Employment Opportunities

To view the Employment page for Position Descriptions and Selection Criteria, click here

Service Improvement Leader, Arcadia House - Full time 18 month contract position
Arcadia House is a well respected detoxification and withdrawal service which offers a non-medicated approach to detoxification. The Service Improvement Leader position is in a dynamic and challenging environment. The successful applicant will build and review processes and systems, ensuring compliance with accreditation processes, focusing on quality management, team leadership, best practice detoxification and withdrawal management through the next period of consolidation, development and change of Arcadia House.

The Service Improvement Leader will also provide personnel support, including PMRs and probationary reports, ensuring that supervision and training opportunities are provided to the staff and ensure that the clients fulfil their goals in a safe, professional and holistic service. This position is offered for an initial 18 month period and may be renewed based on performance and with negotiation with the Executive Director
For more info, contact Diedre Hobson on 6122 8000 (leave a message) or

Alcohol and Other Drugs Worker - Part Time 6 Month Contact
The AOD Counsellor provides counselling and support to alcohol and other drug clients who access DIRECTIONS ACT services. The Counsellor provides support on housing, relationships, financial concerns, payments and other issues for our clients. The successful applicant will be able to effectively engage with clients from all walks of life, have excellent professional boundaries, understand the systems, organisations and supports for people with alcohol and other drug issues and be able to work with a small team.
For more info, contact Jason Morressey on 6122 8000 (leave a message) or

General Practitioner - 6 Month Initial Contract
The Althea Wellness Centre seeks sessional General Practitioners who enjoy the challenges of engaging and treating people with alcohol and other drug issues and their families, in an integrated response with the range of other services available at DIRECTIONS ACT. The General Practitioners will work closely with other clinical and non-clinical personnel in the Althea Team to provide the best possible holistic health care in a primary health care setting.
For more info, contact Gen Lai on 6122 8044 (leave a message) or

Programs

COMPASS Support Group for Families
The COMPASS Support Group offers families a supportive environment to discuss issues and learn strategies to manage alcohol and other drug issues.
The facilitators are experienced counsellors at DIRECTIONS ACT and COMPASS meets fortnightly 6pm – 8pm at the Woden Office.
COMPASS aims to help family members navigate through this difficult period, providing information, support and resources, assisting people to manage self care and wellbeing.
To view the events calendar, click here
To view the COMPASS page, click here
Ring: 6122 8000 ask for Bek or Barry

Althea Wellness Centre
The Althea Wellness Centre was officially launched by Ms Katy Gallagher, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health Thursday 12 March 2009

To view the media release, click here
To view a transcipt of the speech made by Carol Mead, Executive Director, DIRECTIONS ACT, click here
To view the WIN TV News video, click here

GP Clinic – Primary Health Care
Althea Wellness Centre has a GP who is available for sessions in the afternoons Monday through Thursday. The Althea Wellness Centre is available to all people with alcohol and other drug issues, DIRECTIONS ACT clients and their families. A Triage Nurse will assist you and take details prior to your appointment with the General Practitioner.

The GP clinic bulk bills people through Medicare with Healthcare cards and charges a small fee for those who do not have these cards in addition to the Medicare Fee. Please ensure that you bring your Medicare card with you, particularly if you will be having tests, such as liver function tests.

Secondary Health Care
The clinic works in a partnership approach with other agencies and organisations to deliver excellence in health and allied health services, so that people are treated with respect and dignity while accessing health services.

To view the Althea page, click here
Ring for Bookings (essential): 6122 8080

Maysoon
Maysoon is an Arabic word meaning ‘women walking proudly’. The program is fully funded through Health Promotion Grants and is offered by DIRECTIONS ACT for women, with young children, who are using alcohol and other drugs or who are in recovery. Pregnant women or women who have children with Care and Protection orders are very welcome.
To view the Maysoon Brochure, click here
To view the events calendar, click here
Ring: 6122 8000 and ask for Ineke

Smart Recovery
Smart Recovery is a program that assists people recover from their addiction regardless of the type of addiction.
This free program runs for 90 minutes and is based on four main areas:

• Motivation to abstain
• Coping with urges
• Problem solving
• Lifestyle balance

To view the Smart Recovery page, click here
To view the events calendar, click here
For more information ring: 6122 8000

Mobile NSP
The Mobile NSP is a white Tarago van with a picture of DRIX on the side. It distributes information and free injecting equipment, which includes specialised equipment such as wheel filters and butterflies.

