1.00-2.30pm (AEST) Tuesday 29 September 2026: FASD Across All Systems – Understanding the Intersection of Out of Home Care, Justice and Alcohol & Other Drug Services

Join NOFASD Australia and AADC for a webinar launching a new lived experience FASD resource, featuring carers’ insights on navigating Out-of-Home Care, Justice and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) service systems with practical learnings for professionals, and a live Q&A with lived experience and sector experts.

Who should attend?
This webinar is relevant for professionals, practitioners and frontline workers across the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), Out-of-Home Care (OOHC), Justice, Child Protection, Mental Health, Family Services, Housing and Homelessness, Youth, and Community Services sectors, as well as anyone interested in strengthening support for children and young people with FASD and their families.

Panel details to be announced soon.

Register here.

Previous Events

Check out our YouTube Channel and Spotify Channel for video and audio recordings of all our online events.

1.00-2.30pm (AEST) Thursday 30 July 2026: Harm Reduction: the link between Australia’s new Hepatitis Strategies and the upcoming new National Drug Strategy

This event featured presentations from:

• Rebecca Lang, Chair, AADC and CEO, QNADA – Why Harm Reduction is currently the most undervalued pillar of Australia’s National Drug Strategy

• Lucy Clynes, CEO, Hepatitis Australia – The new National Hepatitis Strategies – Priority Populations and Settings

• Ele Morrison, Deputy CEO, AIVL – How the harm reduction work of AIVL and its member organisations connects the priorities of the National Hepatitis and Drug Strategies

• John Ryan, CEO, Penington Institute – Overview of Penington’s Annual Overdose snapshot and policy implications

• Paul Dessauer, CEO, Peer Based Harm Reduction WA – Peer Based Harm Reduction WA: Case study of the scope of harm reduction work undertaken by peer-based drug user organisations

Plus a panel session and audience Q&A responding to the presentations and elaborating on the event topic.

Find a recording of the event on our YouTube channel.

1.00-2.30pm (AEST) Thursday 25 June 2026: The Increasing Complexity of AOD Work: How AOD work is getting harder, and what that means for pay, conditions and service funding

The nature of AOD work is changing and increasingly AOD services and workers are being required to do more, with less.

This event explored how AOD work has changed since the Modern Awards review in 2012, and the implications this has for service funding, pay and conditions for staff, and outcomes for people seeking AOD treatment.

It also explored how changes proposed as part of the Fair Work Commission’s recent review of the SCHADS Industry Award will likely impact the AOD sector, and the role of AADC and ASU in seeking better outcomes for AOD services and workers moving forward.

Hosted by AADC CEO, Melanie Walker, this event featured presentations, panel discussion and an audience Q&A with:

• Kelly Thomas, National Industrial Director, Australian Services Union
• Dr Robert Stirling, CEO, Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NSW)
• Dr Kirrilly Thompson, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction
• James Dunne, Policy and Projects Coordinator, Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council

1.00-2.00pm (AEDT) Thursday 26 February 2026: FASD-Informed Practice for the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce: Online Skill Building Workshop

Would you like to learn more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in an AOD service context?  Do you want to build your confidence in working with people who have been diagnosed or have possible FASD?

In this webinar, you’ll learn the basics of:

• what is FASD
• how FASD presents in an AOD setting
• FASD screening, adapting your practice and connecting with external supports

Hosted by AADC CEO, Melanie Walker, this practice-focused webinar which gives participants a taste of our comprehensive FASD Informed Practice for the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce online course and features presentations from:

• Sophie Harrington, Chief Executive Officer, NOFASD Australia
• Simone McKenry, Project Support Officer, NOFASD Australia
• James Dunne, Policy and Projects Coordinator, Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council

This webinar also includes a panel Q&A.

View the recording here.

To access the online training module discussed in this webinar, visit NOFASD Australia’s training hub.

The NOFASD Australia screening tool and FASD fact sheet are also available to help you become FASD-informed in your practice.

1.00-2.30pm (AEST) Thursday 11 September 2025: Launch of the FASD-Informed Practice for the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce online training module

AADC, in partnership with NOFASD Australia, is excited to officially launch our new online training course: FASD-Informed Practice for the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce.

Designed to build the capability of the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) workforce, this free, evidence-based course supports AOD professionals to better understand and respond to individuals diagnosed with, or possibly living with undiagnosed, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

This online event launched the module and walked audiences through, the module in more detail and how it can supportAOD sector workers. It featured presentations and a discussion panel with:

• Professor Elizabeth Elliott, Distinguished Professor, Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
• Stephanie Holmes, Executive Officer, Association of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies Northern Territory
• Sophie Harrington, Chief Executive Officer, NOFASD Australia
• Sam Raven, Senior Policy and Project Officer, South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services
• Simone McKenry, Project Support Officer, NOFASD Australia
• James Dunne, Policy and Projects Coordinator, Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council

View a recording of the event here.

As part of this event, AADC, NOFASD Australia and the South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services (SANDAS) has produced a handy resource providing a brief overview of FASD for AOD sector workers.  This is available here.

The FASD-Informed Practice for the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce is now live and available here.

1.00-2.00pm (AEST) Monday 30 June 2025: Supporting Lived and Living Experience Storytelling in the Media: Online Implementation Workshop

Does your organisation receive media requests for stories of lived and living AOD experience? Would you like to promote a safer environment for people with lived and living AOD experience to tell their stories?

