A culturally safe approach to alcohol/drug treatment for First Nations peoples

January 25, 2023

SEMPHN is pleased to announce a new service in South Eastern Melbourne which will offer a social and emotional wellbeing approach to alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment. The service is culturally inclusive to specifically support local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are experiencing the challenges of substance misuse. 

Our latest Needs Assessment (2021) shows that First Nations Victorians present at emergency departments for alcohol-related causes at more than four times the rate of other Victorians (Department of Health, 2020). With this in mind, SEMPHN is pleased to commission a new service which offers a holistic approach to alcohol and other drug treatment and may prevent further hospitalisations. 

Taskforce will offer a holistic approach to alcohol and other drug treatment which will differ from traditional, Western-based approaches to recovery. The service offers a culturally safe and broader view of health, including mental health. 

The service will focus on:

  • Culture
  • Aboriginal healing practices
  • Trauma-informed treatment (with a focus on intergenerational trauma)
  • Family-centred therapeutic practices
  • Protective factors and support
  • Social, and cultural determinants of health.

Taskforce will offer the Social and Emotional Wellbeing AOD Service in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula local government areas from 1 February 2023. 

Latest news

First Peoples’ Healing Program: A free group program connecting First Nations carers

November 10, 2026
Do you know a First Nations carer supporting a loved one experiencing challenges related to alcohol and other drugs, or mental health? Delivered by Windana and funded by SEMPHN, the First Peoples’ Carers Program is a free group program that offers an opportunity to connect with others in a safe, culturally supportive environment.

Statewide referral criteria – new suite for children’s medicine conditions

November 9, 2026
New statewide referral criteria for 7 children’s medicine conditions come into effect from 1 December 2026 in all Victorian public hospitals.

Rubella and congenital rubella are now urgent notifiable conditions

October 29, 2026
From 28 October 2026, rubella and congenital rubella will change from being ‘routine’ to ‘urgent’ notifiable conditions in Victoria under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019.