QNADA

Stepping Stones Program for Families In Ipswich
2025-11-01 - 2025-11-09
Family Drug Support (FDS) is pleased to announce our upcoming Stepping Stones Program – a unique, internationally recognised, and award-winning program designed specifically for families impacted by a loved one’s alcohol or other drug use.
About the program

A 4-day course, delivered across two weekends.
Experiential and psycho-educational, combining lived experience with practical strategies.
Provides tools to promote healing, coping, and resilience in families.
Tailored to each family’s unique journey.
Often described by participants as a “life course.”

Program details
📍 Location: White Rock Community Centre – 37 Foley Way White Rock QLD 4306
📅 Dates: 1,2 and 8,9 November 2025
⏰ Times: 9:30am- 4:30pm
Cost
The program itself is free to attend, with a small cost associated with resources:

FDS family membership: $30 per year (per family)
Stepping Stones workbook: $40 each

QuIVAA Peer Community of Practice
2025-10-07 13:00 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane)
QuIVAA’s Community of Practice for Peers – a safe, welcoming, and empowering space tailored for AOD Peer Workers who incorporate lived and living experience into their work.
Last year’s CoP was a huge success, providing a powerful opportunity for peers to connect, share, and grow. This year, QuIVAA are inviting past participants to continue building that momentum, while also welcoming new peers eager to find their community.

The Community of Practice is more than just a meeting – it’s a place where peer workers come together for support, professional development, and collaboration. Each session offers a chance to explore how lived experience can enhance your work, while connecting with others who truly understand the unique challenges and victories of this role.
Register here

Community of Practice for Team Leaders/Supervisors
2025-08-12 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-05-13 13:00 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane)
QuIVAA is excited to announce the return of our Community of Practice, now specifically designed for Team Leaders and Supervisors of AOD Peer Workers, whether they identify as peers or oversee peer teams.
Building on the incredible success of last year’s Community of Practice, this iteration offers a safe, welcoming, and empowering space for peer leaders to connect, share, and grow. Past participants are invited to continue building on the momentum from last year, while we warmly welcome new leaders eager to find their community.
This isn’t just a meeting – it’s a collaborative space where peer leaders can support one another, develop professionally, and explore strategies to incorporate lived and living experience into their supervisory roles. Each session provides an opportunity to address challenges, celebrate successes, and strengthen the peer workforce by leveraging the unique insights of those who lead it.
Register here

QuIVAA Community of Practice for Peers
2025-07-09 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-04-09 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-01-14 13:00 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane)

NADA Conference 2025: Strength in Community – Building a Brighter, Kinder Future
2025-06-05 - 2025-06-06
The NADA Conference 2025 will be held on 5–6 June in Sydney, bringing together delegates from across NSW, the broader Australian alcohol and other drug sector and other health and human services. This event will showcase interventions designed to improve outcomes for clients, engage with the latest evidence, and provide valuable networking opportunities. The conference promises to be an insightful and collaborative experience focused on building a stronger, kinder future for the AOD sector and beyond.
Register now – NADA

AADANT Conference 2025 "Voices of Change - Leading the Way"
2025-05-13 - 2025-05-14 | George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, Gilruth Ave & Gardens Rd, The Gardens, NT, 0820, Australia
Event description

The AADANT Conference 2025, scheduled for 13-14 May 2025 at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, offers a unique platform for sponsors to engage with professionals, researchers, and community leaders working in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector. This key event is designed to foster collaboration, share innovative practices, and drive progress in the areas of AOD treatment, harm reduction, mental health, and policy reform.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Voices of Change”, and it will focus on the most pressing issues and emerging trends in the sector.

FDV Capability in MHAOD Services: An overview of baseline capability of the MHAOD sector in Queensland
2025-04-03 10:00 - 13:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
QNADA is excited to announce we are hosting an online statewide forum on Family and Domestic Violence Capability in Mental Health and Alcohol and other Drug services. This forum will provide an overview of the baseline FDV capability of the MHAOD sector in Queensland, with presentations and panel discussions with experts leading the way in this space.
This work is intended to implement Recommendation 19 from the recent Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce Hear her Voice Report One (2021) (WSJT Report 1) and previous recommendations from the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board. The findings and recommendations of these reports highlight the importance of MHAOD services having a better understanding of their role in responding to domestic and family violence and its impact.
Email in**@*******rg.au to register your attendance.

