WRAP - Womens Referral Access Program

The Women�s Referral and Access Project (WRAP) has been operating in the northern rivers area since July 2001. This integrated care trial is managed by the NCAHS - Area Mental Health. WRAP was funded under the NSW Drug Summit 1999: Government Plan of Action. The Project was to implement and evaluate an integrated care trial for women dependent on illicit drugs. The four target groups were:

Pregnant women and women with young children
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
A rural community intervention program targeting women at Nimbin
Women in Methadone treatment

The overall aim of WRAP was to improve the quality of life of drug dependent women and their families by utilising a coordinated and collaborative approach to service delivery.

WRAP aimed to include 50-200 women who were required to meet an inclusion criteria and needed be aged 18 years or over.

The Project was evaluated through the NRAHS Clinical Research Evaluation and Support Team (CREST).

WRAP PHASE 1

Prior to the implementation of the integrated care models, the WRAP Team developed and implemented a range of strategies to gain support for the Project across the NRA. It was essential to identify relevant stakeholders who could be involved in the Project. In addition, identifying the needs of drug dependent women and their families and the needs of organisations working with this group of women was vital. The planning strategies used included:

Service Mapping
Consultations
Partnerships Information and data collection
WRAP General Needs Assessment
WRAP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Needs Assessment
Development of communication strategies.

WRAP PHASE 2

The following summarises the range of Integrated Care Models implemented across the target groups by WRAP.

Case Management

An Integrated Case Management model and Procedure Manual were developed.
Case Management was implemented within government and non-government organisations with 61 drug dependent women recruited into case management through the WRAP trial.
Twenty-eight service providers were recruited and trained across the NRA in WRAP Case Management and integrated care across the NRA.
Services funded to implement Integrated Care Models
A non-government Women�s Health Centre was funded to implement a range of services to drug dependent women including case management, free medical clinics, counselling, complimentary therapies and life skills groups.
A non-government Family Service was funded to implement case management and community development initiatives for drug dependent women residing in a caravan park. Support for an integrated team approach amongst organisations providing services within caravan parks. Skills based training for drug dependent women.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

Alcohol and Drug Education workshops for Aboriginal women
Development of a drugs in pregnancy brochure
Identified the alcohol and drug training needs of workers working with Aboriginal populations in the NRA.
Counselling for Aboriginal drug dependent women.

Strategies for Nimbin

A non-government Community Organisation was funded to design and implement a Volunteer Support program for to drug dependent women in the community and establish an alcohol and other drugs community resource library.
Funding was provided to a school to facilitate �Adventure Camps� for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. In addition alcohol and other drug education was integrated across curriculum from K � 12
WRAP provided a BBQ for community development and health promotions initiatives.

Pregnant Women and Women with children

WRAP supported the establishment of an evidence based, integrated approach to the provision of services for pregnant drug dependent women across the NRA.
Alcohol and other drug use in pregnancy and breastfeeding brochures developed in partnership with a range of services and distributed across the NRA
Specialist Training in alcohol and other drug use in pregnancy and breastfeeding for service providers across NRA with over 90 service providers trained

Women on Methadone

Computer Training was provided for women from this target group � 13 women attended with 7 graduating from the course.
Specialist training in a family intervention model for service providers working with women on methadone.
Battery operated toothbrushes provided for women to improve their oral hygiene.

Training for Service Providers:

223 service providers were assisted with training through WRAP initiatives.

WHAT DID WRAP ACHIEVE?

The WRAP Project was successful at developing and implementing a range of integrated care models across the NRA for drug dependent women and their families according to the project plan.

The Project implemented strategies that recruited and supported women and their families to participate in the trial, with 145 drug dependent women involved in WRAP.

Numerous other drug dependent women participated in the different components of the trial across the NRA that were established to attract drug dependent women through mainstream activities, though these specific figures cannot be determined, though 414 people accessed these initiatives.

A comprehensive evaluation was carried out that investigated the effect of the trial on integration of care and the subsequent effect on the quality of life, health and social circumstances of drug dependent women. The findings are documented in the WRAP Evaluation Report.

Women involved in the WRAP evaluation reported their experiences of WRAP and case management. The findings Included:

Improved access to a range of services
Reduction in drug use
Increased belief in self
Decrease in health problems and increase in accessing help for health problems
Increased access to education/training courses
Decrease in unmet support needs.

The Evaluation also showed that WRAP�s service model had led to better integration of care/service delivery for drug dependent women in this rural area, though this differed between the geographical locations.

If you would like a copy of the Reports that WRAP has produced, please contact the WRAP Project Manager on (02) 66207587

These include:

�On The Trail� � A situational analysis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and illicit drug use in the Northern Rivers Area 2002.
� A WRAP UP of the Needs Assessment� Report No 1.1
�A WRAP UP of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Needs Assessment� Report No 1.2
WRAP Implementation Report No 2
Evaluation of the WRAP Report No 3

RESOURCES

A number of resources were purchased or funded and developed by WRAP in partnership with a range of service providers.

�Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies and Healthy Communities� � an Aboriginal antenatal pamphlet
�Mothers Using Methadone and/or other Substances �� a service pamphlet
�Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome � caring for your baby� � an Information booklet
�Volunteer Social Support Handbook� � developed by Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre Inc

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Funding has been received to extend the project and WRAP is currently focussing on a drugs in pregnancy project in Tweed and Grafton and a Kinship Care project which addresses the needs of people caring for the children of Aboriginal drug dependent women.

For any information regarding WRAP, please contact the Project Manager on (02) 6620 7587