Interventions for Indigenous Australians: the broader context

Effective intervention for alcohol and other drug problems among Indigenous people in the corrections system cannot proceed in isolation. The development of such interventions must be based on a clear understanding of the patterns of Indigenous alcohol and other drug misuse and broad context in which it occurs. Interventions for Indigenous people in the corrections system must also be developed with reference to strategies that have proven to be effective within the wider Indigenous community. The evaluation literature suggests that interventions are more likely to be effective where they are comprehensive and address the three pillars of current drug strategy: supply reduction, demand reduction and harm minimisation. Given the heterogeneity among Indigenous Australian people and the circumstances in which they live, it is unrealistic to expect to be able to identify discrete interventions which exemplify ‘best practice ’ and which simply can be applied across-the-board. ‘Best practice ’ inheres in the principles and processes that are applied in the development of intervention programs. Among these are Indigenous management and control, developing interventions that meet the needs of clients (not simply those of providers or the justice system), adequate financial resourcing, and appropriate training and support for staff.