Breakthrough for Families

Breakthrough for Families

Aug 1, 2018

Lives Lived Well has welcomed additional State funding which will soon see several of our services delivering specialist alcohol and other drug (AOD) information and support to Queensland families.

The State Government’s Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women this week announced the funding, which will see Lives Lived Well receiving $1.84 million over two years towards providing AOD information and support to families across four sites.

The Breakthrough for Families program will be offered from Lives Lived Well services located in Townsville, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

The program aims to provide brief support and actively engage with families being impacted by methamphetamine (ice) and other drug use, including alcohol. This will include individual support sessions as well as education-based group sessions.

Lives Lived Well CEO Mitchell Giles said the funding would allow our services in these selected regions to provide more support to families, working with parents who have problems with drugs or alcohol towards helping them have a better understanding of their problem and its impacts.

“We look forward to providing families with the information they need to get support and to better understand the nature of alcohol and drug use and its impacts, effects and risks,” Mr Giles said.

Participation in the program will be voluntary and it will aim to be culturally respectful, accessible and inclusive.

Lives Lived Well expects the program will start to be offered from its specified sites in September 2018.

Lives Lived Well provides a range of alcohol and drug support programs and services, including residential rehabilitation programs, across Queensland and in regional NSW

For all media enquiries contact:

Michelle Saftich – Marketing & Media Officer
e [email protected] or [email protected]

Federal funding boosts Caboolture service

Jun 20, 2018


Caboolture team

Our support service in Caboolture, on Brisbane’s northern doorstep, has received a boost, with the Federal Government committing additional funding over three years to the region.

Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt visited the service on 13 June to announce the funding. He said the Government’s decision to fund Lives Lived Well was based on the Brisbane North PHN’s needs assessment and acknowledged the work we’ve done in the area over the past 18 months.

We’ve started planning for a day-rehab, an ambulatory detox service, and additional services to complement our existing AOD program. The Federal Government also committed to capital development and funding for a new 20-bed residential facility – the first of its kind in the Caboolture region.

These new services are very much needed in this area. Since opening our Brisbane North Services 18 months ago, we’ve received referrals at a rate four times higher than predicted.

Our Caboolture team has seen 532 people from the area since early 2017, with most naming methamphetamines (Ice) as their primary drug of concern. Alcohol and cannabis also present strongly. About one in three people identify as having a co-occurring mental health condition.

The new Caboolture withdrawal service will be modeled on similar services we introduced late last year in Cairns and Mackay. These services are a vital stepping stone for people when they reach out for help to address problematic use of alcohol or drugs.

We’re taking AOD support to rural NSW

Jun 20, 2018


Roadmaps Launch

Western NSW PHN CEO, Andrew Harvey (left) with the Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton (fifth from left) joined us to celebrate the launch of Roadmaps.

Help to address drug and alcohol concerns is now closer at hand for those living in regional and rural NSW, with the launch of our new Roadmaps service.

Roadmaps is a mobile day support program providing intensive one-on-one and group counselling for adults in Nyngan, Wellington, Gilgandra and Warren. Each person can attend the free program for two days per week over six weeks.

The program is funded by the Western NSW PHN and the Australian Government. We were delighted to have the Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, and Western NSW PHN CEO, Andrew Harvey, officially launch the program in Dubbo on 14 June.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Coulton commended Lives Lived Well for introducing a service which is “mentoring people in their own communities to try and get through issues relating to drugs and alcohol”.

People entering the program will complete a comprehensive assessment, including a mental health assessment. Sessions will address concerns around alcohol and drug dependence, mental health, harm reduction, overdose and relapse prevention and family education.

More information about Roadmaps here.

New Cairns office is our one-stop-shop for support

Jun 20, 2018


All the cairns teams in front of new building

Our Cairns team are providing intake and assessment, withdrawal support and community re-entry services.

We have a new service hub in Cairns, providing a central place for people to access withdrawal support, intake and assessment for residential treatment at Shanty Creek, and community re-entry support services for people leaving correctional services.

Moving to larger premises to host this hub, the new building also features two two-bedroom units, which are available to people transitioning into and out of our services.

The Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, recently joined our CEO, Mitchell Giles, for the official opening of the new building at 139 Sheridan St, Cairns.

This is the first time we’ve been able to offer our clients transitional housing in Cairns. The units provide safe and secure accommodation for people while they participate in our withdrawal day program or prepare to return to country after completing residential treatment at nearby Shanty Creek.

If you’re in Cairns please pop in and say hello to our team. You can’t miss our building – it’s the one with bright green and blue tiles on the front!

New six-week residential program introduced at Mirikai and Logan House

Jun 20, 2018


Recovery Motivation Mirikai

Lives Lived Well has introduced a shorter and refreshed residential program at our Logan and Gold Coast sites following an extensive review of evidence of treatment outcomes.

Partnering with the University of Queensland, we reviewed similar services across Australia and around the world, analysed our service data and spoke to our clients, both past and present.

Out of this review, it was found that a six-week program would best serve people needing intensive alcohol and drug treatment. The shorter program means that residential treatment is an option now open to people who may not have been able to attend previous long stay programs. Program changes also include more individual treatment with a treatment facilitator in a strength-based, client-centred approach and more support in the community before entering the program and on completion.

More information about Mirikai.

More information about Logan House.