Member News | Edition 10

Member Spotlight | Brendan Witt, Ramahyuck

Brendan Witt is the Community Support and Engagement Manager at Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation. Ramahyuck is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACHHO) established in 1992 that works across Gippsland. It has grown to be a leading provider of primary health care and related social and family support services to Aboriginal people in the region.

Brendan has worked in AOD for two decades, starting at Fulham Prison as Programs Facilitator in the mid 2000s. “I’ve always had in interest in helping people, especially helping fellows talk a bit more and open up and actually improve lifestyles instead of being that pseudo masculine rock that only explodes and never cracks. I really enjoyed the job, it certainly made me who I am today.”

Brendan moved to work at Latrobe Community Health Service and ACSO in AOD. This solidified his journey into Aboriginal health. “I started working a lot in the Koorie Alcohol and Drug Program.” His skills in assessing, brief intervention, and counselling strengthened, before commencing in 2016 as a Senior AOD Clinician at Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC).

“I've lived on a farm all my life and just the nature of an ACCHO really resonates with the way that I work. Having that connection with the community and the people that we work with is one of those things that happens more than mainstream. We’re focused on doing well for the people that are within our organisation and the community.”

In 2022 Brendan moved to Ramahyuck to manage the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) team. The SEWB model of care allows Ramahyuck and other ACCHOs to work in a holistic manner to address the whole needs of a person. “We're focused on assisting the client to achieve their goals and wants. We are a large multidisciplinary team with pockets of specialisation within it. We really pride ourselves in being a one-stop shop.”

As Community Support and Engagement Manager Brendan is motivated to support change that breaks down silos, ensures that services meet the needs of communities, and that services are self-determined and Aboriginal led.

“One shoe may fit most, but it doesn't fit all. I've been moulded to stand up for people and use the position I hold to influence and advocate for change, not to be another sheep in the flock.”

Brendan describes an arrangement Ramahyuck has put in place with Latrobe Regional Hospital, that sees them co-locate their staff with Aboriginal Liaison Officers at the hospital. This has improved client transitions from the hospital back to the community.

”The referral turns into a warm referral because they've already seen us, we already know them, we've already built that relationship with them. So when it does come to discharge, be it emergency department or off the ward, we are getting better outcomes and better attendance rates, because of the connection. We're reducing stress and as a result, increasing health outcomes in the same breath.”

Brendan is a member of VAADA’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee and reflects on the opportunity for the broader AOD sector in Victoria to support self-determined Aboriginal healthcare.

“Sometimes we need to be comfortable sitting in the grey and actually taking new directions. If we can be confident in what we're doing, then other stakeholders around us will also grow in confidence and improved outcomes will come as a result.”

Welcome to Our Newest Member...

VAADA is Proud to Announce Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation as our Newest Organisational Member

Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation that is dedicated to delivering quality specialist alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation and outreach support services to meet the needs of Aboriginal people and their families.

Their vision is To gain Wellness and To Improve. They exist to deliver quality services to meet the needs of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People, their families and their communities. They drive positive change and healing for the people they help by focusing on a variety of services.

Welcome Ngwala Willumbong, we are very pleased to have you as a member!

Member Update | Windana

Three years after completing his residential rehabilitation program at Windana, Ben Craven is taking on an extraordinary challenge to give back to the service he says helped save his life. In June, Ben will undertake Ben’s Run for Recovery, a 750km journey on foot from Adelaide to Melbourne to raise funds, awareness of the barriers many people face when trying to access alcohol and other drug support, and spread the message of hope in recovery.

All proceeds and donations raised through Ben’s Run for Recovery will go to Windana to help create meaningful and lasting change for people and communities impacted by alcohol and other drugs. You can follow updates from the road, key milestones and reflections on Windana and Ben’s social media channels. 

Member Update | ADF

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has recently developed a chatbot called dib, where people can screen for their own alcohol-related risk. dib also provides information to support anyone who wants to reduce alcohol-related harms and directs users to tailored behaviour change resources.

Researchers from the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University are inviting anybody who drinks alcohol to complete self-screening questions with dib. If you decide to help out and complete a short follow-up survey one week later, you’ll receive a token of appreciation to say thanks for your time and effort.

Go to the link below and look for the blue dib chat bubble at the bottom right of the page to get started. If you can’t see dib, try pausing your ad and pop-up blocker, if you have one.

This study has been approved by the Curtin Human Research Ethics Committee (HR2025-0602).

Member Update | cohealth

The Commonwealth Government and cohealth announced a joint funding commitment of $1.5 million each, to ensure that cohealth's general practice services at Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington remain available for communities beyond 31 July 2026.

Continuing GP services provides much-needed certainty for the people who depend on them, and for the staff and clinicians who deliver that care every day. These services are essential, and without them, many would have nowhere else to turn for the care and support they need. While this is a welcome step forward, there is still work to do to secure the long-term sustainability of General Practice services for people with complex health needs.

Member Update | DPV Health

The theme of the symposium this year was The Right Way – Measure What Matters. The event brought together staff and partners across the health sector to reflect on what Excellent Care truly looks like, and how we measure what matters most across our areas of work and influence. They had over 130 people in attendance and 80 online!

The symposium sparked rich conversations about client experience outcomes and using meaningful data to continuously improve the care we provide; always centred on the people and communities they serve.

Member Update | Access HC and Inspiro

This month marks one year since Inspiro and Access Health and Community merged, creating a stronger, more integrated health and community service across the eastern region of Melbourne. Over the past 12 months, the partnership has expanded child and family services across Melbourne’s outer east, opened the Lilydale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, and invested in local service infrastructure to improve community access to care. 

The merger has also strengthened organisational capability, partnerships and service delivery, positioning them to better respond to future health and community needs across the region.

Member Update | YSAS

VAADA CEO Chris Christoforou and Head of Policy and Practice Scott Drummond visited Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) Dandenong Youth Hub and their new drop in space The Third Place funded by South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network.

Third Place is a new youth-focused community hub supporting young people aged 12–25 and families in Melbourne’s south east. The co-designed space offers recreation, programs, training, and practical support, providing a culturally safe, community-based approach to youth wellbeing and suicide prevention.

For booking enquiries contact Sally Rumble, Hub Coordinator or call YSAS Dandenong reception on (03) 9701 3488.

Member Update | Victorian Pill Testing Service

The Victorian Pill Testing Service has released a series of new service reports, offering valuable insights into the outcomes and impact of Victoria’s first pill testing service. Published across both its mobile festival-based sites and fixed-site service in Fitzroy, the reports provide transparent, real-time data on the substances being detected, emerging drug trends, and the vital role pill testing plays in harm reduction.

These reports not only highlight how the service is helping people make safer, more informed decisions, but also contribute to Victoria’s broader early warning system by identifying dangerous or unexpected substances in circulation.

Recognition of National Volunteer Week 18-20 May

This National Volunteer Week VAADA is Recognising Volunteers Within the AOD Sector 

This National Volunteer Week, 18 – 20 May, VAADA would like to recognise all of the amazing past and present volunteers in the AOD sector who generously give their time and energy to provide support, wisdom, empathy and so much more to those affected by alcohol and other drug use, and the services that provide this care. Many volunteers working in the AOD sector have a lived or living experience of substance use or of supporting someone who does. This allows them to bring significant compassion, understanding and hope to the care they provide.

So many of VAADA’s Member Organisations have volunteers working with them. While we recognise and appreciate all, we’d like to highlight a few:

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