Dovetail provides clinical advice and professional support to workers, services and communities across Queensland who engage with young people affected by alcohol and other drug use.
Our aim is to build sector capacity by:
- Identifying workers who engage with young people who are using alcohol and drugs in Queensland
- Connecting services and workers together, and
- Equipping them with knowledge, skills, tools and resources to enhance their practice
These strategies seek to prevent the harms experienced by, and improve treatment outcomes for, young people affected by alcohol and drug use across the State.
Our Objectives
- To provide an information clearinghouse function for the youth alcohol and drug sector in Queensland.
- To develop a range of evidence-informed youth alcohol and drug practice guidelines, tools and resources.
- To provide access to and deliver high quality professional development training, education and facilitation services to workers, organisations and communities across Queensland.
- To provide professional advice, support and consultation services to any Queensland-based worker or service engaged with youth alcohol and drug issues.
- To build and/or facilitate strong, effective and sustainable partnerships with a range of institutions, departments, services and programs that result in increased support and service provision for young people.
Our Values
- Value of Relationships - We value positive and collaborative relationships above everything else.
- Shared Unity - We value and facilitate shared unity in service provision to young people across government, non-government and private service providers.
- Social Justice - We prioritise those activities that deliver positive outcomes for the most high-risk and disadvantaged young people in Queensland.
- Harm Minimisation - The entire Dovetail philosophy is underpinned by the principles of harm minimisation.
- Good Practice - We value and promote practice that recognises the existing skill and expertise of the sector, celebrates diversity, drives creativity and innovation and demonstrates leadership and excellence.
- Youth Participation - We are committed to maximising young people's participation in the systems, services and communities that affect their lives.
- Continuous Improvement and Learning - We are committed to learning and continuously improving through action, reflective practice and systematic enquiry
History
Dovetail was funded by Queensland Health in 2010 as a response to increased methamphetamine use across the state. Initially Dovetail was governed by a Consortium of 14 government and non-government agencies (13 based in Queensland alongside YSAS from Victoria) as a training, practice and workforce development unit to specifically support 10 services across Queensland who had simultaneously received funding to employ dedicated youth alcohol and drug workers. However, due to the relatively small size of the youth AOD workforce in Queensland this focus was soon expanded to include any service that provided support to young people affected by substance use.
Within the Consortium, Metro North Mental Health - Alcohol and Drug Service was identified as the lead agent and auspice body for the project funding and continues to manage the project to today. Initially established as a 3-year trial and officially launched in May 2010, Dovetail's funding was made recurrent in 2012 following an external review conducted by Fieldworx.
Phone us on (07) 3837 5621 or email dovetail@health.qld.gov.au
