Welcome to this month’s newsletter!

October is Mental Health Month, and this year’s theme ‘Together We Thrive’ is a timely reminder of the importance of working together to reduce stigma and improve access to care.

I’m pleased to see our Victorian Integrated Care COMPASS (VICC) Tool project continuing to take shape. The Hamilton Centre and the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) collaborated to adapt the COMPASS-EZ™ integrated care tool to the Victorian context, helping services reflect on how they deliver inclusive care.

Our latest paper explores the process of reviewing and adapting the audit tool, with a view to its future use across Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Locals and Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services. Originally developed in the United States, COMPASS-EZ™ is a self-assessment tool that helps services evaluate how effectively they support people with co-occurring needs. Read our paper here.

Our team is now planning implementation of this tool statewide – it’ll be coming to your service soon!

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to deliver the opening plenary at the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I was invited to share our work on stigma and addiction, and how stigma can affect help-seeking, treatment and the way we train health professionals. It was encouraging to see how strongly this topic resonated with the audience, over 700 addiction professionals from around the world. The feedback reinforced how central reducing stigma is to their work.

The scientific program offered valuable insights into innovations in managing stimulant and opioid use, as well as in training and education. The discussions were highly relevant to clinical practice and the future of our field, and I look forward to bringing some of these learnings into our work at the Hamilton Centre.

This month also marked National Carers Week, an opportunity to recognise the important role of families and carers and the need for stronger support. The Hamilton Centre is proud to be among the 30 organisations collaborating with Tandem on its Partner Call to Action for the 2026 Victorian state election. The call asks candidates to commit to meaningful action to strengthen support for carers and families across mental health services, including a safe, affordable and equitable statewide carer support system. Read more about the Call to Action here.

Thank you for your ongoing engagement with the Hamilton Centre. We’d love to keep you in the loop. Follow us on LinkedIn for our latest research, training and resources.