Summary information provided by states and territories, regarding the AODTS NMDS data collection:
New South Wales
2019–20
In 2019–20, COVID–19 restrictions impacted delivery of services including withdrawal management and residential rehabilitation. Some services closed for a short period of time, and adapted service operations once they re-opened, due to limited bed capacity in accordance with social distancing guidelines. Face-to-face services were reduced and services transitioned to the use of telehealth (primarily telephone or video conference), group counselling sessions were moved online.
Increases in AOD service demand during COVID may have been due to:
- people seeking assistance due to unavailability of other services or inability to access services (e.g. cross border communities, rural and remote communities unable to get to metropolitan services)
- more people were at home due to employment changes or job loss, travel restrictions including border closures, this increased isolation and mental health issues and increased the need for local services
- increased online services offered by some agencies; easier for younger people to manage and engage in services
- increased services provided by phone improved access to treatment and support.
Decreases in AOD services may have been affected by:
- fewer people seeking treatment during the COVID lockdown period - not wanting to go out
- group treatment work cancelled
- access for agencies regarding ICT infrastructure and internet capacity highlighted a divide for regional and rural services; weak connectivity contributed to potential decline of some service delivery
- all home visits and external (outreach) service visits were suspended for a period of time
- regional and rural services less affected, however access to metropolitan services by rural clients was affected, movement to and from "hotspots" was problematic
- difficulty accessing technology for some clients
- new client assessments decreased as treatment places were limited
- decreased availability of withdrawal detox/residential rehabilitation services.
2020–21
During 2020–21, large areas of NSW continued to be affected by COVID-19. The impact of COVID-19 overall, saw services in metropolitan or rural and remote areas utilise telehealth, primarily telephone.
Some treatment services such as, withdrawal management and residential rehabilitation services, were impacted due to social distancing rules and continued to have limited occupancy rates and bed capacity in both non-government and government services. These constraints meant services had to reduce the availability of treatment places. Whilst there were constraints, services continued to adopt new approaches which meant that clients were still able to receive treatment even when places were decreased.
Constraints to service delivery also had an impact on data collection including:
- Staff were working from home with less timely data loads due to constraints.
- Some Local Health Districts reported unexpected data system loading issues during the months following the reporting period which in turn affected the data that was available for the reporting period.
- Staff reported that risk management practices and PPE wearing saw an increase in workload for staff and mask wearing provided a barrier to engaging with clients and seeing nonverbal cues.
Victoria
2019–20
In 2019–20, COVID-19 restrictions impacted the main treatment types including withdrawal management (detoxification) and residential rehabilitation, as bed-based units were operating at reduced capacity to ensure social distancing guidelines were met; bed-based occupancy decreased compared to pre-COVID occupancy.
The number of treatment referrals decreased, and the number of admission cancellations increased for residential withdrawal and rehabilitation services.
The majority of AOD service providers moved to a telehealth model and discontinued face-to-face contact with clients unless the client received withdrawal or residential rehabilitation services. Due to reduced capacity for residential services, wait times between referrals and admissions increased.
2020–21
In 2020–21, COVID-19 restrictions impacted withdrawal management and rehabilitation services as bed-based units were operating at reduced capacity to ensure social distancing guidelines were met. As a result:
- bed occupancy across all residential services fell compared to pre-COVID-19 as a result of social distancing requirements
- COVID-19 restrictions also reduced the number of referrals and increased the number of admission cancelations to residential withdrawal and rehabilitation services
- Wait times between referrals and admissions also increased due to reduced treatment capacity.
While the number of non-residential withdrawal events increased slightly from the previous financial year, during extensive COVID-19 lockdowns:
- non-residential withdrawal service contacts included an electronic process rather than face-to-face which may have been coded ‘other’ setting by some clinicians rather than a non-residential treatment facility setting
- the majority of providers moved to a telehealth model, discontinuing face-to-face contact with clients unless they received residential withdrawal or rehabilitation services.