Currently we provide mobile NSP services at the following locations:

• Tuesdays 9:00am to 11:00am Gungahlin - Carpark on the corner of Ernest Cavanagh & Gozzard Streets
• Thursdays 9:00am to 11:00am Belconnen - Cnr Swanson St & Benjamin Way (Next to Health Centre)
• Fridays 2:00pm to 3:30pm Dickson Centre carpark on the corner of Badham & Antill Streets

To view the events calendar, click here
Ring 6122 800 for more information

New Initiatives

Party Safe
The Party Safe Project will aim to limit the risk behaviours associated with the intake of alcohol which include:

• Binge Drinking
• Drink Spiking
• Unsafe sex and unintended pregnancy
• Violence and assault
• Safety issues and first aid emergencies
• Driving under the influence and car accidents

The Party Safe Project provides the following services, resources and initiatives to young people:

• Party Safe information focused on being party safe and making wise decisions when drinking
• Safe sex packs
• Safe partying information
• Bottled water
• First aid courses
• Referrals into counselling and youth friendly services

DIRECTIONS ACT is proud to be in partnership with St John Ambulance ACT who will provide Senior First Aid Training to 160 young people in Canberra. This workplace recognised first aid course will contain a party safe module and specifically address the issues that young people may come across. It will certainly raise awareness for safety and offer skills which potentially may save lives.

Party Safe First Aid course dates: To Be Announced

More dates to be posted soon

Ring 6122 8000 and ask for Ineke

To view the Party Safe page, click here
To view the events calendar, click here
To view the State Focus interview video, click here

Other information

Direct News - Our Quarterly Newsletter
To view our Newsletters, click here

On Thursday 12 March, at 9.30am, The Althea Wellness Centre was officially launched by ACT Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health, Ms Katy Gallagher.

Click here to view the media release
Click here to view the opening speech made by Carol Mead, Executive Director, DIRECTIONS ACT

The Althea Wellness Centre meets the needs of people affected by drugs and alcohol, or their immediate family, to access good health care. At DIRECTIONS ACT we believe that good health care is a fundamental human right and people should be able to access health care in an environment of respect and confidentiality.

Friends and guests are invited to celebrate this culmination of 2 years work with us at 9.30am and share cake and coffee afterwards. A tour of DIRECTIONS ACT is also on offer.

The Althea Wellness Centre is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing under the ATS funding and the NGO TGP funding. We thank them for their ongoing support of the centre and its programs.

More information on Althea Wellness Centre

Needle and Syringe Program:

Civic NSP Primary Outlet, Ground Floor, City Health Building, Cnr Moore and Alinga Sts, Canberra City
Phillip NSP Primary Outlet, Side Entrance, Phillip Health Centre, Cnr Keltie and Corrina Sts, Woden

• Wednesday 24 December 2008 9am to 5pm
• Thursday 25 December 2008 (Christmas Day) Closed
• Friday 26 December 2008 (Boxing Day) Closed
• Saturday 27 December 2008 10am to 2pm
• Monday 29 December 2008 Closed
• Tuesday 30 December 2008 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 31 December 2008 9am to 5pm
• Thursday 1 January 2009 (New Years Day) Closed
• Friday 2 January 2009 9am to 5pm

DIRECTIONS ACT Woden office:

• All programs will be closed from Tuesday 23 December 2008
• All programs will recommence Monday 5 January 2009

Arcadia House Withdrawal and Detox Centre:

• Will be taking assessments until Friday 19 December 2008
• All admissions will leave the house by Thursday 18 December 2008
• The centre will reopen Monday 5 January 2009
• Client Admissions will recommence Wednesday 7 January 2009

The Board and the Staff of DIRECTIONS ACT wish wish all our clients, their families and friends a happy and safe Christmas Season and New Year.

