VAADA - The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association

As part of the 26-30 Strategic Plan launch, we developed a short video highlighting VAADA's vision and priorities for the coming years: https://ow.ly/eTw150ZczJh

The Strategic Plan outlines four key priorities, which reflect a shared ambition to strengthen impact, amplify the sector’s voice, and improve outcomes for the Victorian community:

🔹Accessible person centered AOD services
🔹Connected and effective system of care
🔹Thriving AOD workforce
🔹Strong and effective peak

Thanks you to Craig Holloway, Yorta Yorta, (VAADA Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporationnal Advisory Committee) and Clare Davies (VAADA Vice President) for theirSelf Help Addiction Resource Centre - SHARCeryone who contributed to the Strategic Plan's development.

At last Friday’s Victorian AOD Service Providers' Conference, the Hon. Ingrid Stitt MP, Minister for Mental Health (Victorian Department of Health) announced the establishment of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Ministerial Advisory Committee (AOD-MAC), as part of the implementation of the Victorian AOD Strategy 2025–35.

The AOD-MAC will provide strategic advice and expert guidance to support innovation, drive reform, and help deliver priority AOD initiatives that improve outcomes for Victorians.

We are pleased to share that VAADA CEO, Chris Christoforou, alongside VAADA Board Members; Professor Dan Lubman AM (Executive Clinical Director, Turning Point), Clare Davies (CEO Self Help Addiction Resource Centre - SHARC) and Dr Stefan Gruenert (CEO Odyssey Victoria) have been appointed members of the Committee.

Chris, Clare, Dan and Stefan will ensure the voice of our members are represented.

👉Read more about the AOD-MAC here: https://ow.ly/kU9u50ZbHhE
👉 Read the full VIC AOD Statewide Action Plan here : https://ow.ly/ejn650ZbHhF

Last Friday, more than 300 AOD sector leaders, practitioners, researchers and partners came together for VAADA’s 2026 Service Providers Conference, Shaping the Future: Culture, Connection and Innovation.

The event provided the perfect opportunity to launch VAADA’s new Strategic Plan 2026-30. This strategy outlines VAADA’s vision and priorities for the coming years.
👉Read the full Strategic Plan here: https://ow.ly/4mzb50ZbCAn

We'd like to thank all our speakers, exhibitors and attendees who contributed to a successful event. The conversations and ideas throughout the day will continue to shape the future of Victoria’s AOD sector!

📹A recording of the sessions held within the Main Plenary is available to view on the VAADA YouTube channel: https://ow.ly/HeIf50ZbCAm

Kicking off the Victorian AOD Service Providers Conference, with the Hon. Minister Stitt.
We celebrated the launch of:
✅ Naloxone Dispensing Machines across Victoria
✅ New services in Footscray
✅ Bourke St health clinic in Melbourne
✅ Expansion of Pharmacotherapy
✅ The Victorian Pill Testing Service
✅ The hydromorphone trial

These services have helped thousands of Victorians reduce harm and seek help with problematic substance use.

In February, VAADA attended and was a proud partner of the First Step’s Futures Forum, where more than 200 people in the sector came together to explore the question 'what do we want our sectors to look like in 25 years?'.

First Step Program has released their resulting Futures Forum Briefing Paper which summarises and focuses the themes addressed on the day, such as:

🔹 Integrated care should be the norm, not the exception
🔹 Lived experience should be embedded in leadership and governance
🔹 Cultural safety should be foundational
🔹 Harm reduction should be understood as healthcare
🔹 Funding should reflect need, not stigma
🔹 Community-led and Aboriginal-led models should be properly resourced

👉 Read the full briefing here: https://ow.ly/yUmH50Z9Oip

The City of Stonington, which includes Prahran, has the 4th highest drug and alcohol related ambulance attendances in Melbourne. VAADA supports organisations like Uniting's Hartley's Meals on Chapel Street, which provides vulnerable members of the community with a safe and warm place to get a meal, connect with others, and access community services.

When speaking to their harm-minimisation approach, Lucien Keene from Better Health Network, whose office is in the heart of Prahran, said it best: “We’re zero stigma, zero judgment in places like this. It can be a nice interaction that does set them up to further engage in the healthcare system”.

👉Read the full article from The Age here: https://ow.ly/fa0C50Z9IKm

🚩For more information about Hartley's, including info on how to volunteer or donate, visit: https://ow.ly/XpmF50Z9IKl

📩 The June edition of the VAADA Monthly Newsletter is here.

👉 Read the full Newsletter here: https://ow.ly/Lcfu50Z7Szj

Our latest Monthly Newsletter is now live, showcasing what’s been happening at VAADA, updates in the family violence and workforce spaces plus articles from Victoria’s broader AOD sector.

🔹 A wrap up of the VAADA event Walking Together: Treaty and the AOD Sector.
🔹 Analysis of the State Budget 2026-2027 and what this looks like for the Victorian AOD sector.
🔹 Official kick off of the first cohort of our Leadership Accelerator Program plus info on the next intake.
🔹 Exhibitors for the Service Providers Conference announced.
🔹 VAADA’s recent engagement with AOD services and networks across Victoria.
🔹 Appointment of VAADA’s Scott Drummond to the HumanAbility Human (Community) Services Industry Advisory Committee.
🔹 Farewell to the lovely Jane Moreton
🔹 Elevate! Updates
🔹 Plus updates and news articles from the sector

🖋️ Subscribe to ENEWS for sector updates and more: https://ow.ly/16FF50Z7Szk

VAADA welcomes the Victorian Department of Health Naloxone Dispensing Machines Trial. Naloxone is a free, easy-to-use medication that can help temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Machines are currently installed at the following locations:
🔹Alfred Emergency and Trauma Centre
🔹Bayside Health, Melbourne and Sunshine Hospital
🔹Western Health, Brimbank

20 more machines will be installed across the state, over the coming months. To learn more about free naloxone and find your closest machine visit https://ow.ly/Z5k950Z608Q

This June, Youth Projects is celebrating Pride Month with a series of inclusive events across Sunshine, Melton, Glenroy, St Albans and Werribee for young people aged 15-24 🏳️‍🌈

Co-designed with their Youth Advisory Group, these events are all about creating safe, welcoming and affirming spaces where young people can connect, celebrate self-expression, build community and have fun!

You can get involved by:
✨ Bringing young people along to attend (don't forget to register: https://www.youthprojects.org.au/pride-month-at-youth-projects
✨ Sharing the events with young people in your networks
✨ Participating as a partner organisation to help create safe and connected spaces for young people

This is a great opportunity for organisations and community groups to come together and celebrate Pride Month in ways that genuinely centre young people.

If you’d like to attend, collaborate, support or help spread the word, contact Youth Projects

As we mark National Sorry Day (May 26) and National Reconciliation Week (May 27 –June 3), VAADA acknowledges the enduring impacts of past government policies and practices on Aboriginal communities.

Following consultation with VAADA's Aboriginal Advisory Committee, VAADA is pleased to release 'Walking Together: Treaty and the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Sector'. A paper designed to support mainstream AOD services to align with the principles of Treaty and contribute to better outcomes for Aboriginal people.

Reconciliation is not passive; VAADA invites you to engage with the reflective questions and valuable Aboriginal-designed resources included in the paper, and consider how the AOD sector can begin to walk alongside Aboriginal people and Aboriginal services to improve outcomes, today and every day.

👉Read the full paper here: https://ow.ly/6bb950Z4E8r