WANADA Conference 2025 - “Pathways, Systems, Strategies”
2025-03-05 - 2025-03-07 | Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, 46-54 Marine Terrace, Fremantle, WA, 6160, Australia
WA Alcohol and Other Drug Conference 2025

WANADA warmly invites you to join us for the WA Alcohol and Other Drug Conference 2025. This year’s theme, “Pathways, Systems, Strategies,” invites innovative and impactful contributions that address:

Engaging Lived/Living Experience
Fostering Inclusive Practice
Identifying and Responding to Complexity
Strengthening Partnerships for a Systemic Response
Being Future-Focused

WANADA are pleased to have Hope Community Services as their Presenting Partner and to be delivering the conference in partnership with the National Drug Research Institute. The conference will offer a unique opportunity to promote a shared voice, encouraging sector partnership and solidarity as we work towards a whole-of-community approach to alcohol and other drug issues.

QuIVAA Community of Practice for Team Leaders/Supervisors
2025-02-19 13:00 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane)

VAADA Conference 2025 | From Challenges to Solutions: Responding to a Changing World
2025-02-13 - 2025-02-14 | Grand Hyatt Melbourne, 123 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
VAADA Conference 2025 | From Challenges to Solutions: Responding to a Changing World
Event description

**Early Bird Tickets Close 1st December**
One of the best Victorian AOD events on the calendar, it gives us great pleasure to invite you to our 2025 Biennial Conference!
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne, Thursday 13 – Friday 14 February 2025

From Challenges to Solutions: Responding to a Changing World

About the theme:
As the world rapidly changes, the AOD sector faces new challenges: budget constraints and rising debt, vaping, climate change, gaming addiction, misinformation, artificial intelligence (AI), novel synthetic drugs, geopolitical instability, and post-COVID shifts in how we live and work. These forces challenge the very foundations on which AOD services and the broader social and community services sector operate.
Does the AOD sector need to pivot or drastically innovate to keep up with a rapidly changing future, or does the “AOD toolbox” already have what it needs? Are we prepared for what’s to come?
2025’s Conference will peer into the future and explore what’s on the horizon for the sector.
Get your tickets now before they sell out!
To access discounted tickets, click here to find out if your organisation is a VAADA Member.

Family Drug Support Workshop
2024-12-06 09:45 - 15:30 (Australia/Brisbane) | Twin Rivers Centre, 104 River Hills Rd, EAGLEBY, QLD, 4207
Free education for families and friends, delivering practical information and strategies to those supporting someone using alcohol and other drugs.

Webinar Methamphetamine treatment: new and upcoming research - National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs
2024-11-27 11:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
This webinar is for:
• Researchers
• Clinicians
• People who use methamphetamine
This webinar will cover:
• current treatment options in Australia and around the world
• current research into new treatments for methamphetamine use
• future research into methamphetamine treatment
It will feature an expert panel discussion with clinicians, researchers
and representatives with lived/living experience, and a live Q&A.
Speakers:
▪ Dr Liam Acheson (NCCRED)
▪ Prof Nadine Ezard (NCCRED)
▪ Prof Victoria Manning (Monash Uni)
▪ Wendy Williams (SVHA)
The link to register is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8817296380717/WN_MDSYaMSERh-dLsZZX5n18Q

Stepping Stones Toowoomba 4 Day Course
2024-11-23 09:30 - 2024-11-24 16:00 (Australia/Brisbane) | Toowoomba City Library, Level 3, 155 Herries St, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia
4 DAY COURSE for family members and friends supporting loved ones with AOD use.
Course provides support and information to improve their own wellbeing and improve outcomes and needs of everyone.
23rd- 24th of November 2024 (Saturday & Sunday)
9.30 am – 4.00 pm
each day
FDS Members $40 for workbook
Non-members $70 (includes annual membership)

Stepping Stones Toowoomba 4 Day Course
2024-11-16 09:30 - 2024-11-17 16:00 (Australia/Brisbane) | Toowoomba City Library, Level 3, 155 Herries St, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia
4 DAY COURSE for family members and friends supporting loved ones with AOD use.
Course provides support and information to improve their own wellbeing and improve outcomes and needs of everyone.
16th-17th of November 2024 (Saturday & Sunday)
9.30 am – 4.00 pm
each day
FDS Members $40 for workbook
Non-members $70 (includes annual
membership)

