Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre
Encyclopedia
Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre is an alcohol and other drugs organisation located in the inner Melbourne
(Australia
) suburb of Fitzroy
. Established in 1994, the organisation provides clinical treatment
and support to those with substance addiction issues, as well as conducting clinical
and epidemiological
research and development. In addition, the organisation provides education and training to health and welfare professionals.
The organisation's approach to alcohol and other drugs clinical treatment
is primarily based upon the medical model
of treatment. This includes using an evidence based
approach to treatment services and implementing harm minimisation
techniques towards relevant client issues.
The organisation is affiliated with St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
and the University of Melbourne
. In addition, Turning Point collaborates with international organisations including The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
; International Network of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Resource Centres, California State University
; Center for Behavioral Research and Services, Yale University
; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS and The International Harm Reduction Association.
Clinical
Turning Point provides counselling, case management
and primary care
services from a wide range of health professionals
and practitioners, including; Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (more commonly known as Case Managers
), Forensic Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (Forensic Case Managers
) General Practitioners
, Psychiatrist
s, Psychologist
s (both Clinical
and Counselling), Pharmacist
s and Nurses.
Treatment and support can be provided in the following forms:
• Traditional face to face counselling (see Therapeutic Relationship
).
• Group therapy
.
• Outreach response.
• Home-based withdrawal
.
• Telephone counselling
.
• Online counselling
.
Specialist Pharmacotherapy
Turning Point provides eligible clients access to medically supervised drug substitution pharmacotherapies
such as Methadone
(see Methadone Maintenance
), Suboxone
and Subutex
.
Specialist Assessment
Turning Point provides services in the following areas:
• Alcohol and other drug use assessment
.
• Dual diagnosis
(a combination of a mental health
issue and a substance abuse
issue).
• Comorbidity
.
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
.
• Chronic pain
.
Needle and Syringe Program (NSP)
Turning Point provides a comprehensive program to the local general public, including the supply and exchange of hypodermic needles
as well as various other harm minimisation
provisions.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) suburb of Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
. Established in 1994, the organisation provides clinical treatment
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and support to those with substance addiction issues, as well as conducting clinical
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
and epidemiological
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
research and development. In addition, the organisation provides education and training to health and welfare professionals.
The organisation's approach to alcohol and other drugs clinical treatment
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
is primarily based upon the medical model
Medical model
Medical model is the term cited by psychiatrist Ronald D. Laing in his The Politics of the Family and Other Essays , for the "set of procedures in which all doctors are trained." This set includes complaint, history, physical examination, ancillary tests if needed, diagnosis, treatment, and...
of treatment. This includes using an evidence based
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
approach to treatment services and implementing harm minimisation
Harm reduction
Harm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
techniques towards relevant client issues.
The organisation is affiliated with St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne is the major hospital in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia.It is operated by the St Vincent's Health service, previously known as the Sisters of Charity Health Service, Melbourne...
and the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. In addition, Turning Point collaborates with international organisations including The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a United Nations agency that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations...
; International Network of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Resource Centres, California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
; Center for Behavioral Research and Services, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS and The International Harm Reduction Association.
ClinicalMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and Forensic Treatment and Support
Turning Point provides counselling, case managementCase management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
and primary care
Primary care
Primary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
services from a wide range of health professionals
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
and practitioners, including; Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (more commonly known as Case Managers
Case management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
), Forensic Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (Forensic Case Managers
Case management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
) General Practitioners
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
, Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s, Psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s (both Clinical
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
and Counselling), Pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
s and Nurses.
Treatment and support can be provided in the following forms:
• Traditional face to face counselling (see Therapeutic Relationship
Therapeutic relationship
The therapeutic relationship, also called the helping alliance, the therapeutic alliance, and the working alliance, refers to the relationship between a healthcare professional and a client...
).
• Group therapy
Group therapy
Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group...
.
• Outreach response.
• Home-based withdrawal
Withdrawal
Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol...
.
• Telephone counselling
Telephone counseling
Telephone counseling refers to any type of psychological service performed over the telephone. Telephone counseling ranges from individual, couple or group psychotherapy with a professional therapist to psychological first aid provided by para-professional counselors...
.
• Online counselling
Online counseling
Online counseling is the provision of professional mental health counseling services concerns via the Internet. Services are typically offered via email, real-time chat, and video conferencing...
.
Specialist PharmacotherapyPharmacotherapyPharmacotherapy is the treatment of disease through the administration of drugs. As such, it is considered part of the larger category of therapy....
Programs
Turning Point provides eligible clients access to medically supervised drug substitution pharmacotherapiesPharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy is the treatment of disease through the administration of drugs. As such, it is considered part of the larger category of therapy....
such as Methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
(see Methadone Maintenance
Methadone maintenance
Methadone maintenance is the use of methadone over a prolonged time as treatment for someone who is addicted to opioids or has severe pain problems that are resistant to other drugs.-Modality:...
), Suboxone
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that is used...
and Subutex
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that is used...
.
Specialist AssessmentHealth assessmentA health assessment is a plan of care that identifies the specific needs of the client and how those needs will be addressed by the healthcare organization or skilled nursing facility....
and ConsultancyConsultant (medicine)In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Services
Turning Point provides services in the following areas:• Alcohol and other drug use assessment
Health assessment
A health assessment is a plan of care that identifies the specific needs of the client and how those needs will be addressed by the healthcare organization or skilled nursing facility....
.
• Dual diagnosis
Dual diagnosis
The term dual diagnosis is used to describe the comorbid condition of a person considered to be suffering from a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. There is considerable debate surrounding the appropriateness of the term being used to describe a heterogeneous group of individuals with...
(a combination of a mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
issue and a substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
issue).
• Comorbidity
Comorbidity
In medicine, comorbidity is either the presence of one or more disorders in addition to a primary disease or disorder, or the effect of such additional disorders or diseases.- In medicine :...
.
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
Acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury is brain damage caused by events after birth, rather than as part of a genetic or congenital disorder such as fetal alcohol syndrome, perinatal illness or perinatal hypoxia. ABI can result in cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioural impairments that lead to permanent...
.
• Chronic pain
Chronic pain
Chronic pain has several different meanings in medicine. Traditionally, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has relied upon an arbitrary interval of time from onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since the initiation of pain, though some theorists and...
.
Needle and Syringe Program (NSP)Needle-exchange programmeA Needle & syringe programme or syringe-exchange programme is a social policy based on the philosophy of harm reduction where injecting drug users can obtain hypodermic needles and associated injection equipment at little or no cost. Many programmes are called "exchanges" because some require...
Turning Point provides a comprehensive program to the local general public, including the supply and exchange of hypodermic needlesNeedle-exchange programme
A Needle & syringe programme or syringe-exchange programme is a social policy based on the philosophy of harm reduction where injecting drug users can obtain hypodermic needles and associated injection equipment at little or no cost. Many programmes are called "exchanges" because some require...
as well as various other harm minimisation
Harm reduction
Harm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
provisions.
Further reading
- Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre Inc., (2007). Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre Annual Report 2006. Fitzroy, Australia. ISSN 1443-640X, ISSN (Online) 1448-5761.