ACT Health engaged ATODA to December 2017 to scope and design a multi-year multi-component pilot project that provides more effective responses for people who use alcohol and other drugs (AOD) in harmful ways and either experience domestic and family violence (DFV) or are at risk of using violence.
The 2017 AOD Safer Families Project activities have now concluded and the final report has been submitted to ACT Health.
Many stakeholders made an invaluable contribution to the Project in 2017 and we plan to acknowledge those contributions at a launch in early 2018.
The final report titled ACT Alcohol and Other Drug Safer Families Program 2017 – 2021: Design, Model, Implementation Plan and Evaluation Framework was submitted to ACT Health on 21 December 2017.
A package of three tools were produced as part of the AOD Safer Families Project. These tools enable specialist AOD treatment and support services to provide more effective responses for people who use AOD in harmful ways and either experience domestic and family violence (DFV) and/or are at risk of using DFV. The tools can be used to benchmark practice and to delineate; to articulate worker roles; and to provide clinical and practical guidance to the AOD sector to prevent and respond to DFV. These tools are available here.
Download the high level project plan for year 1 of the AOD Safer Families Project (2017). It presents a terms of reference for the whole project, followed by a series of terms of reference related to major project deliverables followed by a combined timetable for key activities.
Project Update #1 (April 2017)
Project Update #2 (June 2017)
Project Update #3 (August 2017)
Project Update #4 (September 2017)
Project Update #5 (November 2017)
Project Update #6 (December 2017)
The Project was guided by an Advisory Group whose primary function was to provide high level advice, strategic guidance and governance to the Project. This will include:
- Supporting transparent and inclusive processes for the development and implementation of the Project
- Providing input into development of Project materials
- Identifying appropriate stakeholders to participate in Project consultative mechanisms
- Contributing information on interrelated activities relevant to AOD / DFV including policy, service delivery and governance
- Identifying and communicating barriers, challenges and successes regarding the implementation of the Project.
- Supporting communication about the Project within networks and interrelated activities, including ensuring information about the Project is available to specialist AOD services.
The project utilised a rigorous and intensive co-design process with key stakeholders, including those who would enact the program from 208, namely people in the specialist AOD service system, the DFV sector stakeholders, policy-makers, AOD workers and consumer organisations. Consultations and engagements included:
19 July 2017 (1/2 day)
Audience: ATOD Sector, invited DFV stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics:
- Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
- Scope of Practice
Further details: Discussion included: an overview of the AOD Safer Families Program (year 1) from ATODA; a discussion of the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool including potential domains; criteria across the domains; overarching principles of practice; and a discussion of a Scope of Practice
6 September 2017 (1/2 day)
Audience: ATOD Sector, invited DFV stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics:
- Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
- Scope of Practice
- Program design
- Practice Guide
- Evaluation Framework
Further details: Discussion included: overview presentation of AOD Safer Families Program (Year 1), a brief on all deliverables components; individual and small group feedback on the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool
7 September 2017 (Full day)
Audience: Clinical and expert roundtable (by invitation), ACT Health
Topics:
- Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
- Scope of Practice
- Practice Guide
- Program
- Evaluation Framework
Further details: Discussion included: overview presentation of AOD Safer Families Program (Year 1), including an update of the components; individual and small group feedback on the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool; formation of clinical questions to inform the development of the Practice Guide
26 September – 19 October 2017 (3 weeks)
Audience: Specialist AOD services including ACT Health
Topics: Implementation testing of the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
Further details: Specialist ACT AOD services were invited to undertake intensive implementation testing of the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool within a single program. When completed in full over the three week period, this included: reviewing domains and potential information sources; file audits; staff interviews; service consumer interviews and the completion of a feedback form
12 October 2017 (Full day)
Audience: ATOD sector, ACT Health, Evaluation consultants
Topics: Program Logic from the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Further details: Evaluation Working Group discussion included: development of the program logic and program theory of change (for further consultation with broader stakeholders)
19 October 2017 (Full day)
Audience: ATOD sector, ACT Health, Evaluation consultants
Topics: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Further details: Evaluation Working Group discussion included: development of evaluation questions, an outcomes matrix and data sources (for further consultation with the broader stakeholders)
20 October 2017 (Full day)
Audience: ATOD sector, invited DFV stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics:
- Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
- Scope of Practice
- Program design
- Evaluation Framework
Further details: Discussion included: a briefing on the background and status of the AOD Safer Families Program (Year 1); feedback on the implementation testing of the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool and consultation on the draft program logic for the AOD Safer Families Program
Tuesday 24 October 2017 (Full day)
Audience: Clinical and expert roundtable (by invitation)
Topics: Practice Guide
Further details: Discussion included: review of evidence tables (from a systematic literature review) related to the Practice Guide. Where evidence was not available or insufficient, clinical consensus was reached in order to provide practice guidance
9 November 2017 (Full day)
Audience: ATOD sector, invited DFV stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics:
- Domestic and Family Violence Capability Tool
- Practice Guide
- Scope of Practice
- Program design
- Evaluation Framework
Further details: Discussion included: briefing on the background and status of the AOD Safer Families Program (Year 1); briefing on the finalisation of the Domestic and Family Violence Capability Assessment Tool; briefing on the Practice Guide; consultation on the program design and funding model; consultation on the draft monitoring and evaluation framework
14 November – 24 November 2017 (10 days)
Audience: Clinical and expert roundtable participants, academics, ATOD sector, invited DFV violence stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics: Practice Guide
Further details: Final clinical and expert review of the Practice Guide
23 November – 30 November 2017 (1 week)
Audience: ATOD sector, invited DFV stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Further details: Final review and feedback on the full draft of the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
4 December 2017 (1/2 day)
Audience: Specialist alcohol and other drugs Executives, invited DFV violence stakeholders, ACT Health
Topics: Program Design including funding model
Further details: Discussion included: further consultation and consensus on the program design