Volunteering for Family Drug Support 2 day training course
2024-11-16 09:00 - 2024-11-17 16:30 (Australia/Brisbane) | Family Drug Support, 3 Robinson Rd Nundah, QLD, Brisbane, QLD, 4012, Australia
FDS are seeking volunteers for their National Support Line, that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Some benefits of volunteering for FDS:
· Learn and apply practical skills
· Practical experience for your resume
· Opportunity to give back to your community
· Ongoing support and education in your work with FDS
· Phone shifts from your own home
Day One: Introduction to Family Drug Support and Services
A basic introduction into Alcohol and Other Drugs
Triggers, assumptions, biases
Stages of Change
Day Two: Active listening skills
Communication skills
Procedures and Responsibilities
Management of call, including difficult callers
Day Three (optional): Group facilitator skills
Group safety and time management
Challenging group members
FDS Requirements:
Commitment to one shift every 3 weeks for a minimum of 12 months
Attendance at our yearly residential volunteer weekend
FDS Membership ($30 per calendar year)
Telephone Volunteer Manual ($30)
Visit their website to register your interest: https://www.fds.org.au/volunteers-training/volunteer-training/vol-training-qld
OR please contact James Lomas on 0448 169 205 or our head office on (02) 4782 9222

Introduction to Drug and Alcohol First Aid
2024-11-15 08:00 - 17:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
Lives Lived Well will be offering Drug and Alcohol First Aid training in Far North Queensland in early 2025. An information sheet about the training is attached. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion following the workshop.
********Please note – The date listed above is not the workshop date**********
Please contact Clare Thompson, Drug and Alcohol First Aid Coordinator, if you would like to discuss organising a workshop for your team on 0461 293 352 or at cl************@****************rg.au.

Support The Family - Improve The Outcome Workshop
2024-10-04 10:00 - 13:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
Support The Family Improve The Outcome Workshop
Support the Family Improve the Outcome (STFITO) Workshops are primarily for specialist AOD services providing education on anti-oppressive practice to enhance service engagement with families and carers impacted by substance use. Barriers to help-seeking are well documented and include a lack of local availability or knowledge of services, services targeting the drug user rather than family, or a reluctance to seek support due to the shame, fear and stigma surrounding addiction. Resisting stigma and discrimination at a policy, systems and practice level is a constant recommendation for family inclusion and the Support the Family Improve the Outcome workshop is a direct response from FDS to address this barrier.
Central to the curriculum of STFITO is a curated program outlining the impact of stigma and discrimination for families, with the aim to increase an understanding of the experience for families applying the FDS ‘Stages of Change for Families’ model. The workshop offers a series of coping and resilience strategies to offset the stress and strain that families experience, and explores how to engage with families to establish a better understanding of their situations and experiences in relation to problematic use of AOD within the family unit.
The in-service STFITO workshop focuses on understanding and identifying what individual triggers, assumptions and biases exist with the intention to combat stigma and discrimination towards families and carers. There is evidence that demonstrates when family support is provided, better outcomes are achieved as the family is a key resource in harm avoidance and treatment effectiveness strategies. The workshop assists in defining the family unit and the different ways in which people access support. The workshop identifies ‘what are the needs of families in their unique circumstances and ‘what are their expectations’ and presents strategies for constructive service engagement with families.
Engaging with families & carers of a person who has alcohol and/or other drug dependence.
Family Drug Support (FDS) has developed a highly successful model for supporting families & carers affected by someone’s problematic substance use.
Workshop Outcomes:

Gain knowledge of successful ‘Models of Change’ for supporting families affected by someone’s drug issues.

Identify the 5 stages that families experience and effective ways to respond.

Learn how to communicate more effectively with families in a professional situation.

Develop clearer understanding and gain skills to assist families to build resilience and improve the outcome for both the person with the drug issue and the family.

Recognise the benefit of psycho-social education for a family, in relation to the significant barriers

2024 Australian Winter School Conference
2024-08-21 - 2024-08-23 | Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Southbank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Australian Winter School is an opportunity to catch up with colleagues from across the alcohol and other drugs and related sectors. At Winter School you’ll be part of the conversation about innovations in evidence informed treatment, policy, and system reform. ​Winter School’s expert speakers, presentations, and workshops provide delegates with the knowledge, tools, and solutions to implement in the real world.
Click here for more details

2024 ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY
2024-07-24 10:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
Family Drug Support will again be recognising lives lost to drugs
and alcohol by marking the Annual Remembrance Day – an
international event with ceremonies held all around the world.
Click on the image below for details

