When working with clients with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) problems, you will be required to adhere to a number of legal and ethical guidelines that protect vulnerable clients, you and your organisation’s reputation. It is essential that you understand why these guidelines are important so you can follow the spirit, not just the words, of these guidelines.

This topic will cover:

The Australian Government and key stakeholders have developed the National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 (the Strategy) to address the needs of the community and individuals to reduce the use, abuse and impacts of illegal drugs in Australia. The purpose of the Strategy is to deliver a national framework that provides clear guidelines as to how government and key stakeholders will address these problems.

By the end of this topic, you will understand:

The way in which we think about drug use and the way that society treats people who use alcohol and other drugs (AOD) inform how the community services sector and we as individual practitioners, work with and approach related issues.

By the end of this topic, you will understand:

• models of drug use used to understand addiction and dependence
• our own attitudes and values and how they inform our practice
• harm minimisation.