ACSO Australia

As a big year comes to a close, we recognise and celebrate the diversity of traditions observed by our team and our clients during this time—Christmas, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Kwanzaa, and more. For some, December is a time of joy and togetherness; for others, it is a moment to rest and reflect. However you choose to spend your holiday season, we wish you warmth, connection, and peace. Thank you for being part of our community and supporting our work throughout the year. 🙏 #HappyHolidays #MerryChristmas #ChagSameach #BodhiDay #Kwanzaa

Earlier this month, the Queensland Government's Making Queensland Safer Bill was signed into law. The Bill (known also as “Adult Crime Adult Time”) makes significant changes to the way youth are processed and sentenced by the criminal justice system in Queensland. Among other changes:  ▪️ Children as young as ten can now receive adult sentences for serious crimes.  ▪️ Detention for children as young as ten is no longer a last resort.  ▪️ A youth offender’s record can no longer be wiped when they turn 18. But do harsher penalties for young offenders lead to better outcomes for the community? Research from the Sentencing Advisory Council shows children who enter the youth justice system early are in fact more likely to reoffend, while evidence from the Australian Law Reform Commission shows disproportionate rates of incarceration among already disadvantaged communities.     As an organisation with decades of experience in supporting individuals exiting the criminal justice system, ACSO understands firsthand that incarceration often isn’t the most effective pathway to ensure a safe and inclusive community.     Instead, ACSO advocates for more effective services addressing the complex needs of youth coming into contact with the criminal justice system. Some of ACSO’s own services include:  ▪️ Youth Residential Recovery (YRR) program   ▪️ Youth Outreach Recovery Support (YORS) program  ▪️ Boost program (a mentorship program designed for young people aged 14 to 17 who have breached or are at risk of breaching an existing AVO). In everything we do, ACSO stands in solidarity with vulnerable incarcerated individuals to advocate for a greater focus on community support, rehabilitation, and reintegration programs to break cycles of incarceration.  It is only through supporting vulnerable youth that meaningful progress can be made toward building safer communities. You can read more about ACSO’s youth services here: https://lnkd.in/ggxizbwi You can read more about the Queensland Government's youth justice reforms here: https://lnkd.in/ekkKvtQM You can read Amnesty International’s report on the reforms here: https://lnkd.in/gdx7BB7W #YouthJustice #YouthAdvocacy #JusiceReform #RaiseTheAge #AdultCrimeAdultTime

This week wrapped up Respect Victoria's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a campaign that aligns deeply with ACSO Australia’s mission. Our team has been actively involved throughout, reaffirming our commitment to fostering a safer community for everyone. One example of ACSO’s enthusiastic involvement in the campaign was shared with us by team members Izzy and Layla, who had this to say about their experience attending the DjirraVIC ACTIVEism Festival: “The Djirra ACTIVEism Festival was a wonderful and welcoming event, celebrating community, collaboration, advocacy and Aboriginal women's strength and talent. There were heaps of activities including basket weaving, dance, yoga, live music and resources shared by local First Nations services. We loved learning, eating, celebrating and connecting at the festival and will be back next year!” Initiatives like DjirraVIC's ACTIVEism Festival are crucial for building strong, resilient community. Research continues to demonstrate the links between women’s experiences of violence and imprisonment—with violence increasing the risk and effects of imprisonment, and imprisonment increasing the risk and effects of violence. In many of our programs, ACSO Australia seeks innovative ways to intervene in cycles of violence and incarceration to map out alternative pathways back to meaningful community participation. To find out more about ACSO’s services, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eWKTFW4C

Calls for Abstracts close Monday for the Complex Needs Conference 2025. Hosted by ACSO Australia in collaboration with Ermha Ltd and funded by DFFH, the conference will bring together a diverse group of people at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne to explore challenges and solutions for supporting individuals with complex needs. By fostering a collaborative environment, we aim to share ideas, research, and personal experience. These aim to inspire, inform, and drive better practices in delivering coordinated care for people with diverse and complex needs. With the overarching theme for the conference "Making it work: overcoming barriers and simplifying support for people with complex needs", we are seeking abstracts across 3 conference streams: ▪️ Interconnected systems ▪️ Research and program showcase ▪️ Lived experience Whether you are a practitioner, researcher, policy maker, and/or a person with lived experience, we invite you to submit your abstract for the Complex Needs Conference 2025. Abstracts should be submitted via the Conference website’s abstract submission form: https://lnkd.in/gSHdadCS

