Development of community based Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) workers in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to document community development initiatives undertaken to address substance misuse issues in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT). This paper is describing work in progress that primarily focuses on the early stage of an evolving community development process to provide alcohol and drug services, particularly in the “treatment” domain, in remote NT communities. Treatment in this context refers to counselling and various support and caring activities, which can take place in a variety of settings, such as a residential facility, a health clinic, a women's or community drop-in centre. The context is community development as the paper explores options to address a community defined need to have effective alcohol and other drug programs available to people living in remote communities.