Wednesday, 9 November, 2016
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall is encouraging non-government organisations (NGO’s) working in the drug and alcohol sector in the region to lodge an expression of interest for funding from the State Government’s new Early Intervention Innovation Fund.
The fund – recently launched by the Assistant Minister for Health Pru Goward – will provide $8 million over four years to build the evidence base for early intervention models to support people at risk with a particular focus on young people using drugs.
The Early Intervention Innovation Fund provides two funding pathways including:
• The Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Evaluation grants – focusing on building the evaluation capacity of NGOs to evaluate existing programs to build an evidence base and ultimately improve program delivery. Grants of $30,000 to $150,000 will be provided over two years.
• The Alcohol and Drug Early Intervention Innovation grants – which allows NGO’s and their partners, including the NSW health system, to drive new innovative approaches for the delivery of early intervention to vulnerable young people. Grants of $50,000 to $1 million over two years will be awarded.
Mr Marshall said that it was a great opportunity for NGO’s in the Northern Tablelands electorate to develop new and innovative ideas to increase and improve early intervention services for young people in the community.
“I encourage NGO’s within the community to apply for these grants so we can reach out to young people in our community and prevent them from going down the path of addiction,” Mr Marshall said.
“There’s not a community in our region that isn’t being impacted by the effects of drugs on individuals and families.
“This fund is one component of the government’s record investment in drug and alcohol services and shows our commitment to investing in evidence based services that will make a real impact in stopping drug abuse before it happens.”
Assistant Minister for Health Pru Goward said the government was building a system that empowers non-government organisations to intervene earlier and work with young people to identify the early intervention services that they respond to in order to stop them from becoming addicted to drugs.
Expressions of interest for the grants will close on 28 November 2016.
Further information can be found at www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth /Pages/aod-innovation-fund.aspx