fell into a heap... I couldn’t stop crying for weeks. I felt dirty and ashamed... It just killed all my future.” “I just thought, ‘Well, yeah, that’s what comes from hitting up, using needles, I suppose.’ I brought it on myself.” and international research has shown especially high rates of depression and anxiety (and often the two together, sometimes with other psychological disorders as well). For example, overseas studies suggest that at any given time around 38% of people are suffering from a psychiatric disorder, and only 11% from two or more simultaneously. A study of 410 South Australians with
“I’ve been discriminated against sometimes when I told people I had hepatitis C. I learned pretty quick no to tell them, because they take a different view of you.” “Mostly it doesn’t affect me socially, because nobody knows. But if I was to tell them, I would probably lose friends, easily. So I don’t tell anybody.” “I knew what I could and couldn’t do. It’s just a matter of trying to work your life back around, keeping yourself healthy and not drinking—or trying not to drink. Just not doing anything that could make it worse for you.” “The fact that you’re going through something that other people aren’t is immediately a barrier to seeking help for that.”
chronic hepatitis C found that 45% were suffering from either anxiety or depression, and 23% from both. If you are undergoing antiviral treatment for HCV, these psychological issues can be quite a problem, especially as the treatment itself can induce or deepen anxiety and depression. Psychiatric difficulties can lead to decreased adherence to the treatment regime, to the need for dose reduction
or even to giving up treatment altogether. This, in turn, means a higher likelihood of sustained viral response rates, and thus failure of the treatment to work in curing the virus.
burden really does seem to help reduce psychological problems, as long as you trust those you confide in.
So what causes the depression and anxiety in the first place? The neurobiological effect of the hepatitis C virus is significant, disrupting neurochemicals in the brain, and with the virus crossing the blood-brain barrier to show up in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. Even those without abnormal liver function can suffer from this, and the effects persist in a third of people who have cleared the virus. Secondly, hepatitis C is vastly over-represented among people who inject drugs, and the use of injecting drugs also has a high correlation with psychiatric problems. Thirdly, living with chronic hepatitis C can be very stressful in itself—the impact of first being diagnosed can be a stunning blow, the fear of transmitting the virus to others or feelings of ‘contamination’ can be stifling, and worries about stigmatisation are common and very real. Then there are the understandable worries about the future, and how unwell the person might become. Interestingly, those people who were married or in a
de facto relationship were often less depressed than those who weren’t, while older patients tended to be less anxious. Support from other people and better developed coping strategies might account for at least some of this. So how do people go about coping with these issues, so as to keep the depression and anxiety from having too great an impact on their lives? Developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy thinking are very important. And some people are naturally resilient, while others learn to become so in the face of a serious medical diagnosis. This isn’t always easy, of course, and strong social support networks—friends, family, counsellors—can be vital. Some people are determined to be self-reliant, and to not burden other people with their problems, but this can mean they take on too much themselves. Sharing the
Everybody involved in the study emphasised the need for formal sources of support, though just who that would be—GPs, counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers or local government support workers—varied from person to person. This, of course, highlights the serious need for better funding of such resources—it’s well known that South Australia is severely lacking in money for mental health services. This study represents one of the few Australian attempts to understand the psychosocial issues surrounding chronic hepatitis C and the only known attempt to compare concurrent patient, hepatologist, and counsellor perspectives within a treatment centre. Because of this it has important implications for policy and practice. We thank Benjamin Stewart for talking to us. James Morrison For more information on the study, see ‘Psychosocial and mental health issues surrounding chronic hepatitis C: patient, hepatologist and counsellor perspectives’, from the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 25, no. 3 (Supplement), pp. 121-121 0815-9319 Hepatitis SA Community News December 2011 • 9
b
Our TIS Coordinator Honoured Winner of Outstanding Service to Viral Hepatitis Health Promotion 2011 Hepatitis SA’s Info and Support Line Coordinator, Deborah Warneke-Arnold, was announced the winner of the Outstanding Service to Viral Hepatitis Health Promotion Award 2011 at the Hepatitis Australia Health Promotion Conference Dinner in Brisbane on Thursday, 24 November 2011. Deborah Warneke-Arnold began as a volunteer at the then Hepatitis C Council of SA (HCCSA) in August 1997 in the role of research and resource aide. Over the ensuing 14 years, Deborah has undertaken many roles a HCCSA: newsletter editor fo six hours a week for a numb of the earliest issues; positive speaker; and educator for three days per week. Then, in early 2005, Deborah became the Coordinator of the Hepatitis C Telephone Information an Support (TIS) Program, a rol she continues to hold today Over the years Deborah has been on numerous advisory committees, and h contributed her expertise to many consultation processe Deborah is currently a community member on the board of Hepatitis Australia She also represents the affected community on the South Australian Health Steering Committee for HIV AIDS and Hepatitis C (SAHSCHAHC), and at the SA Treatment Model of Care Advisory Committee. Hepatitis SA Community News 12 • December 2011