Join us for this implementation workshop where we will explore AADC’s recently released Best Practice Guide – and AIVL’s Reporting on Harm Reduction & People Who Use Drugs guide – and discuss ways that these best practices can be implemented in your organisation.

This workshop is ideal for workers across the AOD sector, including those in frontline service delivery and those in media and communication roles.

View a recording of this event here.

1.30-3.00pm (AEDT) Thursday, 27 March 2025: Best Practices for AOD Services in Media Engagement and Lived and Living Experience Storytelling

View a recording of this event here. Find a podcast version here.

This event profiled new resources developed by AADC to support best practices in AOD services when approached by media for access to lived and living experience stories.  You can find these Best Practice Guide here and Position Statement here.

Chaired by AADC CEO, Melanie Walker, and this event featured a panel discussion with:

• Jenny Valentish, journalist, media trainer and the author of addiction memoir Woman of Substances
• Michael White, EO, South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services
• Dr Jackie Hallam, CEO, Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug Council Tasmania
• Ele Morrison, Deputy CEO, Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League
• Jill Rundle, CEO, Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies
  

1pm (AEST) Tuesday, 27 August 2024: Strengthening Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD), Womens’ and Disability Sector Reponses to Gender-Based Violence

View a video recording of the event here. Find a podcast verison on our Spotify channel.

Find speaker presentations below:

• Kimberley Wilde, WA Coordinator, Justice Reform Initiative (then WANADA project lead) and Jill Rundle, CEO, Western Australian Network of Alcohol & other Drug Agencies (WANADA)
• Rebecca Lang, CEO, Queensland Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (QNADA)
• Dr Vanessa Letico PhD, Victoria University, Lecturer in Criminology, College of Law & Justice
• Michele Campbell, Clinical Director, Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (NADA)
• Phoebe, a lived experience advocate in disability and gender-based violence policy, advocacy, and research, based in regional Victoria
• Holly Brennan, CEO, Centre Against Domestic Abuse (CADA) and Board Member, Australian Women’s Health Alliance

See below for links to a range of other resources and supports:

• Brain Injury Awareness Week
• Centre Against Domestic Abuse, including High Risk Team and Women’s Wellbeing Hub
• Women’s Health Hub by the Australian Women’s Health Alliance, including Addressing the Gendered Nature of Violence and its Health Impacts Policy Brief
• ‘Introduction to Gender-Responsive Health’ e-learning course, available on the Australian Women’s Health Alliance e-learning platform

1pm (AEDT), Wednesday 25 October 2023: Alcohol and other drugs, disability and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system: forging new partnerships and pathways to achieve better outcomes

View a recording of this event here. Note that this recording includes Auslan interpreting.

Find speaker presentations below:

• Mick Gentleman MLA, Minister for Corrections, ACT Government
• April Long, Chief Executive Officer, SMART Recovery Australia
• Kymberley McKay, Board Member NOFASD Australia, General Manager at Department Correctional Services, South Australia
• Nicole Hewlett, Project Manager, First Nations Cancer & Wellbeing Research Program, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland
• Jody Barney, Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy Pty Ltd, Senior Fellow with Atlantic Fellows Social Equity and Global Fellow for Social Change, current Churchill Fellow
• Gerard Byrne, President, Australasian Therapeutic Communities Association and Operations Manager, WHOS Treatment Services

1pm, Tuesday 22 August 2023: Applying the new Disability Support Pension Impairment Tables & Navigating Income Support Mutual Obligations for AOD clients – Information for the AOD Sector

View a recording of this event here. Speaker presentations are available here:

• Disability Support Pensions Alex Abel, Branch Manager, Carers, Disability and Student Payments, Australian Government, Department of Social Services
• Mutual obligations for unemployment payment recipients while undertaking drug or alcohol treatment Andrew Wright, Director, Mutual Obligation and Compliance Policy and Dan Lausevic, Director,
  Assessments and Mutual Obligations, Australian Government Department of Employment and
  Workplace Relations (DEWR)

For help regarding Mutual Obligation Requirements, contact the Workforce Australia National Customer Service Line.

Below are links to resources on applying for Disability Support Pensions and navigating Mutual Obligations Requirements:

• Disability Support Pension – Services Australia
• Disability Support Pension information for health professionals – Services Australia
• Disability Support Pension information for health professionals – Assessing functional capacity – Disability Support Pension information for health professionals – Services Australia.
• Disability Support Pension | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au)
• Disability Support Pension – Health Professional Education Resources (servicesaustralia.gov.au)
• Workforce Australia Guidelines – Mutual Obligations Requirements of AOD treatment (excerpt; full guidelines available on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website)

1pm, Tuesday 27 June 2023:  Changes to the Opioid Dependence Treatment program: implications for access and transitional arrangements from 1 July 2023 (co-hosted with the Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League)

View a recording of the event here.

The Department of Health and Aged Care would like to thank participants for their questions. These questions will be considered by the Department and will inform future updates to factsheets and further communications.
Further information about the ODT changes will be published on the ODT website.

A Frequently Asked Questions factsheet has also been made available on the PBS website. This factsheet clarifies detailed questions regarding the ODT reforms which are not addressed in other factsheets.