Turning Point

23/04/2026

Ready to take the next step in your career in Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services?

Join our information webinar to learn how our postgraduate courses in addictive behaviours can help you deepen your expertise, specialise, and broaden your career opportunities.

Hear from course leaders and students as they share how the fully online Graduate Program of Addictive Behaviours equips graduates with practical skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the field.

Find out more about the Graduate Program of Addictive Behaviours: https://ow.ly/J75O50YOjhN

Register here: https://ow.ly/t93650YOjhO

21/04/2026

📣 New AODstats data on Ambulance Attendances and DirectLine telephone sessions are now available 📣

This latest AODstats release has revealed the Victorian communities experiencing the highest levels of alcohol‑related harm, with Bulletin 13 highlighting where Ambulance Attendances and DirectLine telephone sessions related to alcohol are most concentrated across the state.

These insights can now help services, planners and communities understand where harms are occurring, under what circumstances, and who is most affected, supporting more targeted, evidence‑informed responses.

Across the 2023–24 and 2024–25 financial years:
🔹 Melbourne, Geelong and Casey local government areas (LGAs) recorded the highest number of alcohol‑related Ambulance Attendances.
🔹 Melbourne and Port Phillip saw consistently high numbers of calls to DirectLine, Victoria’s 24/7 alcohol and drug counselling, information and referral service (1800 888 236).

Bulletin 13 also highlights how AODstats' valuable data is being used in practice, including in challenging a liquor licence application in regional Victoria and alerting communities about predicted spikes in alcohol‑related harms over the Easter long weekend.

🔹Bulletin 13:https://www.aodstats.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Bulletin13.pdf
🔹Visit the site: https://www.aodstats.org.au/
🔹Ambulance attendances: https://www.aodstats.org.au/explore-data/ambulance-attendances/
🔹DirectLine sessions: https://www.aodstats.org.au/explore-data/directline/

AODstats provides information on the harms related to alcohol, illicit and pharmaceutical drug use in Victoria.

21/04/2026

Supporting someone in recovery can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone!

This free BreakThrough webinar helps families and friends understand the process, manage setbacks, and take care of themselves along the way. You’ll pick up simple strategies to stay connected and encourage positive change. It’s one hour online, relaxed and practical. Take a small step that can make a big difference.

Register now!
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakthrough-recovery-for-everyone-tickets-1977847234320?aff=oddtdtcreator

21/04/2026

📢 New research: A new pilot randomised controlled trial from Turning Point and Monash University has found promising early signs that approach bias modification (ApBM) may help reduce relapse risk for people undergoing residential treatment for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD).

Led by Professor Victoria Manning and published in the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD)'s Drug and Alcohol Review, the study showed that more than half of participants who completed ApBM reported past‑month abstinence at follow‑up, with higher relapse rates reported among those who received a sham-training control condition.

“These findings mirror our earlier results and suggest the intervention may help to prevent or delay relapse during this vulnerable time and support longer-term recovery,” Prof Manning said.

Read the paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.70151
Read more about the research: https://www.turningpoint.org.au/about-us/news/cognitive-training-shows-potential-strengthen-early-recovery-mud

A new pilot trial suggests that approach bias modification may help reduce relapse risk after residential treatment for methamphetamine use disorder.

15/04/2026

Do you work in an adult alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment service?

We are still looking for AOD workers to complete our survey and help researchers understand how conversations about drink and drug driving are happening in your service.

Victorian alcohol and other drug service providers are invited to take part in a confidential online survey exploring how service providers discuss drink and drug driving with their clients.

Your insights will help shape the development of a future resource to support these conversations across the AOD sector.

👉Participation involves:
Completing a brief online survey about your experiences and perspectives. It takes about 15 minutes. After finishing the survey, you can choose to enter a separate prize draw to win 1 of 50 retail vouchers, each worth $50. Participation is voluntary and confidential.

👉Who is eligible
Adults 18+ currently working in an adult AOD treatment service in Victoria, including clinicians and peer and lived experience staff, and managers.

If you are interested in participating, click here to read the explanatory statement and access the survey:
https://monash.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rFt2vxw7QSecC2

For questions, contact: michael.savic@monash.edu

14/04/2026

Supporting someone with addiction can feel overwhelming.

