Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Early Intervention Innovation Fund

In June 2016 the NSW Government announced the $75 million NSW Drug Package to tackle drug misuse in our communities. Over four years, the investment focussed on supporting more young people, more people into treatment and more families.

As part of the NSW Drug Package, funding of $8 million over four years was provided to help build the evidence base for early intervention models to support people at risk with a particular focus on young people with problematic alcohol and other drug use. The fund consisted of two grant schemes.

Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Evaluation Grants Scheme (EGS)

Grants under this scheme focused on building the capacity of NGOs to evaluate existing programs to build the evidence base and ultimately improve program delivery. Grants were for $30,000 to $150,000 over two years.

AOD Innovation Grants Scheme (IGS)

Grants under this scheme were for NGO's and their partners, including the NSW Health system to specifically drive early intervention innovation with a specific focus on vulnerable young people. Grants of $50,000 to $1 million over two years are awarded with the purpose of testing innovative approaches to prevention, early intervention, harm reduction and aftercare / relapse prevention.

Round 1 grant recipients

NGO Evaluation Grants (Round 1)

Chief investigator Host organisation Project title ​Status 
Mark Ferry Ted Noffs Foundation

Evaluation of Ted Noffs Foundation Street University Program.

 Evaluation of Street University Engagement Program Summary Report

 Evaluation of the Street University Engagement Program Final Report

Completed
Mark Buckingham Kedesh Rehabilitation Services

Client directed care: an evaluation of the new client centred care model used at Kedesh Rehabilitation Services

 Client Directed Care Summary Report

The  systematic literature review found that there is a relationship between patient-centred indicators and outcomes for people receiving treatment, however conclusions are limited owing to under representation of patient reported experience measures.  

​Completed
Sarah Lambert ACON

Supporting best practice for sexual and gender minority AOD clients: Evaluation of ACONs Substance Support Service

ACON Substance Support Service Evaluation

The paper  Treatment outcomes of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer alcohol and other drug counselling service in Australia: A retrospective analysis of client records  provides further information on ACON's AOD client outcomes.

​Completed
Gabriella Holmes Mission Australia

Evaluating the effectiveness of a modified Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) group program in treating adolescents and young adults experiencing substance misuse

DBT Group Program Summary Report

​Completed
Julie Babineau Odyssey House

Program evaluation - Odyssey House

Odyssey House Residential Rehabilitation Summary Report 

Odyssey House Residential Rehabilitation Final Evaluation Report

​Completed

 AOD Innovation Grants (Round 1)

Chief investigator Host organisation Project title Status
Ryan McGlaughlin SMART Recovery

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) plus feedback in SMART Recovery Australia: a feasibility study examining SMART ROM

Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) in SMART Recovery Summary Report

Several papers have been published on SMART ROM including:

Completed
Julaine Allan

Lives Lived Well

(formerly Lyndon Community)

Feasibility of adolescent AOD interventions in Headspace centres

AOD interventions for young people in Headspace Centres Summary Report 

Outpatient psychosocial substance use treatments for young people: An overview of reviews details evidence on substance disorder interventions for young people.

​Completed
Andy Biddle (Former CI: Gerrard Byrne) The Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust

A randomised controlled trial of a continuing care telephone intervention following residential substance abuse treatment

Continuing Care Telephone Intervention Summary Report

​Completed
Adrian Dunlop &​ Kate Hall Hunter New England Local Health District

ERIC (Emotion Regulation and Impulse Control): a sustainable program for vulnerable young people with AOD mental health issues

Emotion Regulation and Impulse Control Summary Report

Emotion Regulation and Impulse Control Final Report

An Emotion Regulation and Impulse Control (ERIC) Intervention for Vulnerable Young People: A Multi-Sectoral Pilot Study is the published paper, and Emotion Regulation and Impulse Control (ERIC) provides access to the ERIC manual.

​Completed

NGO Evaluation Grants (Round 2)

​Chief Investigator ​Host Organisation ​Project Title ​Status

Denis McNamara

(Former CI: Jim Finnane)

​Building Trades Group Drug and Alcohol Program

​An evaluation of a workplace alcohol and drug harm reduction program

Workplace AOD Harm Reduction Program Summary Report

Workplace AOD Harm Reduction Program Final Report

​Completed
​Mindy Sotiri ​Community Restorative Centre NSW

​Exploring the efficacy of specialist long-term community based AOD outreach support for people leaving prison

AOD Outreach Support for People Leaving Prison Summary Report

AOD Outreach Support for People Leaving Prison Final Report

​Completed
​Anna Thompson (Former CI: Julaine Allan) ​Lives Lived Well

​An evaluation of Computerised Cognitive Remediation Therapy for people in residential treatment for substance dependence

Cognitive Remediation Therapy in Substance Use Treatment Summary Report

Implementing cognitive remediation in substance use treatment: The impact of staff perceptions and Feasibility and pilot efficacy of cognitive remediation for people in residential substance use treatment provides further published articles about the project.

​Completed

​Mardi Diles

(Former CI: Kate Fitzmaurice)

​Weave Youth and Community Services Inc.

​Speak Out - an independent evaluation of the Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program at Weave Youth and Community Services

Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program Summary Report

Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program Final Report

​Completed

AOD Innovation Grants (Round 2)

​Chief Investigator ​Host Organisation ​Project Title Status​​
​Nadine Ezard ​St Vincent's Health Network

​Feasibility and efficacy of the S-Check App: A harm reduction and early intervention smartphone application for methamphetamine use

St Vincent's S-Check App Summary Report

​June 2020
 
The Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies (NADA) administered the 'NADA Service Development Grant Round 2'. The purpose of round two of NGO Service Development Grant Program (the Program) was to support NGOs funded by NSW Health for the delivery of AOD treatment services to engage in projects designed to increase service capacity regarding access, equity and safety for people seeking and engaging in AOD treatment. The two different streams for the projects were:
  • Projects designed to improve the access, orientation to and safety while in, AOD treatment
  • Projects that focus on improving access and equity regarding a specific target population

The NADA has published the Service Development Grants Round 2 Final Report which provides an overview of the range of initiatives that non-government alcohol and other drug services were funded under the two streams. NADA has also produced a series of webinars on the AOD Early Intervention and Innovation Fund (EIIF) grant rounds.

Other research funding

Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS) funds research projects that will translate into better patient outcomes, health service delivery, and population health and wellbeing.

The scheme provides grants to staff within local health districts, speciality health networks, NSW Ambulance and NSW Health Pathology. The Scheme is designed to build research capacity and accelerate evidence translation within the NSW public health system.

Unlike previous years, the latest round (Round 6) does not have specific research themes.

For more about NSW Health medical research, visit NSW Health Medical & Health Research.

More information

All enquiries should be directed to MOH-AODGrants@health.nsw.gov.au

Current as at: Monday 17 January 2022