On National Disability Day, ACSO reflects on the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in the criminal justice system. While only 2.9% of people have an intellectual disability, they make up 15% of the prison population—this proportion rises to 30% when accounting for borderline intellectual disability. In Australia, individuals with cognitive and psychosocial impairments are disproportionately incarcerated, underscoring significant systemic inequities (Hellenbach et al., 2017). Research shows inmates with disabilities face higher rates of physical, intellectual, sensory, and mental health challenges (Dias et al., 2013). The recent NDIS review highlights critical gaps in support for people with disabilities, particularly those involved in the justice system. Not everyone with a disability engages with the NDIS, yet these gaps emphasise the urgent need for a more holistic approach to supporting individuals, both within and outside of of the justice system. ACSO is dedicated to supporting, diverting, and reintegrating individuals through services like mental health support, alcohol and drug treatment, intensive residential assistance, and housing and employment programs. These services span the entire justice continuum, from prevention to rehabilitation. We will continue to advocate for long-term solutions, as prison should not be the default for people with disabilities. Australia needs better solutions to support individuals in exiting the justice system and keeping communities safe. To learn more about our programs, visit: https://lnkd.in/eWKTFW4C #NationalDisabilityDay

We're excited to be co-hosting the Complex Needs Conference 2025 with Ermha Ltd, which is proudly funded by Victorian Department of Families, Fairness & Housing (DFFH). The conference will bring together a diverse network of professionals, practitioners, and individuals with lived experience to address the unique challenges and solutions for supporting people with complex needs.   Call for Abstracts! We're inviting our network to submit abstracts that addresses the challenges and innovative solutions in supporting individuals with complex and intersecting needs, including mental health issues; harmful substance use; behaviour that can lead to risk to self and others; homelessness; trauma; and disability.   To learn more about the conference streams and how to submit an abstract, visit: https://lnkd.in/gtDy8gGM   Abstract Closing Date: Monday 16 December 2024

Earlier this year, ACSO Australia team members Nathan Billings and Simon Robinson participated in the World Congress on Alcohol and Addictions. This conference brings together experts from around the world to discuss various initiatives in the Alcohol and Other Drug space that have yielded positive results.  Some useful examples our team members gathered from this year’s comprehensive program include:  ▪️ A new model of pharmacotherapy assessment within the Canadian remand space that has seen a decrease in Suboxone related risks  ▪️ Successes using emerging technology (such as smart watches) in early recognition of opiate overdose  ▪️ Useful data showing the positive benefits of aftercare in post residential drug withdrawal treatment. Nathan hopes to put some of his newly acquired knowledge to work in ACSO’s Community Offender Advice and Treatment Service (COATS) program. COATS is our Victorian state-wide service for forensic clients in contact, or at risk of contact, with the criminal justice system. At ACSO, we aim for best practice in all our programs by actively seeking informed ways to improve our processes. You can learn more about COATS and our various other programs here: https://lnkd.in/gYkWyhms World Congress on Alcohol and Addictions sponsored by: Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) World Health Organization Victoria State Government (Victorian Government)

Registrations Open: Complex Needs Conference 2025! 📅 When: 26–27 March 2025 📍 Where: Grand Hyatt Melbourne We’re excited to co-host the Complex Needs Conference 2025 alongside Ermha Ltd, with support from the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness & Housing. Join us for two days to explore:  🔸 Bridging gaps in community safety & service provision 🔸 Enhancing mental health & housing outcomes 🔸 Overcoming stigma & building transformative relationships 🔸 Addressing barriers to accessing support 🔸 Personal journeys to recovery 🔸 The power of peer, family & community advocacy 🔸 Delivering culturally relevant care 🔸 Strengthening community connections This conference is for practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and those with lived experience, united in the mission to improve outcomes for people with complex needs. 🎟️ Early Bird Discount Ends 26 February 2025! 👉 Register now and explore the full program: https://lnkd.in/g82V7WU6 Your participation is vital in driving change and enhancing support systems for those who need it most.

This past week ACSO has been engaged with Transgender Awareness Week. In Queensland we had the incredible Jack from Queensland Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (QNADA) join our team for a morning tea on opening up vital dialogue with transgender, gender diverse and non-binary folks, and how we can work together to support our clients, ourselves and people in our communities. This evening some of our Victorian team members will attend the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil hosted by Transgender Victoria. As an organisation that welcomes Trans and Gender Diverse service users and employees this week is a very important one in our calendar and we encourage everyone to get involved in any way they can. To learn more about our Equity and Inclusion initiatives, visit: https://lnkd.in/gjF4puBu

We're excited to be co-hosting the Complex Needs Conference 2025 with Ermha Ltd, which is proudly funded by Victorian Department of Families, Fairness & Housing (DFFH). The conference will bring together a diverse network of professionals, practitioners, and individuals with lived experience to address the unique challenges and solutions for supporting people with complex needs.   Call for Abstracts! We're inviting our network to submit abstracts that addresses the challenges and innovative solutions in supporting individuals with complex and intersecting needs, including mental health issues; harmful substance use; behaviour that can lead to risk to self and others; homelessness; trauma; and disability.   To learn more about the conference streams and how to submit an abstract, visit: https://lnkd.in/gtDy8gGM   Abstract Closing Date: Monday 16 December 2024