FDS 2023 Annual Report

19 Stepping Stones Research Anna Daglish, FDS QLD & ACT Clinical Services Manager has been working for the past three years on a dissertation following the lives and stories of various individuals who have completed the FDS Stepping Stones program. The Stepping Stones Program – The Family Perspective study contributes to the evidence base which demonstrates that family support is key to better outcomes for a relative using drugs or alcohol. Anna has presented her research at the following conferences: Anna Daglish (FDS QLD & ACT Clinical Services Manager)  International Harm Reduction 2023 Conference  2023 Australia & New Zealand Addiction Conference  APSAD 2023 Conference The following is a summary of the study written by Anna: Stepping Stones Program – The Family Perspective “And I would never have achieved that if I hadn’t done Stepping Stones. If I had never been with Family Drug Support. I said to Tony, “How many times, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart, that I would have gone down a rabbit hole and never have come back if it hadn’t been for FDS”. It has changed me profoundly. But that is because I was ready. It was because I was ready to do the hard work. It was very painful … but I have chosen the path of growth … And I have realised that I have some stuff that I have to put an effort in to change too. And it’s an ongoing process … I will continue to grow. I will continue to turn around and challenge how I do things. And one of the best things I hope … one of the things they say at Stepping Stones is that you will end up changing a lot of your relationships. Because you start to see things differently … It’s like with Sleeping Beauty. You’re asleep. You get woken up. And you can’t go back”. (Jane) I would like to thank the extraordinary families who contributed to this study. This research is a testimony of their courage and resilience displayed throughout the 300 pages of transcripts from the interviews. The research is also a nod to the contribution of Tony Trimingham OAM and Sandra Lines OAM who co-founded FDS and developed harm reduction (HR) interventions amidst a hostile landscape, most notably against the odds of prohibition. Family Drug Support has been engaging in radical practice for 25 years, and includes what we consider to be best practice in the human services field today. The model of care that FDS delivers includes anti-oppressive practice, trauma-informed care, person-centred practice, and a recognition that families hold their own expertise. These keystones for care were visible in the reflections and outcomes of each family that participated in the Stepping Stones study. A labour of love three years in the making, the research is finally complete and I am so happy to report that the study has been well received within both the academic arena and across the sector. What I am most thrilled about is that we challenged the status quo with this research, and the academic community supported the findings and implications for policy and practice. A scoping literature review revealed that the Stepping Stones program is the leading psycho-educational program embracing a harm reduction framework in the