Below are excerpts from letters of support for Deborah’s nomination for the award: “I have great respect for Deborah for her commitment over many years, her detailed knowledge of the clinical aspects of viral hepatitis, her understanding of the issues involved, and the integrity she demonstrates in the many roles she has undertaken, hi h I b li i
and non-judgemental attitude towards all those affected by viral hepatitis who she seeks to assist in her daily work.” “I have HCV. I studied all I could on the subject, mainly on the internet, but I found I had a lot of questions. I found Ms Warneke-Arnold always found the time to answer my enquiries. She gave me the support and confidence to continue.” been a community
Competition vs Collaboration response to hepatitis C in South Australia for well over a decade and is universally respected by all. Her community profile is unmatched and her impact is wide. Deborah has always been committed to ensuring that people get the correct information from healthcare providers and that healthcare providers are supported in building their knowledge and awareness of viral hepatitis.” “As President of the Hepatitis Australia Board of Governance, I have worked side Deborah, and as always been an hing experience for was struck first by rah’s warmth and her ern and respect for s. I have been further ssed by Deborah’s omenal ability to digest, rstand and learn a range of technical and al information and ledge about hepatitis a General Practitioner a high hepatitis C caseI refer people to the titis C Council all the and they always come with a ‘Wow!’ about rah, her knowledge, ynamism and her caring de. The knowledge ttitude she imparts to e enables them to care eir health, particularly how to manage itis, how to make ment decisions about itis and how to live a
healthy life with hepatitis.” “In my current role as Blood-Borne Virus Program Coordinator at the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, I know that Deborah works tirelessly to encourage and increase access for Aboriginal people across the state. Her work in ensuring that prisoners in South Australia also have access to support to do with viral hepatitis is exemplary. Deborah also has a great drive and passion for her work and is an inspiration for so many people around her both in a professional capacity as well as personally.” “I am one of eight volunteers on the phoneline and I can say that over the years since Deborah has been the coordinator, every volunteer has appreciated Deborah’s guidance and support and especially appreciated Deborah’s sense of fairness and doing the right thing. As well as being the perfect work colleague, Deborah has become a very dear friend. Her sense of humour is one of Deborah’s many endearing qualities, and while always being appropriate she can give you a laugh that makes you glad to be alive.” “Deborah, you are the best!” All of us at Hepatitis SA congratulate Deborah for this well-earned honour.
Pharmaceutical companies agree to work together against HCV Roche and Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, have announced that they have signed a nonexclusive promotion agreement to improve the treatment, diagnosis and awareness of chronic hepatitis C (HCV). This means that Roche and Merck, through their respective affiliates and subsidiaries, will collaborate in the HCV promotion and clinical development programs in markets outside the United States where Pegasys (pegylated interferon) is marketed and boceprevir is launched. This announcement follows a similar agreement in May 2011 in relation to the US. While the agreement does cover Australia it is not yet in effect. Roche Products and MSD Australia will be reviewing details of the global agreement and discussing how it might be implemented locally, dependent upon the approval and launch of boceprevir. Hepatitis SA Community News December 2011 • 13
CREW Workshops A new initiative from the Education Team What is CREW? The Collaborative Rural Education Workshop (CREW) is an initiative aimed at providing training and education for health and community sector workers in rural areas of South Australia. CREW is a collaborative project covering information about blood-borne viruses (BBVs), such as HIV and hepatitis C. The aim is to teach workers a preventative and harm minimisation approach to working with clients, so as to ultimately reduce transmission of blood-borne viruses in the community and improve relationships with affected clients. What should you expect from CREW training? Key topics covered: • Hepatitis C education, relating to a wide range of issues including transmission, prevention and harm minimisation measures, testing and treatment, referral options and services for people who are affected by, or at risk of, hepatitis C. Also covered are the social aspects of living with hepatitis C, including stigma, discrimination and issues to do with disclosure. • The realities of living with HIV, through an HIV-positive speaker sharing her personal story. Hepatitis SA Community News 14 • December 2011
This contributes toward reducing the fear, stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV/AIDS. The speaker also provides background information about HIV, challenges HIV myths and preconceptions, and promotes prevention of HIV transmission. • Clean Needle Program (CNP), which is a public health measure aimed at reducing the spread of blood-borne viruses like HIV and hepatitis C. The program provides a range of services, including the provision of sterile injecting equipment and sharps disposal units, education and information about injecting drug use, a collection point for used equipment, and a referral point to drug treatment, medical, legal and social services. CNP information provided through CREW is aimed at increasing the relevant knowledge and skills for engaging clients around BBV transmission risks and prevention strategies, safer injecting practices and referral options. • Information about injecting drug use and issues faced by people who inject drugs. CREW covers myths and stereotypes about injecting drug use, and how stereotypes contribute to stigma. The aim is for health workers to improve their knowledge of the
