Description:
This training aims to support AOD workers to engage and include families when supporting clients. Single Session Family Consultation (SSFC) offers timely, accessible support to all family members while retaining a strong therapeutic relationship. In keeping with single session thinking, it enables workers to make the most of each encounter with families.
**Please ensure you can commit to the package below before enrolling.
Training package:
- Pre-requisite: Participants must complete a self-paced learning before attending the online training session. You will have approximately 6 weeks prior to the online training session to complete this at your own time (generally takes about 3 hours).
- In-person training session: Thursday 2 October 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM @ The Bouverie Centre 8 Gardiner Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
- Optional online consultation: Thursday 30 October 2025 – Participants will have the opportunity to attend an optional 1.5 hours online consultation 4 weeks after the training. This would take the form of a facilitated group supervision to explore your experience in applying SSFC in your practice.
Learning outcomes:
On completion of SSFC, you will be able to:
- Understand the Single Session Thinking and Family Consultation frameworks that underpin SSFC
- Convene, conduct and undertake follow-up as part of SSFC
- Address challenging situations in sessions with families
- Identify how you can incorporate SSFC into your practice
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other sectors (i.e. homelessness, mental health) and workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend.
Email elevate@vaada.org.au at least 24 hours before the training to cancel you registration.
Description:
This training aims to support AOD workers to engage and include families when supporting clients. Single Session Family Consultation (SSFC) offers timely, accessible support to all family members while retaining a strong therapeutic relationship. In keeping with single session thinking, it enables workers to make the most of each encounter with families.
**Please ensure you can commit to the package below before enrolling.
Training package:
- Pre-requisite: Participants must complete a self-paced learning before attending the online training session. You will have approximately 6 weeks prior to the online training session to complete this at your own time (generally takes about 3 hours).
- Online training session: Wednesday 20 August 2025 @ 9:30AM – 1:30PM
- Optional online consultation: Thursday 25 September 2025 @ 10:30AM – 12:00PM – Participants will have the opportunity to attend an optional online consultation 6 weeks after the training. This would take the form of a facilitated group supervision to explore your experience in applying SSFC in your practice.
Learning outcomes:
On completion of SSFC, you will be able to:
- Understand the Single Session Thinking and Family Consultation frameworks that underpin SSFC
- Convene, conduct and undertake follow-up as part of SSFC
- Address challenging situations in sessions with families
- Identify how you can incorporate SSFC into your practice
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other sectors (i.e. homelessness, mental health) and workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend.
Email elevate@vaada.org.au at least 24 hours before the training to cancel you registration.
Facilitator: Lyanne Morel, Lived Experience Advocate
Panel: Tara Schultz, Lived Experience Advocate, Michele Campbell, Clinical Director, NADA and Jennifer Uzabeaga, Consumer Engagement Coordinator, NADA
In this video, panel members discuss experiences of women and the AOD service system.
Resources mentioned can be accessed here: Symposium Resource Hub
To access the video, click on ENROL NOW to change to “I’m going”
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Bianca Johnston, PhD Candidate, Monash University
Slides: Voice and creativity in research – Bianca Johnston
Bianca’s PhD examines young women’s experiences of youth intimate partner violence. Using mixed methods of creative art and qualitative interviews with young women, Bianca’s research seeks to provide a platform for young women’s voices and experiences of intimate partner violence.
Resources mentioned can be accessed here: Symposium Resource Hub
To access the video, click on ENROL NOW to change to “I’m going”
The WATCH VIDEO button will appear; click to access the video.
To return to the video later, revisit this page by clicking on Self-paced learning.
Abbie McNamara, Family Preservation Reunification Response Practitioner/ Master of Social Work Graduate, Monash University and
A/Prof Catherine Flynn, Head of Department and Director of Higher Degree Research – Social Work, Monash University
This presentation is based on research undertaken by Abbie as part of her Master of Social Work at Monash University, supervised by Catherine. This work was awarded the Peter Boss prize for best thesis for the 2023 Academic Year. The research was undertaken as a collaboration with TaskForce-Windana, with its origins in practitioner observations about the challenges of current approaches to working with women mandated to AOD treatment. The study therefore sought to better understand what are the needs of, and best practices with this group, by examining existing case file data and interviewing clinicians. The audience will gain a more nuanced understanding of the needs of women engaged with the Forensic AOD system, and specific gender-based risk factors, as well as expanding their understanding of ‘best-practice’ to include organisational and system-level actions needed to support work with this group of often overlooked women.
Resources mentioned can be accessed here: Symposium Resource Hub
To access the video, click on ENROL NOW to change to “I’m going”
The WATCH VIDEO button will appear; click to access the video.
To return to the video later, revisit this page by clicking on Self-paced learning.
Dr Dianne Grocott, MBBSS FRANCP Psychiatrist, Reflect Health
Slides: Working with people with ADHD & SUD_Dianne Grocott
In this video, Dr Dianne Grocott invites us to “get on the hoses” and be a voice for change when working with clients with ADHD.
Resources Dianne mentions in her talk:
The Disruptors – Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIoKSf4GDZQ
Reflect Health resource library: https://reflecthealth.com.au/service/adhd/
The library has been fashioned as different floors, each with a library of specific information.
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Presented by the Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED).
This presentation aims to enhance your understanding as an AOD worker in order to response to eating disorders, focusing on key features for early identification, responses to individuals with eating disorders, shared care approaches, treatment options and invaluable insights from lived experience.
This online e-learning is a pre-requisite to the Essential Skills in Eating Disorders for AOD Workers – Foundational level workshop
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Resource: An Introduction to Eating Disorders (slides)
In this training, participants will be guided through a clearly articulated practical process for engaging families, which is ideally suited to contexts where a family member is the primary client of an individually oriented service (e.g. AOD Adult and Youth AOD services).
Course Description:
- 3-hour self-paced online learning unit
- 3-hour online training
Participants must complete a 3-hour online learning component before the in-practice sessions.
Links to online training will be provided to participants approximately six weeks prior to the in-practice training dates. (Early January)
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including those who are new to the AOD sector or recently employed under the COVID-19 Workforce Initiative and Peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as Family Violence, Homelessness and Mental Health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, even if you find out the day before, please cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waiting list.
Dr. Ed Ogden, Addiction Medicine Specialist, Swinburne University, GV Health, Austin Health and Hamilton Centre
In this presentation, Dr Ed Ogden discusses the barriers to treatment for people with co-occurring ADHD and substance use.
Slides: ADHD and Drug Use, Ed Ogden
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Mel Spencer OAM, CEO Different Journeys
In this presentation, Mel Spencer discusses her experiences navigating Victoria’s service system as a mother and carer of autistic children and as an autistic person. Her experiences led her to start Different Journeys, a not-for-profit dedicated to helping neurodivergent people access the appropriate support they need.
Slides: Navigating the Service System_Mel Spencer
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The WATCH VIDEO button will appear; click to access the video.
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