Uniting Church's 'Fair Treatment' campaign visits Tamworth to push for expanded Alcohol and Other Drugs services

Uniting Church's Fair Treatment campaign is visiting the city this week to find out what it will take to get funding for a program.

Social justice lead at Uniting Alex Hogan and the campaign team will unveil a new pledge of support during their visit on the week of Monday, April 10.

The push to expand services in Tamworth kicked off in 2021 following a successful campaign in Dubbo, which will see a rehabilitation centre built.

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It's "important" that people in rural and regional areas like Tamworth are able to heal and find support at home, in their communities, with their families, friends and support networks, Ms Hogan said.

The lack of AOD services is felt across regional and rural NSW, she said.

"What often happens is people in regional and rural areas, like Tamworth, have to travel to larger metropolitan hubs to access detox, to access rehab, and other AOD services that they may need," she said.

In September 2022, the government vowed to commit $358 million to address health treatment gaps in its response to the Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice'.

On April 11, a special briefing will be held with a representative from Hunter New England Health and hosted by Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) to reveal what the current state of funding is from the ICE Inquiry, and what that means for Tamworth residents.

A pledge was a strong component of the Dubbo campaign that showed key decision makers how much support was in the community, Ms Hogan said.

On April 12, community members are welcome to dinner, to discuss next steps for the campaign, including the pledge, which is a product of the community survey on AOD services in Tamworth conducted in 2022.

The survey results showed local support for detox, a residential rehab, and wraparound support for families, as well as the individual experiencing drug dependency, she said.

And, a desire for services that celebrate the culture of First Nations people was clear.

"What we're hoping to do in Tamworth is grow that support from the ground up so that at every point, we're able to win funding for Tamworth, that this is done in a really collaborative way with the local community," Ms Hogan said.

Uniting is seeking people from the community, including those with lived experience who can provide valuable insight into drug dependency, required treatment and support in Tamworth, or would like to be involved in this campaign.

Email ahogan@uniting.org for details.

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