State and territory data quality
COVID-19
In 2021–22, restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic continued and impacted delivery of services including AOD treatment for withdrawal management and residential rehabilitation. The latter included closure of services for a period of time in some states. Withdrawal and rehabilitation bed-based occupancy decreased compared to pre-COVID-19 occupancy in most states. Counselling and face-to-face outreach services also moved to providing telehealth services to ensure social distancing and public health guidelines were met. The number of AOD referrals decreased and the number of admission cancellations increased for residential withdrawal and rehabilitation services. The majority of providers moved to a telehealth model and discontinued face-to-face contact with clients unless the client received withdrawal or rehabilitation services.
Summary information provided by states and territories, regarding the AODTS NMDS data collection:
New South Wales
During 2021–22, the impact of COVID has overall seen:
- services utilise telehealth, primarily telephone (metropolitan or rural and remote)
- services report an increased workload when staff on leave and also additional tasks (for example, ongoing cleaning)
- some services closed, which increased other workloads to services that still remained open with increase in referrals
- staff turnover and staff sickness impacting ability to deliver services
- some local health districts reported workforce and service delivery issues which may have impacted the number of closed episodes.
Victoria
The impact of COVID during 2021–22 included:
- bed based units were operating at reduced bed capacity during lockdowns; ensuring social distancing requirements are met. Occupancy across all residential services has fallen compared to pre-COVID as a result of social distancing requirements. Wait times between referrals and admissions have also increased due to reduced capacity. Leave and visitors have been prohibited during residential stays to decrease risk. This impacted withdrawal and rehabilitation main treatment types
- majority of providers have moved to a telehealth model, discontinuing face to face contact with clients unless they are receiving residential withdrawal and rehabilitation services
- reduced the number of referrals and increased the number of admission cancelations to residential withdrawal and rehabilitation services impacting withdrawal and rehabilitation main treatment types.
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT was in COVID-19 lockdown from August to October 2021. This lockdown slowed intake into residential withdrawal programs, which slowed admission to rehabilitation programs. Services shifted to online programs (for example, face-to-face programs, including group programs, were suspended, or reconvened online). Staff illness and absence affected programs during both the lockdown period and other parts of the year, requiring staff to isolate at home if unwell and to take time off work. In mid-August 2022 the ACT went into lock-down and further restrictions, which included restrictions impacting services.
Northern Territory
During 2021–22, COVID-safe procedures in residential rehabilitation resulted in a decrease in the number of people that could be accommodated in each facility (for example, one person per room). While different service types were impacted in different ways no service ‘shut-shop’ during this time. There was short-term reduction in capacity, but this eased quickly to business-as-usual once services learnt how to operate under the new COVID environments.
Policy, legislation and environmental changes
New South Wales
South Australia
The South Australian Police Drug Diversion initiative also saw a change in legislation from April 2019 [Statues Amendment (Drug Offences) Bill 2018, where youth are no longer diverted immediately for an Assessment. Adults who have been apprehended twice in four years are no longer eligible for an Assessment.
Northern Territory
As of 2018 all agencies; regardless of setting, are instructed to complete a separate assessment only episode prior to the commencement of treatment. This policy relates to monitoring the volume of assessment work performed by agencies, particularly in relation to certain alcohol-related legislatively-based programs.