FDS Insight Magazine Aug - Oct 2022

1 I NSIGHTS O UT i everyone, Things are ramping up at Family Drug Support now that COVID lockdown restrictions have been lifted across Australia. We are back to face-to-face sessions of Volunteer Training, most Support Groups, Stepping Forward Information sessions, Support the Family – Improve the Outcome workshops and Stepping Stones groups in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. Online versions of some Support Groups and Stepping Forward sessions are also available. We are delivering back-to-back Volunteer Training sessions, and we are always looking for new volunteers for the 24/7 Support Line. If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in volunteering with Family Drug Support, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, James, on 0448 169 205. We have recently held our annual Remembrance Ceremonies in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. These ceremonies are always very moving events and are very important, particularly for the families and friends who have lost a loved one to substance use. FDS has been recruiting staff for various positions in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia; this should enable us to further expand support services to families. Due to the ongoing exposure of our community service announcement on television stations, particularly in regional areas, we are reaching more families and friends in need of support than ever before. There has been an increase in the volume of calls received by our Support Line, therefore, we are now looking forward to widely circulating a further community service announcement on radio to reach more people requiring support. FDS will be launching our new website in August. This change is intended to make our website easier to access and navigate. You will still be able to reach our webpage a t www.fds.org.au. We would appreciate feedback from you on your experiences with the new website. What works for you? What could be improved? Suggestions are welcomed as the website is designed to be a tool to support you. Please send your suggestions t o general@fds.ngo.org.au. Tony Trimingham, OAM H