The Tasmanian community managed alcohol, tobacco and other drug service sector is shrinking.
Tasmanians seeking assistance with alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) issues are receiving reduced services across the state, as there are less staff and less services provided.
Most of the funding for the Tasmanian ATOD sector is through government contracting the community managed ATOD sector to provide services that include treatment and support, education, advocacy, and harm reduction. These services benefit those who seek support and treatment for their substance use and create healthier and happier communities.
However, several aspects of the funding arrangements undermine sustainability of the ATOD sector nationwide, including:
- short term funding agreements (<3 years) with significant delays in contract renewals.
- inadequate or no indexation added, ignoring real cost increases to service delivery, leading to a situation where costs are absorbed by community managed ATOD services.
- lack of a commissioning framework that recognises the real costs associated with delivering different types of programs and services in rural, regional and remote parts of Australia.
