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Playing a Part in Recovery and
Reintegration: The Koori Drug
Diversion Forensic Coordinator
Presenters
Belinda Baker- Koori Forensic Drug
Diversion Coordinator ACSO
Heather Carmichael- COATS Manager
ACSO
Amanda Bladen- Senior Manager Clinical
Services
ACSO- Australian Community
Services Organisation
Our Vision
A safe and inclusive community, freed of crime and prisons.
Our Mission
We help people transition from prison, assist them in the
community, stop them from re-offending and divert others
from committing crime.
Our Ethos
“Create another chance”
COATS- Community Offenders, Advice and
Treatment Services
The Link Between the Justice System and Drug
Treatment Services
COATS
Justice System
Treatment Agency
Arrest
Key Pathways through
the justice system
Charged
Bail 2
The principal
points of
referral into the
forensic AOD
system are
marked one
through to four.
CREDIT /
CISP Bail 2
Remand
Sentencing
Incarceration
Community
Disposition 3
Parole 4
Exit
Towards a New Framework for Forensic Alcohol
and Other Drug Treatment in Victoria
Caution
Issued 1
No Conviction or
Sentenced without
Treatment
Under reported Over represented!
Koori women now comprise the fastest
growing segment of the Victorian prison
population.
It costs over
$652 per
day (or
$237,980
annually) to
imprison one
young person,
it costs $1000
for an episode
of Drug
Counselling
Indigenous persons make
up 26 per cent of the
prisoner population yet only
constitute 2.5 per cent of
the Australian population
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human
Rights Commission report Unfinished Business,
finds the number of Koori women in jail has
doubled over the past five years
Country
What am I trying to do?
•
•
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•
Keep Aboriginal clients out of prison
Break the cycle
Strengthen community
Identify gaps in the system
Improve capacity of mainstream services to work
with Aboriginal clients
• Improve Service delivery for Aboriginal clients
Whose making a difference?
• Department of Health funded drug
treatment services
• Justice Services
• KDDW- Koori Drug Diversion Workers
• Koori Court (2002)
• Aboriginal co-op’s
• Aboriginal Specific Drug Treatment
• Telkaya
Our Partners
How is it working?
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•
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Victoria Police- Drug Diversion
Workforce development
Identifying gaps
Linking the networks
Building the bridge – connecting services
Leanings and Opportunities?
• Removal from country
• Access to Drug Treatment
• Reporting and data collection
– Penelope
• System silos
Questions?
www.acso.org.au