Robert Taylor is a firm believer that understanding an individual’s substance use in the present moment, as well as understanding and addressing its root causes, is key to supporting people who use alcohol and other drugs (AOD).
Robert is the Therapeutic Team Leader at Queensland Injectors Health Network (QuIHN) Cairns and is using this concept in the region to provide locals with appropriate, patient-centred, and evidence-based support to improve their wellbeing.
QuIHN Cairns provides a free and accessible Dual Diagnosis Therapy program that considers the intersection of someone’s mental health and their substance use and is delivered through one-on-one therapy with a trained clinician.
Robert said this specialised approach to AOD treatment assists to address barriers for people trying to access appropriate support services in the region.
“QuIHN’s Dual Diagnosis Therapy program is unique in that it can both assess and treat a client’s mental health and substance use holistically,” said Robert.
“This lowers barriers to treatment for clients as they only need to engage with a single clinician, rather than with multiple services.
“QuIHN also takes a trauma-informed approach to treatment which looks to not just understand someone’s substance use in the present moment, but to understand and address its root causes.
“The high level of training of our Therapeutic Team, the low barriers to entry to our service, and our ability to address a client’s needs holistically and in depth, mean that QuIHN has an immensely important role in the AOD system in the Cairns region.”
Sarah*, a client at QuIHN Cairns, is one local who has improved their wellbeing through the Dual Diagnosis Therapy Program.
Sarah has been engaged with QuIHN since 2018 to address long term illicit stimulant use associated with the self-management of ongoing symptoms of significant childhood trauma.
“Sarah has engaged with QuIHN at various stages of their journey towards change and healing, meaning that the team has been able to support her in a number of ways through multiple treatment episodes,” said Robert.
“Initially Sarah presented with very poor mental health, and at significant risk of legal and other harms associated with her daily substance use and accompanying lifestyle.
“Early work with Sarah focused on helping facilitate stability and safety through therapeutic interventions and appropriate referrals to psychosocial supports in the community.
“This wraparound care approach allowed Sarah’s engagement with QuIHN to begin to work on the underlying causes of her poor mental health and corresponding substance use.
“During Sarah’s subsequent episodes of treatment with QuIHN, the therapeutic work undertaken has been able to deepen as she has built greater insight and resilience into her substance use and the experiences of trauma that had contributed to her poor mental health.
“The client has been assisted to make positive changes in her internal and external worlds and is now experiencing far greater stability in her relationships, work life, and overall wellbeing.
Robert is passionate about assisting QuIHN’s clients to receive place-based and patient-centred care, assisting them to live happier, healthier, longer lives.
“Our goal is to provide the best service that we can for our client group,” Robert said.
“QuIHN is grateful to be able to provide the specialised service that we do to the Cairns region.
“We see ourselves as an active member of the broader Cairns and Far North Queensland community and are proud to be able to work with our client group towards individual and community wellbeing.
“Though we are always looking for ways to improve our service delivery, knowing that we are delivering quality and responsive service and making a difference to clients is very satisfying.”
*Name has been changed to protect the client's privacy.