Alcohol & Other Drugs Programs

Oodnadatta Visits

Alcohol and Other Drugs, social workers visit Oodnadatta and conduct workshops there to know better about their situations of the community. These visits are better opportunities to build rapport with Oodnadatta community. Social Workers work closely, from grass-root level to support aboriginal community in remote location according to their needs and link them with other services like rehabilitation services, health services, mental health support services, counselling services, motivational interviews and housing services. AOD Social Workers conduct educational and awareness programs regarding adverse effects of alcohol and other drugs by using visual and practical methods on physical and mental health of the people and encourage them to educate others as well.

ICE Workshop

Social Workers recently conducted an ICE workshop in Oodnadatta and provided awareness and education regarding the effects of using ICE, alcohol or other drugs during the pregnancy. Social Workers provided education by displaying a model of pregnant women which includes a model of a woman who is expecting (holding a model foetus inside a plastic uterus).For the practical visualisation social workers use different colour dye to represents alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs. The dye is mixed in water and was introduced in the mother's mouth which pass through her body, and contaminate the foetal environment. It gave a presentation on how alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs affect innocent unborn babies inside womb of mother who use alcohol, drugs, or tobacco.

Social workers described how babies get the nutrients they need to grow from their mother's blood through the placenta. Drinking when pregnant has an impact on the growth and development of the unborn baby. Social workers further educate that alcohol or other drugs enters your bloodstream, where it is then transferred to your unborn child.

During the discussion the participants share theirs views and some of them share their experiences and their knowledge and their understanding about the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol on the unborn babies.