Stronger Links Project

Following on from three years of work under the Improved Services for People with Drug and Alcohol Problems and Mental Illness Initiative, Cross Sectorial Support And Strategic Partnerships Project NTCOSS was funded to deliver sector-wide capacity building activities under the Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants Fund (SMSDGF). This work is known as the NTCOSS Stronger Links Project.

NTCOSS consulted to gain a clear understanding of needs in the sector,with most not for profit community sector organisation listing concerns about workforce sustainability, adequate funding levels, models of funding, implementation of continuous quality improvement and building linkages and partnerships across the NT with other community service providers and government.

The Stronger Links Project is working to connect organisation and agencies that provide a wide variety of support service such as alcohol and other drugs, mental health, homelessness, family, women and children and to building strong, sustainable service delivery organisations that provide quality services by:

  • disseminating information;
  • facilitating networks;
  • delivering professional development opportunities; and
  • providing a range or resources, including the NT Alcohol and other drugs and mental health services directory.

The Stronger Links Project compliments other sector development work and NTCOSS is committed to continuing to provide opportunities for networking and collaboration, providing consultancy and brokerage, disseminate relevant information, and provide professional development opportunities that assist and develop services individually and the sector as a whole. All activities carried out as part of the Stronger Links Project address a distinct need in the Northern Territory and within the health and community services sector.

Please view the NTCOSS Workforce training and development calendar for upcoming events.

Working with Young People | November 2016

Working with Young People was a series of locally developed and delivered training sessions for community sector workers supporting young people (to age 25) who may use, or be in the company of people who use, alcohol and other drugs. This project provided practical, accessible and affordable professional development opportunity to community sector workers by supporting local NGO’s to develop and deliver locally driven training. Training consisted of six individual two hour session, delivered over two day, in the first week of August, September, October and November 2016. Partner organisation and training topics were:

  • Supporting young people affected by trauma, Danila Dilba Health Services, Emotional and Social Wellbeing Centre
  • Supporting young people who presents with a mental illness, Anglicare NT Headspace Darwin
  • Principles of safety planning for young people, CatholicCare NT, Drug and Alcohol Intensive Support for Youth (DAISY)
  • Methamphetamine, the Myths and Misconceptions, Amity Community Services
  • Supporting young people who use alcohol and other drugs, CatholicCare NT, Drug and Alcohol Intensive Support for Youth (DAISY)
  • Supporting young people who have thoughts of suicide, Danila Dilba Health Services, Emotional and Social Wellbeing Centre

This training was extremely well supported and received, almost all sessions were at capacity and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. . A face to face Alice Springs Youth Sector AOD and Mental Health Training Needs consultation was recently held to determine if this training model will be replicated in that region in Jan- June 2017.

Impact of methamphetamine (ice) on Non-Government service delivery organisations in Darwin and Palmerston | November 2015

It was identified at a recent Chief Ministers NGO Sector meeting that many organisations, other than those providing direct AOD services, are dealing with matters related to people who may be affected by methamphetamine. On request, NTCOSS facilitated an information session and open discussion for NGO services in Darwin and Palmerston to:
-Examine and discuss current issues related to impacts of methamphetamine on service delivery;
-Provide information on current appropriate NTG and NGO supports and responses and
-Facilitate a discussion on organisational need and how best to meet gaps. Presentation at this meeting below:

Dr Christine Watson – Working With Methamphetamine using clients, presentation

NTCOSS Conference ‘Tough Times, Hard Decisions, Strong Sector | June 2015

The NTCOSS confrence had sessions supported by the stringer Links project, they were:

1. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) & Health Promotion

FASD Presentation Nancy Poole

NDIS rollout in APY Lands NDS presentation

2. Making the Connections – NDIS and Psychosocial Disability in the NT