This free BreakThrough webinar on Addiction and Mental Health helps families and friends understand the link between substance use and mental wellbeing. You’ll get practical tips to stay connected, care for yourself, and respond in ways that really help. It’s one hour online with people who truly understand.

Take the next step and register now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakthrough-emotional-impact-of-addiction-tickets-1977847200218?aff=oddtdtcreator

07/04/2026

Supporting someone with addiction can feel overwhelming.

This free BreakThrough webinar on Addiction and Mental Health helps families and friends understand the link between substance use and mental wellbeing. You’ll get practical tips to stay connected, care for yourself, and respond in ways that really help. It’s one hour online with people who truly understand.

Take the next step and register now:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakthrough-addiction-and-mental-health-tickets-1977847178152?aff=oddtdtcreator

01/04/2026

Easter can be a time to come together with family and friends, but it's also a time when alcohol-related harms increase.

Our data shows the Easter long weekend can see alcohol-related ambulance attendances equivalent to 4 successive Saturday nights, with Easter Sunday historically ranking among the highest single days of the year for alcohol-related callouts.

The impacts go beyond those ambulance attendances too, contributing to family violence, road accidents and increased pressure on emergency services and hospitals.

So as we head into the long weekend, plan ahead and look out for each other. Whether that's organising transport, having non-alcoholic options available or checking in with someone who might be doing it tough.

If you or someone you know is concerned about the impact of alcohol, free and confidential support is available.

Contact DirectLine on 1800 888 236, Counselling Online at counsellingonline.org.au, or the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

01/04/2026

Are you working in an adult alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment service?

Help researchers understand how conversations about drink and drug driving are happening in your service.

Victorian alcohol and other drug service providers are invited to take part in a confidential online survey exploring how service providers discuss drink and drug driving with their clients.

Your insights will help shape the development of a future resource to support these conversations across the AOD sector.

👉Participation involves:
Completing a brief online survey about your experiences and perspectives. It takes about 15 minutes. After finishing the survey, you can choose to enter a separate prize draw to win 1 of 50 retail vouchers, each worth $50. Participation is voluntary and confidential.

👉Who is eligible
Adults 18+ currently working in an adult AOD treatment service in Victoria, including clinicians and peer and lived experience staff, and managers.

If you are interested in participating, click here to read the explanatory statement and access the survey:
https://monash.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rFt2vxw7QSecC2

For questions, contact: michael.savic@monash.edu

31/03/2026

Not sure when the right time is to set boundaries?

This free BreakThrough webinar focuses on boundaries, safety plans and staying connected during tough moments. You’ll get simple, practical ideas for saying no, calming heated situations and looking after yourself along the way. It’s a one hour online session with others who truly understand what you’re dealing with.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Register now and join us!
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakthrough-boundaries-and-safety-plans-tickets-1977846685679?aff=oddtdtcreator

24/03/2026

Ever wonder why family dynamics shift so much when someone is struggling with addiction?

Our free BreakThrough webinar on Family Relationships helps families and friends make sense of what’s happening and find more helpful ways to respond. You’ll learn about common family roles, how change unfolds over time and how to keep relationships strong. It’s a one hour online session focused on understanding, not blame.

Join others who get it and register now:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakthrough-family-relationships-tickets-1977844882285?aff=oddtdtcreator

23/03/2026

Our March Research Roundup is out now!

In this edition:
🔹Participants using a gamified, personalised ‘approach bias modification’ app to help treat alcohol dependence found it helpful in unexpected ways.
🔹A new study has found that starting a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic was linked with a 14% overall reduced risk of developing new substance use disorders.
🔹The latest data on family violence, assaults and drug and alcohol harms in Victoria are now available to guide targeted, effective alcohol and other drug responses.
🔹PhD candidate Aricia Kostouros describes how generative AI can be used as a meaningful tool to support practical, grounded transformation in complex healthcare systems.
🔹Master of Addictive Behaviours graduate Fabrizio Lo Cascio discusses his research into vicarious trauma, opportunities for growth, and the organisational conditions that make a difference.
🔹Plus, our latest publications, opportunities to participate in research, and more!

Keep reading: https://mailchi.mp/a3263a0eecdd/turning-point-research-updates-17333277