
SANDAS SYMPOSIUM
2022 SANDAS SYMPOSIUM
The 2022 SANDAS Symposium was held on the 21st of September and featured a great speaker line-up including (click on the speaker’s names to view their slide presentation):
Keynote speaker: Professor Dan Howard SC was the Commissioner of the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’, and delivered his final Report to the Governor and Premier of NSW in January 2020.
Daniel Raffell – Dan is the Senior National Program Manager and Trainer with SMART Recovery Australia.
Paula Ross – Paula is one of Australia’s most experienced alcohol and other drug trainers.
Leigh Garrett – Leigh is the Chief Executive Officer of OARS Community Transitions and the Centre for Restorative Justice (CRJ).
Dina Haifawi – Dina is a registered pharmacist with over ten years’ of experience across various healthcare settings, both in Australia and overseas.
Dr Robyn Layton AO QC & Deb Moyle – Robyn is a former Judge of the Supreme Court Justice in South Australia and is currently a co-chair of Justice Reinvestment SA. Deb is the Program Manager for Tiraapendi Wodli.

FORUMS
SANDAS SA State AOD Treatment Services Forum
This year’s forum was held on the 31st of May at the Adelaide Pavilion. Thanks to everyone who joined us for a morning of networking and information sharing with colleagues. We heard from SANDAS and relevant funding bodies about developments in the AOD sector, as well as the opportunity to participate in a consultation that will inform our work in relation to workforce development.
The slide presentations of our speakers are available below:
Michael White, SANDAS – Drug Law Reform Position Paper
Dr Vicky Cock, DASSA – Managed Alcohol Program
Allan Trifonoff, Adelaide PHN – Workforce Development
The results of the morning’s consultation activities will be made available at the completion of the project.

WORKSHOPS
Port Augusta Workshop:
Responding to Family and Domestic Violence in Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment
presented by 360Edge
This workshop includes:
– Understand DFV, the complex interplay of risk factors and its relationship to AOD use
– Learn effective responses to DFV including screening and assessment, risk and safety planning, assessing readiness to address, and integrating DFV into AOD treatment planning
– Find out how you can effectively work with people who use or experience violence
– Feel comfortable managing special issues such as children, workplace safety, effective referral and self-care
Wednesday 8th June, 9am – 4:30pm
Port Augusta Central Oval
10 Augusta Terrace, Port Augusta
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided.
Register here: https://www.trybooking.com/BZNIP
National Comorbidity Guidelines Training
SANDAS is offering a training program for the Guidelines on the management of co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings (2nd edition).
This training program has been developed by 360Edge and the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use to accompany the Comorbidity Guidelines and an associated online training program (available at www.comorbidityguidelines.org.au). Together, these resources aim to provide alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers with up-to-date, evidence-based information on the management of comorbid mental health conditions in AOD treatment settings. They are based on the best of available evidence and were developed in collaboration with clinicians, researchers, consumers, and carers from across Australia.
The intended outcomes for the training are:
- Increased knowledge and awareness of how to identify, manage and treat co-occurring mental health conditions in AOD treatment settings
- Improved confidence and skills of AOD workers
- Increased utilisation of evidence-based care.
For further information about the training and to register to attend the workshops, please download our Course Information Document.
AODTS NMDS Workshop
Hosted by SANDAS and facilitated by Dr Suzie Hudson, Clinical Director, NADA. This workshop was held on the 12th of October, 2021. The workshop covers the basics of NMDS data collection and addresses some of the common errors and misunderstandings in recording the data.
Click here to view the recording of this workshop.
SANDAS September Seminar Series
Seminar 1 – 7th September, 12pm
Dr Stephen Bright : MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD
Click here to view the recording of this seminar
Click here to download the presentation slides
Seminar 2 – 14th September, 12pm
Dr Tamara Mackean : Constructs of Care and Healing: The Value of First Nations’ Knowledges and Experiences
Click here to view the recording of this seminar
Seminar 3 – 21st September, 12pm
Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes : Challenges and opportunities of decriminalising or legalising illicit drugs in the South Australian context
Click here to view the recording of this seminar
Seminar 4 – 28th September, 12pm
Toni Karlsson and Dr Rachel Sutherland : Emerging Trends in Drug Use and Harms in South Australia, 2021
Click here to view the recording of this seminar

MEETINGS
SANDAS currently provides the following networking opportunities. To enquire about joining any of these networks, please contact sandasinfo@sandas.org.au
Co-Morbidity Network Group
The Co-Morbidity Network Group focuses on connecting Alcohol and Other Drug Programs with the Mental Health sector with the aim of improving outcomes for clients with comorbidities and to share knowledge amongst organisations in these fields. Guest speakers are invited from AOD, Mental Health and other relevant service organisations, and information is shared between workers at the six-weekly meetings.
Membership from workers in the alcohol and other drug or mental health sector is welcome, provided their current role is relevant to the network’s focus. Contact SANDAS for more information.

REFUND POLICY
Refund of registration fees
- If a SANDAS event is cancelled, a full refund of any registration fees paid will be made within 30 days of the cancellation.
- If a registered participant cannot attend an event for any reason, SANDAS should be advised by email at sandasinfo@sandas.org.au or by phone on (08) 8231 8818 as soon as possible. A full refund of registration fees will be made if this advice is received at least ten working days prior to the commencement of the event.
- No refund is payable if cancellation advice is received less than ten working days prior to the commencement of the event. Whilst we understand that personal circumstances or work commitments can change unavoidably at short notice, SANDAS cannot accept responsibility for such changes.
Non-attendance
- No refund is payable if a participant is late for or fails to attend an event.
- Where a person or organisation has registered to attend an event but has not paid fees in advance, they will be liable to pay those fees if they fail to attend without ten working days’ notice.
Substitutions and Transfers
- Where a registered participant cannot attend, they may send a substitute. Requests for substitutions can be made by calling SANDAS on 08 82318818 and can be made at any time up to the event commencement date.
- SANDAS does not offer a facility for registration fees to be transferred to another event.