Queensland
2019–20
In 2019–20, there was an overall decrease in closed treatment episodes across all treatment types for the period of March-June 2020. The treatment types of counselling and information and education decreased from March to June 2020 compared to the same period in the previous year. There was also a decrease in the reporting of diversion referrals from the justice system due to public restrictions being in place and restricted operation of the Magistrates Courts.
During the March to June 2020 period, diversion episodes (both public and private) decreased. Diversion treatment that is provided as part of police and court diversion has been steadily declining since 2015–16, but experienced a large decrease in 2019–20 due to the impact of COVID-19 and public health restrictions. Specifically, the public health restrictions substantially reduced and restricted the operation of Magistrates Courts between March 2020 and June 2020. From March to August 2020, most police and court diversion appointments were scheduled to occur by telephone, with only a few providers offering face-to-face appointments.
2020–21
In 2020–21, there was an increase in the reporting of diversion referral episodes from the justice system compared to 2019–20, potentially due to the easing of public restrictions. There were also more treatment episodes provided for diversion via telephone. This included sessions that were postponed due to the public restrictions and services sought to reduce the backlog of these sessions.
Western Australia
2019–20
As a result of COVID–19 restrictions during 2019–20, services offered more telehealth appointments and decreased bed capacity across residential services, reducing the amount of people accessing AOD services.
2020–21
As a result of COVID–19 during 2020–21, services offered more telehealth appointments and also decreased bed capacity across residential services including rehabilitation and low/high medical withdrawal services reducing the amount of people accessing these services.
South Australia
2019–20
As a result of COVID–19 restrictions in 2019–20, AOD services offered more telehealth appointments in place of face-to-face treatment. Medically Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence prescription review periods were increased from 3 to 6 months during COVID restrictions.
2020–21
In 2020–21, the impacts for treatment service delivery due to the COVID-19 included:
- The Drug and Alcohol Services SA (DASSA) were asked to implement a Work from Home (WFH) mandate.
- A proportion of counselling services shifted from face-to-face appointments to Telehealth and telephone clinical support to clients in treatment.
- Some decreased bed capacity across residential services and withdrawal services reducing the amount of people accessing these services.
- Eligibility criteria for entry into DASSA’s inpatient withdrawal management facility was reviewed during COVID-19 resulting in Cannabis and amphetamine withdrawal management clients being referred to outpatients and SA's Non-Government sector.
Tasmania
2019–20
There was an overall reduction in the number of closed AOD treatment episodes in Tasmania, from April 2020 as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. The main treatment types of rehabilitation and counselling declined over the April to June 2020 period and face-to-face outreach services moved to providing telehealth services.
2020–21
COVID-19 restrictions (lockdown) in Tasmania had eased around the start of the reporting period in mid-July 2020. In-person service delivery resumed from a telehealth model however social-distancing measures remained. This resulted in a minor reduction in capacity for some bed-based services. A small decrease in the average new referrals (episode) totals for non-residential settings was noted in July 2020, potentially due to client hesitancy to access health settings however this temporary trend reversed by August 2020.
Australian Capital Territory
2019–20
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, non-residential face-to-face and group treatment changed to telehealth services. There was also decreased bed capacity in residential rehabilitation and withdrawal services, as well as decreased intake of new clients to residential and non-residential services.
2020–21
In late March 2020, the impacts for treatment service delivery due to the COVID-19 included:
- agency staff relocating to work from home
- reduction in service operating hours
- decreased bed capacity in residential rehabilitation and withdrawal services
- switching treatment delivery modes, from face to face to non-contact delivery
- ceased or reduced intake of new clients to residential and non-residential treatment services.
Northern Territory
2019–20
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, there was a decrease in the number of closed treatment episodes for treatment provided in residential rehabilitation to ensure social distancing guidelines were adhered to. Outreach services increased to compensate for reduced residential services.
For the April to June 2020 period, closed episodes where main treatment type was residential rehabilitation decreased compared to the same period in the previous year.
2020–21
COVID-19 safe procedures in residential rehabilitation resulted in a decrease in the number of people that could be accommodated in each facility (e.g. one person per room).