ConnectED
Get ConnectED!
ConnectED is NUAA’s free professional development network for people in the lived or living experience Alcohol and other Drugs workforce in NSW.
ConnectED provides specialist peer support and professional development opportunities for:
People in the NSW lived and living experience AOD workforce;
People wanting to join the NSW lived and living experience AOD workforce, from volunteer through to paid roles;
Organisations in NSW wanting to employ people with lived and living experience of AOD;
Organisations that seek to provide stigma-free services and support to people who use drugs and/or alcohol.
Are you part of the lived and living experience AOD Workforce?
The ‘lived and living experience AOD Workforce’ describes people who are participating in health service delivery, where their life experiences of alcohol and or other drug use are an integral part of their professional skill base and expertise.
This can include as a volunteer, consumer advocate, outreach worker, peer support worker and/or other paid roles. What sets these roles apart from other AOD workforce positions is that people’s lived or living experience of drug and/or alcohol use is a requirement for the role.
Does this sound like you? If your answer is yes, we would love to get you ConnectED!
Free opportunities for individuals with lived or living experience of AOD
AOD Peer Worker Foundation Training is designed to empower people with lived and living experience (LLE) in the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) field to build foundational peer work skills whilst sharing their stories with confidence, safety, and impact.
Day 1 - BUILD covers the fundamentals of peer work, including best practice principles, communication, boundaries and self-care.
Day 2 - SHARE focuses on purposeful and safe storytelling, managing disclosure and engaging audiences.
Delivered 2 days face to face, or online
GROW is our LLE Community of Practice that will provide a space for LLE workers to share workplace challenges, learnings and lessons.
Once a Month
EXPAND is our webinar series, which brings leading experts from across the AOD sector to discuss issues relevant to the LLE workforce.
Every 2 Months
CONNECT is our online support network, which includes access to resources, advice and information forums and professional development opportunities, such as research, volunteer and employment opportunities.
Register now at the link below. CONNECT Network | Request to join (hivebrite.com)
NUAA has a variety of Peers who can speak to your staff, students or community group. If you are interested in having a NUAA Peer from our Speakers Group, speak at your workplace or event; please click here and fill out the form.
To volunteer for NUAA’s Speakers Group click here and fill out the form.
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The AOD Peer Worker Foundation Training is a two-day training, alternately delivered face-to-face and online. It is designed for people with lived and living experience (LLE) who want to build strong foundations in AOD peer work. The training supports you to develop practical peer work skills while learning how to share your story with confidence, care, and impact.
You’ll learn about:
Peer Work Foundations
The history, values, and principles of peer work
Communication and active listening skills
Working effectively within organisations
Storytelling Skills
Crafting engaging personal narratives
Empowering and ethical storytelling
Adapting your story for different audiences and settings
Navigating boundaries, self-care and disclosure
Cost: $25 registration (Fee waived for community members not completing training through work)
* Workbook provided
Facilitated by two experienced NUAA trainers.
Can’t attend both days? You can still join Day 1 and complete the remaining training later in the year to receive your certificate.
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GROW is our LLE Community of Practice. These sessions are delivered in partnership with NUAA and an expert peer consultant. They aim to provide a space for people working in the LLE AOD Workforce to share workplace challenges, learnings and lessons across the NSW AOD LLE workforce.
Who can register? Anyone with lived or living experience of drug use in a peer-identified role.
Cost: Free
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EXPAND is our webinar series, which brings leading experts from across the AOD sector to discuss issues relevant to the LLE workforce.
Who can register? Anyone interested in issues relevant to the LLE workforce and AOD sector.
Cost: Free
Frequency: One webinar every 2 months
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CONNECT is our online support network. Connect includes access to resources, advice, information forums and professional development opportunities.
Who can register? Anyone with lived or living experience of drug use wanting to develop skills to start peer work/ or is a peer worker.
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Want a speaker with lived or living experience of AOD to talk to your organisation? NUAA has a range of speakers and staff with lived and living experience of drug use and accessing AOD services who can come and talk on a variety of topics From consumer perspective on AOD services like OTP, detox and rehab, to drug checking and harm reduction, safer using, peer work. Organisational readiness for peer workers and more
If you would like to know more about our Speakers Group email training@nuaa.org.au or if you want to book a speaker fill out this form and someone will be in touch to discuss your requirements.
For organisations who employ people with lived and living experience of AOD or work with people who use drugs
EQUIP includes peer-developed modules aimed at ensuring healthcare workers have the skills to provide care and support for people who use drugs. EQUIP explores the effects of stigma and discrimination that people who use drugs experience in healthcare settings and provides strategies to address it, helping services provide quality, person-centred care.
Learning outcomes:
Recognise how stigma and discrimination towards people who inject drugs can generate negative outcomes;
Identify where your assumptions and inherent attitudes about people who use or have used drugs are drawn from;
Recognise the impact that negative language and harmful attitudes may have upon access to health care services;
Challenge assumptions about the motivations of people who inject drugs when accessing health care services; and
Identify personal strategies to implement in practice to build therapeutic relationships with people who inject drugs and drive better health outcomes.
Who can enquire? Organisations that want to equip their staff with the skills to provide quality, stigma-free care to people who use drugs and/or alcohol.
Duration: A choice between a four or two-hour session that can be tailored to organisational needs.
Fee for Service
To enquire: please email training@nuaa.org.au with the subject line ‘EQUIP’.
Peer Supervision
NUAA can provide one-on-one and group peer supervision to LHD and NGO’s to support their LLE workforce.
Like line management supervision, Peer supervision is an essential support mechanism for lived or living experience workers. Peer supervision provides LLE workers with a peer supervisor to guide and develop the LLE workers’ professional lived experience practice and lived experience skill set.
Who can enquire? Organisations that employ people with lived or living experience of drug and/or alcohol use.
Fee for Service
To enquire: please email training@nuaa.org.au with the subject line ‘Peer Supervision’.