Australian Community Support Organisation ACSO
Connecting clients and their families with Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Treatment Services and Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS), throughout Regional Victoria.
What we do • ACSO Connect provides an Intake and Assessment Service across regional Victoria referring people experiencing mental health, alcohol and drugs issues to a range of community based treatment programs. • It is part of the new service system designed to deliver a combined service response for people experiencing mental health and alcohol and drug issues in regional Victoria. • ACSO has delivered COATS as a state wide service for 17 years. It’s our role to help people to access the right mix of treatment support for mental health, alcohol and drug issues.
Who is the AOD service targeted towards? • Anyone who is experiencing issues arising from their use of alcohol or drugs which could place themselves or others at risk of harm; and who are unable to be assisted by Primary Health Care Services alone. • Help for families and friends affected by someone else's AOD use. • We will conduct an assessment to find out more about their needs and in order to help them access the most appropriate services.
What happens when someone contacts ACSO for AOD? • We complete a screening tool with the client which assists in determining the level of need. • Clients that require further support are booked in for an assessment with an accredited AOD clinician. • Clients who have been screened as not currently requiring drug treatment are provided with a brief intervention and diverted into a range of other community supports and programs. • Intake screening assessment for MHCSS can also be provided at this junction if needed and if the client consents.
What happens after an assessment? Our assessors and the clients work together during the assessment process to determine the clients goals and what the individual treatment options are. We then prepare an Initial Treatment Plan and refer clients to the appropriate services. We also provide bridging support for high risk clients while they wait for their first treatment appointment.
AOD Treatment Options There are a range of treatment options available consisting of: • Counselling (standard & complex)* • Non Residential Withdrawal (standard & complex)* • Care & Recovery Coordination • Residential Detox & Rehab *Standard = up to 4 sessions Complex = up to 15 sessions
New In hospital Withdrawal Beds • Recently DHHS have funded four inpatient withdrawal beds across Gippsland. • The beds are located at Bairnsdale (1), Leongatha (1) and Sale (2). • Beds are available for “planned withdrawals” thus patients are voluntary, motivated and assessed as ready for change. • ACSO can assist with access to these beds and further information.
Help for Families & Friends There are various options available to support families and friends and these include: Single session family support (initial information & support) Counselling (AOD treatment agencies are able to provide counselling to families & friends) Peer Support community groups (ongoing peer led support groups) Family Drug Education & Information Group: (4 week group run by ACSO)
Who is the MHCSS targeted towards? • People aged between 16 to 64 years of age, with a mental health diagnosis that is significantly impacting on their life, • and with impairments that are permanent and may reduce functioning in (at least) one of the following: • Communication - Social interaction - Learning - Self- care - Self- management, • and it affects their ability to work or interact socially. We will conduct an intake screening to find out more about their needs and in order to help them access the most appropriate services.
ACSO also completes the intake for MHCSS • When a client is referred to us for MHCSS our team provide an Intake Screening using the tool to determine eligibility for services. • If eligible, clients are prioritised and referred into the MHCSS in their area; for Gippsland this is SNAP & Mind. • If there is a wait list in place for MHCSS our staff support the clients until a vacancy arises. • We are also providing PUMP; a Dual Diagnosis group for clients who are on the waitlist.
Mental Health Community Support Services available We make referrals for the following services • Individual Client Support Packages: Includes Recovery Support Worker and access to groups • Partners in Recovery • Youth residential services
Partners In Recovery (PIR) What is Partners in Recovery? Partners in Recovery (PIR) is an Australian Government initiative administered through the Department of Health. PIR aims to better support people with severe and persistent mental illness, their families and carers. This is achieved by getting services and support from the multiple sectors they may come into contact with (and could benefit from) to work in a more collaborative, coordinated, and integrated way. PIR is not replacing existing services, it aims to compliment and connect services and supports already in place.
PIR Providers Partners in Recovery across Gippsland To deliver PIR, Gippsland PHN is partnering with three agencies in Gippsland: • Mental Illness Fellowship • Mind • SNAP Gippsland 11 Support Facilitator positions, including one indigenous specific Support Facilitator, are located across the three partner agencies in Gippsland.
How to Refer to PIR Referrals into PIR can be made by you, the individual, their family or friends, or any service they are currently linked with by contacting ACSO Connect on 1300 022 760 or 03 5172 2900.
Local Staff-Local Catchment • Staff are based at the Traralgon hub and also work out of a number of other locations across Gippsland including: Bass Coast, South Gippsland, Baw Baw, Wellington, Latrobe Valley and East Gippsland. • “Walk in clinics” have been established within local treatment agencies and we encourage services to utilise these when clients are pre contemplative.
GP Direct
GP Direct • We have established a GP Direct contact exclusively for GP’s to ensure easy access and a prompt response for GP’s who want to refer their patients. • The GP Direct Hotline provides an immediate response. • The GP Direct Fax is a dedicated fax for GP’s • The GP Direct email is also a dedicated email address for GP’s to submit a referral.
How to refer Phone: 1300 022 760 Fax: (03) 9413 7189 Web Referral: www.acso.org.au Email: aod@acso.org.au
Argus S2S Electronic Referral As part of the Argus S2S project, also known as the GP e-referral project, GP’s can now refer consumers to Community Health Services through electronic secure messaging. The Argus S2S project was initiated in 2011 after a need for interoperability between two electronic referral platforms was identified. Argus is a secure messaging system for the healthcare profession to allow them to send sensitive and confidential information about their patients to other healthcare professionals. S2S is one of the preferred electronic referral tools used in Gippsland and across Victoria by state funded health services. Argus/S2S is commonly known as the electronic bridge between private providers and state health services. See the diagram below for more information.
Gippsland Office The Gippsland Hub is located at 3/35 Grey St Traralgon Phone: 5172 2900 Fax: 5172 2950 For any enquiries
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