Melbourne, VIC, 24th June 2011 – UnitingCare Moreland Hall, one of Victoria’s leading alcohol and other drugs agencies, is proud to announce that its Catalyst Alcohol Community Rehabilitation Program was tonight announced as the winner of the National Drug and Alcohol Award for Excellence in Treatment and Support.
The award ceremony concluded National Drug Week for 2011. The prestigious national awards recognise achievements in fields such as Prevention and Community Education, Treatment and Support, Services for Young People, Research, Law Enforcement, Media Reporting and School Drug Education (http://www.drugawards.org.au/).
Moreland Hall’s Director of Clinical Services, Donna Ribton-Turner said:
This is a tremendous outcome for the Catalyst Program and for Moreland Hall. It’s fantastic to win one after four other Moreland Hall programs have been finalists in the past six years.
We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve with the Catalyst program. It’s a powerful addition to the Victorian alcohol and other drugs treatment system that allows people to participate in a rehabilitation program without having to enter a residential program. By remaining in the community, they are able to maintain their family, work and social commitments and put the skills they learn to immediate practice.
We have seen the impact Catalyst has had on participants and their families and evaluation findings have consistently demonstrated the positive changes that are occurring in people’s lives.
It was a huge effort to develop a holistic and evidence-based service model within a tight timeframe, but the results speak for themselves. Congratulations must go to everyone involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of the program. I would particularly like to thank the Moreland Hall Catalyst staff for their outstanding efforts over the past two years and the Catalyst participants who have played a central role in our ongoing efforts to refine and improve the program’s content and delivery.
Ms Ribton-Turner concluded:
Congratulations to all the finalists at tonight’s awards. It was inspiring to see examples of the types of work being undertaken in communities all across Australia to prevent or reduce the harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs. It is so important that successful initiatives are recognised and expanded upon to improve the effectiveness of alcohol and other drugs treatment in Australia.
This is a cost-effective model that has been demonstrated to achieve excellent outcomes. Tonight’s recognition of the effectiveness of the Catalyst program will go some way to ensuring that its funding is continued beyond the end of it’s pilot period in June 2012.
ENDS
For further information or comment please contact Donna Ribton-Turner (Director Clinical Services) on 0403 266 277
Background about Moreland Hall: UnitingCare Moreland Hall is an Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) treatment and education agency of the Uniting Church in Australia. Moreland Hall has been operating since 1970 and provides a range of treatment and education services to clients in the North West Metropolitan region of Melbourne. These include counselling and support in the community and at Port Phillip prison, adult and youth home-based and residential withdrawal, education and training, drug diversion programs, supported accommodation and youth and family service.
