Eligibility: This training is free for paid AOD Peer Workers in state-funded services in Victoria.
Duration: 6 days, 9:30am – 3:00pm each day.
Dates: 16th,17th,18th, 22nd, 23rd & 24th of April 2025
Where: Online via Zoom. Calendar invites to be sent with links to attend closer to the training commencing upon registration.
SHARC Peer Worker Training aims to:
- Educate peer workers around the concepts and core competencies of the peer work discipline.
- Assist peer workers to apply best practice peer work in formalised settings.
- Explore the key components of the role with a focus on the peer relationship.
- Increase confidence and develop skills in communication and navigating relational parameters.
- Develop understandings of ethical practice and workplace legislative requirements.
- Empower peer workers to advocate for the discipline and manage their own wellbeing and development needs.
- Prepare peer workers to work across a number of domains, remaining ‘peer’ within clinical governance frameworks.
Please contact peersupport@sharc.org.au for any queries regarding this training.
*This training is advertised on behalf of SHARC.
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”
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.
Please ensure you can commit to attending both days before enrolling for this training.
Date:
DAY ONE – Wednesday 26 March 2025, 1:00PM – 5:00PM
DAY TWO – Thursday 27 March 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM
Location: Online
Description: Harm Reduction Masterclass: learn the principles and best practice with peer expert trainers from Harm Reduction Victoria. Learn alongside our living experience trainers about what clients who use drugs really want and need from our services. There are 7 modules delivered over 2 half-days online, with each one designed to give you a basic understanding of each topic. There is an activity that needs to be completed before attending the second day of training. Participants will receive details via email the week before the training.
Details
DAY ONE – Wednesday 26 March 2025, 1:00PM – 5:00PM
Harm Reduction 101
- Understand the history of harm reduction in Victoria & Australia.
- Understand the National Drug Strategy policy of Harm Minimisation and how Harm Reduction fits into this policy.
- Understanding the Substance, Set and Setting principles as a way to understand an individual’s drug experience.
Safer Injecting
- Understand safer injecting practices, including injecting sites; using a tourniquet, and infection & Blood Borne Virus risk.
- Understand the circulatory system and the difference between veins and arteries.
- Understand through “hands-on” demonstration the drug mixing up the process and the transmission risk points during the process.
Drug Overdose & Adverse Effects
- Understand some of the common myths around opioid overdose.
- Be able to recognize the signs of overdose and of actions to take in different circumstances
- Understand when and how to intervene in overdose situations.
Naloxone Administration
- Understand where to obtain naloxone for clients
- Understand the different formulations of naloxone available
- Understand the difference between someone who is ‘on the nod’ or overdosing and the appropriate time to administer naloxone.
DAY TWO – Thursday 27 March 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM
Introduction to Pharmacotherapy
- Be aware of the pharmacotherapy options available to PWUD in Victoria.
- Understand how to access pharmacotherapy in Victoria.
- Be aware of Victoria’s “broken system”
Working Effectively with people who use drugs
- Understand barriers to effectively working with people who use drugs (PWUD), in particular, people who inject drugs (PWID)
- Understand and challenge the ‘gateway drug’ theory.
- Understand common myths about PWID, the effects of criminalisation, and the stigma on the health of PWUD
Stigma & Discrimination
- Understand how stigma and discrimination act as a barrier in healthcare settings.
- Understand how frameworks of morality and social discourse frame our understanding of drug use.
- Understand how we can all contribute to eliminating stigma and discrimination in ourselves and our services
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including workers employed under the AOD Traineeship Program.
Who is not eligible?
Workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Please ensure you can commit to attending both days before enrolling for this training.
Date:
DAY ONE – Wednesday 26 March 2025, 1:00PM – 5:00PM
DAY TWO – Thursday 27 March 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM
Location: Online
Description: Harm Reduction Masterclass: learn the principles and best practice with peer expert trainers from Harm Reduction Victoria. Learn alongside our living experience trainers about what clients who use drugs really want and need from our services. There are 7 modules delivered over 2 half-days online, with each one designed to give you a basic understanding of each topic. There is an activity that needs to be completed before attending the second day of training. Participants will receive details via email the week before the training.
Details
DAY ONE – Wednesday 26 March 2025, 1:00PM – 5:00PM
Harm Reduction 101
- Understand the history of harm reduction in Victoria & Australia.
- Understand the National Drug Strategy policy of Harm Minimisation and how Harm Reduction fits into this policy.
- Understanding the Substance, Set and Setting principles as a way to understand an individual’s drug experience.
Safer Injecting
- Understand safer injecting practices, including injecting sites; using a tourniquet, and infection & Blood Borne Virus risk.
- Understand the circulatory system and the difference between veins and arteries.
- Understand through “hands-on” demonstration the drug mixing up the process and the transmission risk points during the process.
Drug Overdose & Adverse Effects
- Understand some of the common myths around opioid overdose.
- Be able to recognize the signs of overdose and of actions to take in different circumstances
- Understand when and how to intervene in overdose situations.
