CDAT Conference 2009: Creating Synergy - Creative ways forward in AOD & Mental Health

Information for CDATS

The 2009 CDAT conference was held in partnership with Creating Synergy at the University of Wollongong 2-3 July, with a pre-conference workshop on the 1 July.

This partnership provided CDAT members attending the conference with a large range and number of presentations and workshops covering diverse aspects of work around alcohol and other drugs and its synergy with mental health concerns, as well as the opportunity to showcase their own activities, see what other CDATs have been doing and attend capacity building workshops to enhance their effectiveness in undertaking CDAT activities.

Creating Synergy started as an initiative of the Shellharbour CDAT. It has grown over the last five years to build a strong reputation among drug & alcohol and mental health staff and other services across South East NSW, as a worthwhile and innovative conference.

Community Drug Strategies within NSW Health provided to enable two members from each CDAT to attend the conference. Sponsorship included conference registration, conference dinner, and for those CDATs travelling long distances, air travel and accommodation.

The aims of the CDAT stream of the 2009 Creating Synergy conference were to:

• Showcase the CDAT strategy and the activities of CDATs throughout NSW
• Provide information about topics of relevance to the CDAT program
• Provide renewed motivation, confidence and ideas for CDAT members
• Provide a forum for information sharing and skill building
• Provide a forum for CDAT members to ask questions and provide information to NSW Health about how we can best support the work of CDATs
• Thank the many community members who give of their time to reduce drug-related harm in our communities

CDATs at the 2009 Creating Synergy conference:

The conference was attended by many CDATs from across the state, with presentations covering topics including binge and risky drinking, drug abuse, multicultural drug and alcohol education, innovative AOD related health promotion and community development activities, and links between mental health and misuse of alcohol and other drugs.

The conference involved a mix of speaker presentations, workshops, a hypothetical, poster presentations and entertainment. It was a great opportunity for CDAT members and others involved in alcohol and other drug and mental health initiatives to get together, gain inspiration, network, hear about each other’s work, learn from international and local experts in the field and to think, plan and form partnerships to provide useful and effective interventions to help reduce harm and suffering caused by alcohol, other drugs and mental illness.