Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre is an alcohol and other drugs organisation located in the inner

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

(

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

) suburb of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. Established in 1994 in Fitzroy, the organisation provides

clinical treatment A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications an ...

and support to those with

substance addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can a ...

issues, as well as conducting clinical and

epidemiological Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and Risk factor (epidemiology), determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent dise ...

research and development. In addition, the organisation provides education and training to health and welfare professionals.https://www.turningpoint.org.au/about-us. Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. Accessed 2024-12-17. The organisation's approach to alcohol and other drugs

is primarily based upon the

medical model Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

of treatment. This includes using an

evidence based Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available exte ...

approach to treatment services and implementing harm minimisation techniques towards relevant client issues. The organisation amalgamated with public health provider Eastern Health in October 2009, and is formally affiliated with

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

. In addition, Turning Point collaborates with international organisations including The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC); ''International Network of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Resource Centres'',

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...

; ''Center for Behavioral Research and Services'',

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

; ''Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS'' and The International Harm Reduction Association.

Services

Clinical and
forensic Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...
treatment and support

Turning Point provides

counselling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. This is a list of c ...

case management Case management may refer to: *Case management (mental health), a specific approach for the coordination of community mental health services *Case management (US health system), a specific term used in the health care system of the United States of ...

and

primary care Primary care is a model of health care that supports first-contact, accessible, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated person-focused care. It aims to optimise population health and reduce disparities across the groups by ensuring equitable ...

services from a wide range of

health professionals A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physi ...

and practitioners, including; Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (more commonly known as ''Case Managers''), Forensic Alcohol and Other Drug Clinicians (''Forensic Case Managers'')

General Practitioners A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

Psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

Psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

s (both ''Clinical'' and ''Counselling''),

Pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...

s and

Nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

s.https://www.turningpoint.org.au/treatment. Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. Accessed 2024-12-17. Treatment and support can be provided in the following forms: * Traditional face to face counselling (see ''Therapeutic Relationship''). *

Group therapy Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, i ...

. *

Outreach Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meetin ...

response. * Home-based withdrawal. * Telephone counselling. *

Online counselling Online counseling or online therapy is a form of professional mental health counseling that is generally performed through the internet. Computer aided technologies are used by the trained professional counselors and individuals seeking counseling ...

Specialist
pharmacotherapy Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve ongoing symptoms (symptomatic relief), treat the underlying condition, or act as a p ...
programs

Turning Point provides eligible clients access to medically supervised drug substitution pharmacotherapies such as

Methadone Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Prescribed for daily use, the medicine relieves cravings and opioid withdrawal sym ...

(see

Methadone Maintenance Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Prescribed for daily use, the medicine relieves cravings and opioid withdrawal sy ...

Suboxone Buprenorphine/naloxone, sold under the brand name Suboxone among others, is a fixed-dose combination drug, combination medication that includes buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat opioid use disorder, and reduces the mortality of o ...

and

Subutex Buprenorphine, sold under the brand name Subutex among others, is an opioid used to treat opioid use disorder, acute pain, and chronic pain. It can be used under the tongue (sublingual), in the cheek (buccal), by injection (intravenous a ...

Specialist
assessment Assessment may refer to: Healthcare * Health assessment, identifies needs of the patient and how those needs will be addressed *Nursing assessment, gathering information about a patient's physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual ...
and
consultancy A consultant (from "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice or services in an area of specialization (generally to medium or large-size corporations). Con ...
services

Turning Point provides services in the following areas: * Alcohol and other drug use assessment. *

Dual diagnosis Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders (COD) or dual pathology) is the condition of having a mental illness and a comorbid substance use disorder. Several US based surveys suggest that about half of those with a mental illness will ...

(a combination of a

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

issue and a

substance use disorder Substance use disorder (SUD) is the persistent use of drugs despite substantial harm and adverse consequences to self and others. Related terms include ''substance use problems'' and ''problematic drug or alcohol use''. Along with substance-ind ...

).http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagnosis?OpenDocument. Better Health Channel. Accessed 2007-07-01. *

Comorbidity In medicine, comorbidity refers to the simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions in a patient; often co-occurring (that is, concomitant or concurrent) with a primary condition. It originates from the Latin term (meaning "sicknes ...

. * Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). *

Chronic pain Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months.https://icd.who.int/browse/2025-01/mms/en#1581976053 It is also known as gradual burning pain, electrical pain, throbbing pain, and nauseating pain. This type of pain is in cont ...

Needle and syringe program (NSP)

Turning Point provides a comprehensive program to the local general public, including the supply and exchange of hypodermic needles as well as various other harm minimisation provisions.

References

External links

The official website of ''Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre''''About Us'' at the official website''DirectLine'' telephone counselling service websiteThe official website of ''Counselling Online''
{{Authority control Companies based in Melbourne Addiction organisations in Australia Companies established in 1994 1994 establishments in Australia Substance-related disorders Alcohol in Australia Drugs in Australia

Services

Clinical and forensic Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ... treatment and support

Specialist pharmacotherapy Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve ongoing symptoms (symptomatic relief), treat the underlying condition, or act as a p ... programs

Needle and syringe program (NSP)

References

Further reading

External links

Clinical and
forensic Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...
treatment and support

Specialist
pharmacotherapy Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve ongoing symptoms (symptomatic relief), treat the underlying condition, or act as a p ...
programs