Naloxone Administration
- Understand where to obtain naloxone for clients
- Understand the different formulations of naloxone available
- Understand the difference between someone who is ‘on the nod’ or overdosing and the appropriate time to administer naloxone.
DAY TWO – Thursday 27 March 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM
Introduction to Pharmacotherapy
- Be aware of the pharmacotherapy options available to PWUD in Victoria.
- Understand how to access pharmacotherapy in Victoria.
- Be aware of Victoria’s “broken system”
Working Effectively with people who use drugs
- Understand barriers to effectively working with people who use drugs (PWUD), in particular, people who inject drugs (PWID)
- Understand and challenge the ‘gateway drug’ theory.
- Understand common myths about PWID, the effects of criminalisation, and the stigma on the health of PWUD
Stigma & Discrimination
- Understand how stigma and discrimination act as a barrier in healthcare settings.
- Understand how frameworks of morality and social discourse frame our understanding of drug use.
- Understand how we can all contribute to eliminating stigma and discrimination in ourselves and our services
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including workers employed under the AOD Traineeship Program.
Who is not eligible?
Workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
*This course is now full*
Date: Tuesday, 15th April 2025 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Online
Description:
This half day workshop provides AOD workers with information and strategies to work with clients who have histories of trauma and substance use. The workshop covers frameworks of trauma, its impact on the brain, the link between trauma and addiction, and recommended treatment approaches when working with this cohort.
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including those under the AOD Traineeship Program.
Who is not eligible?
Workers from other community sectors such as Family Violence, Homelessness and Mental Health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Description
The aim of the Doing Difference Differently Reflective Practice sessions is to provide a safe, supported, reflective space to dive deeper into implementing intersectionality in practice, using peer learning models and case studies.
Practitioners will be invited to:
- Explore and navigate case studies/practice issues/incidents together fusing an intersectional lens and utilising tools provided in the training (e.g. Power Matrix, Peer Support Model).
- Raise questions arising from training modules for further discussion and learning.
- Develop critical thinking/analysis through cases/video/stimulus materials provided by facilitators if time permits.
Prerequisite to this course
Students are required to complete the Doing Difference Differently self-paced learning unit.
To access the learning unit, go to Self-Paced E-Learning and click on Doing Difference Differently E-Learn. Enrol in the unit by clicking on ENROL NOW and change it to I’m Going). Go to your dashboard and access the unit from MY COURSES.
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers and workers participating in the AOD Traineeship Program.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health, and AOD workers outside of Victoria. Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Date: Tuesday, 17th December 2024 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Online
Description:
This half day workshop provides AOD workers with information and strategies to work with clients who have histories of trauma and substance use. The workshop covers frameworks of trauma, its impact on the brain, the link between trauma and addiction, and recommended treatment approaches when working with this cohort.
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health, and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Date: Monday, 9th December 2024 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Online
Description:
This half-day workshop will build and strengthen core knowledge and skills in understanding and maintaining professional boundaries, specifically when working with clients with alcohol and other drug issues. This will include:
- Understanding professional boundaries
- Strategies to prevent and respond to boundary challenges
- Consideration of specific boundary issues to different AOD treatment roles, including lived experience roles
- The use of technology
- Selfcare
This workshop will use case based discussion throughout to ensure knowledge and skills taught are relevant to the AOD workforce.
Key learning outcomes:
- Understand professional boundaries and their maintenance
- Recognise and respond to boundary challenges
- Build your own toolkit of practitioner specific boundary maintenance strategies, including managing technology
- Recognise your own and your colleagues’ warning signs and challenging client presentations
- Enhance your self care skills and know when to debrief and access further support
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health, and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Date: Thursday, 14th November 2024 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Online
Description:
This is a core skills workshop suitable for new practitioners and as a refresher for experienced and advanced practitioners.
In this one-day workshop, participants will gain core motivational interviewing skills and a deep understanding of the spirit and philosophy of motivational interviewing to adapt it to any client or situation.
Motivational interviewing is an essential skill that has powerful impacts on change. We use demonstrations, clinical anecdotes and practice so participants walk away with real skills they can apply immediately to their alcohol and other drug work.
Key learning outcomes:
- Find out what really motivates people to change so staff know exactly what to target in their work with clients
- Understand motivational interviewing theory and processes to quip staff with a solid framework to work form
- Build and strengthen core motivational interviewing skills and strategies, adaptable to any situation
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers and workers participating in the AOD Traineeship Program.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, mental health, and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Date: Wednesday, 25th June 2025, 9:30AM – 4:30PM
Location: Online (Link will be sent to you closer to the training date)
Description
This session will cover how workers can provide effective brief intervention support to young people unwilling to engage in more traditional, clinical or intensive AOD support. The workshop will also cover other experiential and novel ways to work with young people when traditional approaches aren’t fit for purpose.
Learning Objectives:
- What are and when can we use AOD Brief Interventions with young people
- Experiential and novel approaches to supporting young people experiencing AOD issues
- Exploring creative and tailored ways to meet the needs of young people experiencing AOD issues
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.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