realities of injecting drug use, and increase their confidence in engaging with people who inject drugs. Why hold a CREW training session for your staff? Arranging a CREW training session for your organisation can provide the following: • An opportunity for staff to meet professional development/training requirements • Comprehensive coverage on range of topics • Staff will have a better understanding of BBVs and how to reduce transmission • Learn about challenges faced by clients, and how to best address them • Opportunities to network with government and non-government agencies, keep abreast of new information, and determine referral pathways for clients Each session can be tailored to suit your organisational needs. Who will deliver CREW training? Organisations will include: • Hepatitis SA: the state’s peak community-based organisation providing hepatitis C information and education services to the South Australian community
• Drug and Alcohol Services SA: offers a range of prevention, treatment, information, education and community-based services for alcohol and other drug issues • SA Voice for Intravenous Education: a community program that aims to reduce the harms associated with injecting drug use. • Positive Life SA: a peerbased organisation, with the mission to improve the quality of life for all people living with, or closely affected by, HIV/AIDS How much does it cost? All CREW will be conducted free of charge to your organisation. Resource materials (pamphlets, fact sheets, posters) are also provided free of charge. How long is a workshop? A full-day workshop (e.g. 6 hours) is required to enable coverage of all topics. Talk with us if you’d like a longer, more in-depth workshop. More information Please don’t hesitate to contact Michelle (Rural Educator; email michelle@ hepatitissa.asn.au) or Nicole (Educator; email nicole@ hepatitissa.asn.au) to find out more about a tailored CREW training session, or call Hepatitis SA on 1300 437 222.
Hepatitis SA Community News December 2011 • 15
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Hepatitis SA provides information, education and support to the hepatitis C community and those at risk. A strong membership of people affected by the virus is essential to our work. Complete the form below and send it to us by post: PO Box 782, Kent Town SA 5071 or fax: (08) 8362 8559.
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Hepatitis SA Community News 16 • December 2011
Are you happy with your GP? If you are, we need to hear from you.* We are updating our Hep C-friendly GP list for metro and rural areas. Please call Deborah on 1300 437 222. *We approach GPs for permission before putting their names on our list, and we do not reveal who nominated them.
Useful Contacts & Community Links Hepatitis SA
Clean Needle Programs
Provides information, education and support to people affected by hepatitis C and health care workers. We offer free education sessions, printed information, telephone information and support, referrals and a clean needle program. Hepatitis SA also facilitates Calming the C - a support group for people affected by hepatitis C. Office Tel: (08) 8362 8443 Information & Support Line: 1300 437 222 (cost of a local call anywhere in SA).
To find out about programs operating in SA, contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service. 1300 131 340
Facilitates access to and delivery of relevant support services and programs which promote the health, wellbeing and family life of partners of prisoners who are at risk of hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS or are people living with hepatitis C or HIV. (08) 8218 0700
MOSAIC & P.E.A.C.E.
SAVIVE
Relationships Australia (SA) provides support, education, information and referrals for people affected by hepatitis C through the MOSAIC and P.E.A.C.E. services. MOSAIC is for anyone whose life is affected by hepatitis C, and P.E.A.C.E. is for people from non-Englishspeaking backgrounds. (08) 8223 4566
Provides peer-based support, information and education for drug users, and is a Clean Needle Program outlet. (08) 8334 1699
Partners of Prisoners (POP)
Provides social services and support to the Vietnamese community, including alcohol and drug education, and a clean needle program. (08) 8447 8821
The Adelaide Dental Hospital has a specially funded clinic where people with hepatitis C who also have a Health Care Card can receive priority dental care. Call us at Hepatitis SA for a referral on (08) 8362 8443.
Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council of SA (ADAC) Ensures the development of effective programs to reduce harm related to substance misuse in Aboriginal communities. (08) 8351 9031
Hepatitis Helpline This hotline operated by Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia provides 24hour information, referral and support. Freecall: 1800 621 780
Nunkuwarrin Yunti An Aboriginal-controlled community health service with a clean needle program and liver clinic. (08) 8223 5011
Vietnamese Community in Australia (SA Chapter)
SA Sex Industry Network (SA-SIN) Promotes the health, rights and wellbeing of sex workers. (08) 8334 1666
Aboriginal Health Council SA Peak body representing Aboriginal communitycontrolled health services and substance misuse services in SA. AHCSA is the ‘health voice ’ for all Aboriginal people in SA, advocating for the community and supporting workers with appropriate Aboriginal health programs. (08) 8273 7200
Are you interested in volunteering with Hepatitis SA? Please give us a call on (08) 8362 8443 or drop us a line at admin@hepatitissa.asn.au and let us know. We rely on volunteers for many of our vital services.
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