DAWN 20th anniversary
1 Mar 2021
In March 2001, the Sisters of St John of God identified a need in the Perth community for a service that supported people with drug and alcohol addictions who wanted to cease or reduce their substance use to do so safely, without having to attend an in-patient withdrawal program.DAWN Manager, Ann Annetts explained that for many people with children, work and other commitments, having to leave their homes for an extended period of time could be a barrier to accessing substance withdrawal support.
“The Sisters saw an area of unmet need within our community and an opportunity to support people who were vulnerable and very often, marginalised,” Ann said.
“They travelled to Victoria to look at a service that’s similar to DAWN and made the decision to pilot a program inspired by that service back here in Perth.”
The concept was to provide a team of clinical nurse specialists who would work closely with a person’s GP to support them to withdraw or reduce their substance use safely within their own home.
Originally called Release, the service was piloted in Perth’s northern suburbs from March to December of 2001.
In 2002 its name was changed to the Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network (or DAWN for short) and by 2007, it was servicing clients right across the Perth metropolitan area.
Today, DAWN is fully funded by the WA Mental Health Commission and provides services free of charge to clients of all ages, from all walks of life, who have problematic relationships with a range of different substances though Ann, who has been with DAWN for 15 years, said the most common by far is alcohol.
“Alcohol is the substance we see the most of and it’s also the one that causes the most damage in the community - the stats are there to back that up,” Ann said.
The second most common substance the team at DAWN deals with is methamphetamines, but they support clients with a broad range of illicit, prescription and over-the-counter medication dependencies.
“Almost without exception, substance use is a symptom of something more that a person is dealing with. Connecting clients to counselling and other support services is an important part of our role and helps position them for long-term success,” Ann said.
DAWN accepts self-referrals as well as GP referrals and supports GPs with a range of resources, including prescribing guidelines, and access to a triage nurse who can answer urgent enquiries.
“We also place a big emphasis on supporting clients’ families and support people, and will often refer them for counselling,” Ann said.
“We take a very holistic approach and look at our clients as a complete person. Part of that is connecting their family and other people who are close to them, who they depend on, with the support they need to be able to support their loved one.
“When clients have children in the home, we advise them of the range of services available for families.”
The team at DAWN are committed to ensuring everyone who is put in touch with the service is connected with the right support, even if they are not an appropriate candidate for a safe, successful home-based withdrawal.
“We help connect people to other providers when our service isn’t right for them. Sometimes this can mean supporting clients into an in-patient withdrawal program and then supporting them for a couple of sessions once they get back home until they’re engaged with counselling,” Ann said.
“By doing a home-based withdrawal, our clients learn to manage their substance use triggers from the get-go. Generally, it also means they’re staying in the place where they feel most comfortable and don’t have to be separated from their family, which is significant, particularly for people with young children.”
Home visits from the DAWN clinical nurse specialist vary depending on the substance the client is withdrawing from but generally range between 45 minutes to an hour daily (Monday to Friday) and the nurses are always available by phone during business hours. Support resources are also provided to clients if they experience any issues after hours.
“DAWN has been recognised with multiple awards but what really makes my heart swell is the feedback that we continually get from our clients and their families,” Ann said.
“They are just so appreciative and grateful for our support and that we treat them with respect and without judgement.
“Because of the societal perceptions around addiction, people come in expecting to be judged and when that doesn’t happen, you can feel their relief.
“Tackling a substance dependency is not easy, and people with problematic alcohol and/or substance use almost without exception have a history of trauma. On top of that, they are usually struggling with a lot of shame over their addiction.
“It takes an awful lot of courage for our clients to reach out for help.
“We are extremely proud to have been delivering this service which our clients credit with changing and, in many cases saving, their lives for two decades now.”
To find out more, visit www.sjog.org.au/dawn.