BRADAAG leads
the fight to
reduce the abuse
YVON MAGNERY, REGIONAL DIRECTOR
OF BRADAAG TELLS OF ITS
ACHIEVEMENTS, 11 YEARS ON
In 1974 the Northern Territory introduced
a legislation decriminalising drunkenness. However police officers continued
to apprehend intoxicated people, who frequented public places, and to
hold them in cells for their own safety, under an Apprehension without
arrest policy.
The sobering up shelter occupies an important position in the range
of services for those with alcohol problems. The shelter not only cares
for those intoxicated in a public place, it reduces social disruption,
violence by and against intoxicated people, and it also reduces costs
of law enforcement and health agencies. It can serve to identify and
refer people with serious problems to appropriate agencies.
Sobering up shelters are not alcohol treatment facilities, and counselling
is not provided as a matter of course. Clients who require medical assistance
are referred to medical facilities for this treatment.
In the Northern Territory the first shelter was opened in Darwin in
1983. The Tennant Creek shelter was established in 1984 by the community
based Barkly Region Alcohol & Drug Abuse Advisory Group Inc. BRADAAG
The cooperation of the police to bring
intoxicated people to the shelter instead of taking them to the cells
is crucial to the success of the program. - McDonald, 1987.
At first there was some resistance among
members of the police force. However this situation didn't last long,
and an excellent line of communication was established between the shelter
and the police. High ranking police personnel up to the Police Commissioner
of the Northern Territory have on several occasions paid the shelter
a visit as an acknowledgement of their support.
In the Northern Territory the majority
of referrals to the shelters are from police. The shelter were not permitted
to take self referrals.
- Watson 1989
This rule came into being in order to
try to avoid the homeless problem which had been seen to occur in NSW.
There, those needing a bed for the night admitted themselves to a proclaimed
place whether or not they were intoxicated. In both NSW and SA the greatest
numbers of admissions came from self referrals, followed by police referrals.
- Daly A Midford R WA, Alcohol & Drug Authority.
In July 1987, BRADAAG requested an invitation
to attend a Julalikari Council meeting to discuss the means of cooperation
and the need for broader community involvement. The proposal of the
Night Patrol service diverting intoxicated persons to the shelter at
mutually agreed hours was approved and the police was supportive of
this initiative.
In order to deal with the problems we are facing, we do need the proper
tools. It is crucial to consolidate all our efforts together as a community.
Skills, resources and available research and findings must be identified
and coordinated.
Eleven years along the track, many thousands of people, men and women
have sobered-up in the shelter. No accident or complaints worth mentioning
occurred. Care givers are well trained and supervised and strict guidelines
are followed to ensure a safe environment for clients, staff and the
community.
Effective administrative management of the shelter is centred on sound
financial control, the maintenance of accurate statistics and a developed
strategy aimed at servicing the identified needs of the area. Stable,
progressive management practices which are recognised by our government
funding body are the essential elements of our continued success and
viability.
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody has paved the
way for the establishment of more sobering up facilities right across
Australia.
The sobering up shelters were designed to provide a way of responding
to the needs of the intoxicated people who have committed no offense.
In the Northern Territory the shelters have achieved this aim.
Now that we have established effective methods of dealing with drunkenness,
the next step is to reduce the use and abuse of alcohol.
The Living with Alcohol program has been established by the Territory
Government to fund a variety of interventions such as the Drink Driver
programs, treatment and rehabilitation, detoxification, training, research
and evaluation, prison based programs, Night Patrol etc...
In 1993 BRADAAG opened a 6 bed treatment facility funded through the
Living with Alcohol program.
The treatment of alcohol related problems
in individual drinkers is an important part of the broad strategy for
reducing alcohol related problems.
- E Hunter, W Hall, R Spargo, Monograph 12
The service provides a comprehensive treatment
for alcohol and other drug dependant persons for the Barkly region.
The service philosophy is to minimise the harm associated with alcohol
and other drug use, through assessment, treatment and care across the
physical, mental social aspect of health, thereby reducing the incidence
of alcohol and other drug related problems (ie illness and deaths, violence
and crime and social disruption) in the community.
In 1995 BRADAAG added two houses or an extra eight beds to its service
and recently has added a third house. This last acquisition targets
women in particular and their children. From this house an information
and resource centre for women is also provided. A further service, The
Domestic Violence Service has also commenced from Jan '97.
Close cooperation has been established with all sectors of the community
in order to maximise clients outcome.
Our treatment centre provides a comprehensive service for clients referred
specifically from the justice system such as home detention, community
service order, court assessments and alternatives to custodial sentences.
Some of our staff are registered as home detention surveillance officers.
We are working side by side with the Department of Correctional services.
Are we serious about helping people
to learn sociably in our community? If so, we must create a social environment
which is somewhat similar to our community, not an institution which
requires inmates to quickly learn a special set of social skills which
are entirely inconsistent with those which are acceptable in the community.
If you become well adjusted to prison you are almost certainly maladjusted
to the rest of the world.
Ben Marvis, General Manger Corrective Services, Tasmania.
Service providers face the dual role
of providing services to clients as well as educating the community.
The community's acceptance of our positive role will ultimately lead
to greater acceptance of our clients, less crime and greater justification
for funding.
Craig Baird, Managing secretary, Prisoners Aid Association of NSW
Alcohol and its related consequences are
problems that our community has to confront. It is clear that these
are not easy problems to come to grips with and need to be addressed
from various direction, in a holistic way.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
"If you become well adjusted to prison you are almost certainly
maladjusted to the rest of the world."
