Alcohol and other drug services are essential and will be maintained during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic wherever possible.  

WANADA provides updates, information and resources for the alcohol and other drug sector and the community here.

Alcohol and other Drug Support and Information

If you are in Western Australia and you need support or information in relation to alcohol and other drug-related issues, please contact the Alcohol and Drug Support Service on (08) 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024 (free for country callers). The service is free, confidential and available 24/7.

If English is not your first language, you can get free translation support through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) by phoning 131 450.

WANADA and the Alcohol and other Drug Sector Response to COVID-19

WANADA has worked with the alcohol and other drug sector to produce resources and tools that will support responses to the pandemic. These include:

• document Resources and Considerations for Alcohol and Other Drug Services: Risk Management and Response Planning for COVID-19 (as at 31 March 2020) (77 KB)  - WANADA
• document COVID-19 Capacity Self-Assessment Tool for the Alcohol and other Drug Sector (24 KB) - WANADA

Alcohol and other Drug Sector Updates

• COVID-19 Harm Reduction and General Information Flyers for Consumers - Peer Based Harm Reduction WA
• Coronavirus Information Fact Sheet for Consumers - Penington Institute
• Relationships Australia continues to operate via telephone and videoconferencing. Relationships Australia provides support to many WANADA members and their staff through our umbrella Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Update - Postponed to 2021. 2020 Western Australian Alcohol and other Drug Conference - Shifting Perspective - Alcohol and other drugs: everybody's story - 8-9 October 2020, The Westin Perth.
• SMART Recovery Australia - while most in-person support meetings will be on hold, online SMART Recovery support meetings are available. Limited numbers of Family and Friends SMART Support Groups are also available online, as well as SMART Recovery Facilitator Training.
• pdf Second Open Letter to Australian Governments Regarding Prisons and COVID-19 (225 KB)
• pdf WANADA Update - 27 March 2020 (163 KB)
• Holyoake - Looking out for each other during COVID-19
• 3rd Australasian FASD Conference - 11-12 November 2020, Sydney. Cancelled.
• MHC Alcohol and Other Drug Crisis Intervention Response Community Forums - Cockburn Central (Wednesday 25 March 2020) and Joondalup (Thursday 2 April 2020) - cancelled. Tuna Blue, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission, is exploring other ways to consult. Tuna Blue encourages interested stakeholders to please complete the Alcohol and other Drug Crisis Intervention Response Survey.
• NDRI Seminar: Drug trends in WA – Findings from the 2019 IDRS and EDRS - Thursday 26 March 2020, 11am - 12pm -the seminar will take place without an audience. A video of the presentation will be available from NDRI on Youtube.
• NDRI Public Seminar Program - events have been suspended until further notice. Visit NDRI Events for details.
• Next Step Addiction Medicine Symposium - 19 March 2020, Royal Perth Hospital. Postponed to later in the year.
• Access Plus WA Deaf - where possible staff members are working from home. Interpreting services continue - please be patient and considerate - if you are feeling unwell, please book for another time. Access Plus WA Deaf is one of the services that alcohol and other drug services can access through WANADA's Interpreter Access Program.
• WACOSS Conference 2020 - Finding Ground - 26-28 October 2020, Esplanade Hotel Fremantle - rescheduled from May to this new date in October 2020.
• Preventive Health Conference 2020 - PREVENTION: effective action in a volatile world - 13-15 May 2020, Perth - cancelled.
• NADA Conference 2020: Enhancing connections - 4–5 June 2020, Sydney. Postponed - updates soon. Thank you for your interest and support.

WA Government Announcements and Resources

• Second regional COVID clinic joins fight against coronavirus WA Government Media Statement, 6 April 2020 - COVID clinic to open on Wednesday at Broome Hospital. In other Kimberley communities, those requiring testing are able to attend any WA Country Health Service hospital or health service or clinics operated by Aboriginal Medical Services or the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
• New laws to protect family violence victims during COVID-19 pandemic - WA Government Media Statement, 2 April 2020
• Stronger restrictions in place to protect Kimberley residents from COVID-19 - WA Government, 2 April 2020 - new Kimberley travel restrictions, in line with the four local government boundaries, came into effect from 11.59pm Thursday 2 April 2020.
• COVID-19 testing criteria to be expanded in WA (WA Government, 1 April 2020) - testing now available to anyone showing signs of a fever and acute respiratory infection, with emphasis remaining on protecting vulnerable populations such as residential care and remote communities.
• Funding and Contracting Services Special Edition Bulletin 82 - WA Department of Finance, 31 March 2020 - updates include new funding certainty for service providers.
• document Organisation Template Letter for Intrastate Travel (28 KB)  - Communities Partnership Team
• pdf Community Sector Partnerships Info #1 (144 KB)  - Department of Communities
• pdf Communities Sector Partnerships Relationships Map (57 KB)  - Department of Communities
• Changes to government school learning from Monday - Media Statement, 26 March 2020
• Access restricted to protect people living in the Kimberley and remote Aboriginal communities - Media Statement, 26 March 2020
• Remote Aboriginal Communities Directions - Western Australian Government
• COVID-19 response: Temporary changes to takeaway alcohol - Premier Mark McGowan, Media Statement, 25 March 2020
• WA Government Funding and Contracting Services Unit (FaCS) March 2020 Special Edition Bulletin - 23 March 2020
• Department of Communities - Joint message on COVID-19 - 20 March 2020
• COVID-19 information for Mental Health Commission service providers - 17 March 2020

COVID-19 Health Information for Western Australians

• COVID-19 - Information for people living with viral hepatitis - World Hepatitis Alliance
• COVID-19 Health Information Line - 1800 020 080 - for advice.
• Healthy WA - for more information about COVID-19 and WA clinics.
• COVID-19 Clinics are operating at Royal Perth Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital, 8am-8pm, and at Armadale; Rockingham; Midland and Joondalup, as well as Bunbury Health Campus (10am-4pm) seven days a week. A new clinic will also open at Broome Hospital on 8 April 2020. Additional clinics are planned for Albany and Geraldton.
• Western Australian Government Pandemic Plan
• Coronavirus Health Alert - Australian Government Department of Health
• NACCHO – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates and information
• Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - World Health Organization (WHO)
• Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus - Beyond Blue
• 1800RESPECT - it’s critical during periods of social distancing that those impacted by domestic and family violence know that support is available.

Grants, Funding and Support for Communities

• Lotterywest COVID-19 Relief Fund
• Help available for NFPs struggling through COVID-19 - Pro Bono Australia
• BHP establishes $50 million (AUD) Vital Resources Fund to help support regional communities

WANADA Operations and Contact Information

WANADA staff will work from home where possible to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection in the community. The staff continues to support the alcohol and other drug sector.

For more information about how the Western Australian alcohol and other drug sector is responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or please call our new office mobile 0480 257 499 (our landline number (08) 6557 9400 will re-direct).

Photo by CDC on Unsplash