News

On 13 October, 2016, the Network of Drug and Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (NADA) and the Women’s AOD Network hosted a one day forum to explore strategies for identifying and responding to victims of domestic violence. Professor Ann Roche was the opening keynote speaker at the forum and she explored the complex and at times controversial relationships between AOD use and domestic violence.

Ann’s presentation also examined the available evidence base around best practice strategies and interventions that AOD workers can use to address AOD-related domestic violence. She focused on issues of safety and caution for women and children along with tools that services and frontline workers can utilise when working with offenders, victims or other health and community care workers. This included examples of the types of questions that AOD workers need to ask; strategies for dealing with disclosure of information; and guidelines for sharing information. The presentation also highlighted some of the practical resources that NCETA has produced to assist AOD workers to respond to domestic violence.