Funded by the National Binge Drinking Initiative

DIRECTIONS ACT is proud to announce the funding of $243,000 for the Party Safe Project through a national initiative to deal with the burgeoning binge drinking issue – especially youth binge drinking for people aged 15 – 26. DIRECTIONS ACT is the only community organisation in the ACT to have received the funding, however round two of the funding will be announced shortly.

The launch to announce the funding was held at DIRECTIONS ACT on Tuesday 25th November with Senator Bob McMullan and Jan McLucas speaking regarding this national issue.

Media Releases:

• DIRECTIONS ACT Media Release
• Bob McMullan MP Media Release

Speeches:

• Speech by Carol Mead, Executive Director, DIRECTIONS ACT

The Party Safe Project will aim to limit the risk behaviours associated with the intake of alcohol which include:

• Binge Drinking
• Drink Spiking
• Unsafe sex and unintended pregnancy
• Violence and assault
• Safety issues and first aid emergencies
• Driving under the influence and car accidents

The Party Safe Project will provided the following services, resources and initiatives to young people:

• Party Safe information focused on being party safe and making wise decisions when drinking
• Safe sex packs
• Safe partying information
• Bottled water
• First aid courses
• Referrals into counselling and youth friendly services

DIRECTIONS ACT is proud to be in partnership with St John Ambulance ACT who will provide Senior First Aid Training to 160 young people in Canberra. This workplace recognised first aid course will contain a party safe module and specifically address the issues that young people may come across. It will certainly raise awareness for safety and offer skills which potentially may save lives.

A photo gallery of the Party Safe Funding Announcement is available here

The Annual Report for the 2007/2008 year in now available for download here

All Annual Reports are available here

Our Television Commercial has been placed on Prime Canberra's Community Service Announcement list and will be scheduled periodically and across relevant time zones.

View our Television Commercial Here

DIRECTIONS ACT would like to thank PRIME Television for its support

The Mobile NSP is a white Tarago van with a picture of DRIX on the side. It distributes information and free injecting equipment, which includes specialised equipment such as wheel filters and butterflies. The service will start on Tuesday 23 September 2008 at the locations and times listed below:

• Tuesday 9:00am to 11:00am Gungahlin - Carpark on the corner of Ernest Cavanagh & Gozzard Streets
• Wednesday 9:00am to 11:00am Tuggeranong - Carpark on the corner of Pitman & Cowlishaw Streets (next to the Tuggeranong Health Centre)
• Thursday 4:00pm to 6:00pm Fyshwick - Carpark on the corner of Wollongong & Maryborough Streets
• Friday 2:00pm to 3:30pm Dickson Centre carpark on the corner of Badham & Antill Streets

For detailed maps click Here

The Mobile NSP Van

The DIRECTIONS ACT Mascot "DRIX"

The Spring 2008 edition of our newsletter is now available to download with articles on:

• What is comorbidity?
• Maysoon - Women's and Children's group
• Smart Recovery - Is it for you?
• Arcadia House Case Study
• Mobile NSP hits the streets of Canberra
• When AOD meets Mental Health
• Althea gains a comorbidity specialist
• Althea Mental Health Clinic
• COMPASS Family Support Group
• Christmas Opening Hours
• Self care over Christmas

Download our Spring Newsletter here

Maysoon is an Arabic word meaning ‘woman walking proudly’. The program is fully funded through Health Promotion Grants and is offered by DIRECTIONSACT for women, with young children, who are using alcohol and other drugs or who are in recovery. Pregnant women or women who have children with Care and Protection orders are very welcome.

This brochure contains information on the Maysoon program including:

• What is Maysoon
• What the program includes
• Free Childcare
• Other organisations asked to provide inreach services

Download the Maysoon brochure here

Smart Recovery is a program that assists people recover from their addiction regardless of the type of addiction.

This free program runs for 90 minutes and is based on four main areas:

1. Motivation to abstain
2. Coping with urges
3. Problem solving
4. Lifestyle balance

The main emphasis of the program is on self help peer support with professional assistance provided by staff from DIRECTIONS ACT when required.

The program is run at DIRECTIONS ACT, 1 Bradley St Woden, every tuesday from 10:30am to 1pm

For more information call Barry at DIRECTIONS ACT on 61228000