Webinar - Alcohol use in older adulthood: Physiological impacts and effective treatment options
2024-05-28 13:30 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane) | Online
The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to develop a series of on-demand webinars on evidence-based practice. Our webinars are freely available and focus on building capacity in relation to evidence-based practice approaches to the management and treatment of co-occurring alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health conditions.
Presented by: Associate Professor Louise Mewton (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney)
This webinar will provide attendees with a practical understanding of:

The physiological impacts of alcohol use on older adults
The impact of alcohol use on the brain of older adults, including the relationship between alcohol use, cognitive impairment and dementia
Effective approaches for treating harmful alcohol use in older adults

Register via website below

Webinar - How to work therapeutically with individuals involved in the criminal justice system
2024-04-30 13:30 - 14:30 (Australia/Brisbane) | Online
The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to develop a series of on-demand webinars on evidence-based practice. Our webinars are freely available and focus on building capacity in relation to evidence-based practice approaches to the management and treatment of co-occurring alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health conditions.
Presented by: Clara Fritchley (PhD candidate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Clinical Psychologist)
By the end of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

Recognise the challenges that arise when addressing the mental health needs of individuals involved in the criminal justice system
Understand how to conduct multi-layered case formulations to guide therapeutic work with individuals with mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system
Identify core clinical skills necessary for successful therapeutic work with individuals with mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system

Register via website below

SMART Recovery Training
2024-03-13 - 2024-03-14
Scholarship Applications for 2024 are now open for training and membership. Follow the link below to register your interest.

SMART Recovery Brisbane Facilitator Training (F2F)
2023-06-07 08:00 - 2023-06-08 17:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
SMART Recovery face to face training helps people who want to help others with problematic and addictive behaviours, by training them to deliver SMART’s 4-point program and supporting them to set up and run their own SMART Recovery group. SMART Training allows you to reach more clients with a program that works for any problematic behaviour or substance dependency.
SMART Recovery’s foundational training is a 2 day experiential and interactive training. It teaches you the framework and tools and techniques of the SMART Recovery program. With guidance, participants are given the opportunity to practice their skills in facilitating a SMART group.

Webinar: Dopamine Nation - Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Dr Anna Lembke
2023-05-16 08:00 - 17:00 (Australia/Brisbane)
Join us for this one of webinar where we get the opportunity to chat to Anna Lembke, MD. Anna is Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she is the author of more than a hundred peer-reviewed publications, has testified before the United States House of Representatives and Senate, has served as an expert witness in federal and state opioid litigation, and is an internationally recognized leader in addiction medicine treatment and education. In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic (Zuger, 2018). Dr. Lembke appeared in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives. Her latest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021) was an instant New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and has been translated into 25 languages. It combines the neuroscience of addiction with the wisdom of recovery to explore the problem of compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.
Register now for this free webinar!

2023 International Women's Day
2023-03-08
UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day theme for 2023 is ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future’.
Based on the priority theme for the United Nations 67th Commission on the Status of Women – Cracking the Code highlights the role that bold, transformative ideas, inclusive technologies, and accessible education can play in combatting discrimination and the marginalisation of women globally.
For more information and local events, please refer to UN Women Australia’s website www.unwomen.org.au

Giving Birth to Change: A SMART Recovery FASD Webinar
2023-01-30 11:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Sydney) | https://smartrecoveryaustralia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B5LkEivgRMCBYe_4IJEbsg
Giving birth to change: The personal journey of a FASD mother

Angelene Bruce is a lived experience expert for FARE and NOFASD Australia. She is also a member of the Victorian FASD Special Interest Group and a fierce advocate for FASD awareness and prevention.
Ange has lived experience of alcohol and poker machine addiction. She is also the biological mother to a child with diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Ange is passionate about FASD awareness and ending the stigma faced by all women who have consumed any alcohol at any stage during their pregnancies with an emphasis on physically dependent women under a strict no blame no shame policy.
Ange has been featured on Channel 10’s The Project, been a guest on multiple podcasts, participated media print articles and is a mentor / coach to parents and caregivers of children with FASD all over the world.
Join us for a first in SMART Recovery’s history and hear her share her amazing and inspiring journey.

Time

Jan 30, 2023 11:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Supporting Family and Friends: SMART Recovery Panel discussion webinar
2022-12-13 10:00 - 11:00 (Australia/Brisbane) | Online
This webinar will run as a panel discussion and we will hear the perspectives of Family and Friends, Facilitators and Participants whom are currently or have journeyed through the Family and Friends program. Please join us for a one of event that will hope to inspire, encourage and explore the positive impacts this program.
