Drug and Alcohol Program Consultations - Stage 2

Overview

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback as part of the Stage 1 consultations on the Drug and Alcohol Program (DAP) Reforms.

Following closure of this Stage 1 on 13 March 2026 and receipt of 71 detailed responses, updated versions of the program logic and KPIs along with the data inputs for the needs-based funding model and a survey are now available for feedback.

For background on the DAP reforms and information on the consultation process, please see the closed Stage 1 Consultation Hub page here and the Key Information and Q&A document. The Key Information and Q&A document will be updated with additional questions throughout Stage 2.

Stage 1 Feedback

During Stage 1 of the consultation process, the department sought feedback on draft program logic and draft key performance indicators (KPIs) to underpin the redesigned DAP.

We heard support for:

• A high‑level, enabling program logic that accommodates diverse AOD service models without constraining innovation or local delivery.
• Harm reduction as a core activity underpinning all objectives or positioned as a standalone own pillar.
• Person‑centred, strengths‑based approaches that reflect non‑linear pathways and lived context.
• Explicit recognition of social determinants of health (housing, justice, trauma, mental health, socioeconomic factors) as shaping AOD outcomes.
• Peer workforce and lived/living experience as core system contributors, not adjunct to clinical roles.
• A stronger equity lens, including regional and remote delivery challenges, thin markets and priority populations.
• Investment in workforce capability and sustainability, including training, supervision, credentialing and career pathways.
• Continued use stories (qualitative) and numbers (quantitative) to report AOD outcomes.

We heard concerns about:

• Reporting burden and KPI feasibility, particularly for small providers, ACCHSs, regional services and specialist programs.
• Risk of over‑attributing outcomes to DAP funding, overlooking broader system and social influences.
• Digital readiness and data gaps, potentially diverting resources from service delivery.
• Use of potentially stigmatising language, particularly framing that implies all AOD use is harmful.
• Terminology and definition gaps (e.g., integrated care, cultural safety) and use of potentially stigmatising language framing all AOD use as harmful.
• Lack of clarity between prevention and early intervention activities and outcomes.
• Uncertainty about how program objectives translate into grant opportunity guidelines, including funding streams and application requirements.
• Concerns about funding adequacy and stability, including calls for longer funding cycles.
• Limited visibility of specific cohorts (e.g. people leaving custody, people with co‑occurring mental health needs).

In response to this feedback, the following broad changes have been made to the updated draft Program Logic and KPIs:

• Reframed the problem statement and included assumptions to highlight the complex factors, and broader social determinants critical to AOD use and health outcomes.
• Expanded harm reduction across all streams.
• Enhanced focus on community-led and peer-led activities.
• Defined terms identified as ambiguous by stakeholders.
• More on the general themes captured through the Stage 1 consultation can be found in the narrative section of the updated artefacts deck.

Drug and Alcohol Program Reforms Live Webinar

As part of consultations on redesigning the DAP, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) hosted a live webinar to gather more insights into the DAP draft program logic and draft KPIs.

Slides and transcript

Privacy notice

The department now invites you to share your views on the updated draft program logic, key performance indicators, and proposed data inputs for the needs-based funding model. The consultation survey may collect information the type of organisation you work in and AOD workforce roles but is otherwise anonymous.

Personal information provided to the department for the purpose of registering for the live webinar via Microsoft Teams is not linked or identifiable if you choose to also submit a survey response.

Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, and is being collected by the Australian Government the department for the primary purpose of informing the DAP Reform process. The department will not disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients. All participation is voluntary.

You can get more information about the way in which the department will manage your personal information, including our privacy policy, at https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/privacy-policy.

By providing your personal information to us, you consent to the department collecting your name, email address and possibly your organisation and phone number for the purposes indicated above.

Why your views matter

The department recognises the value of gathering and genuinely considering stakeholder feedback as part of the DAP reform process.

Services providers, sector representatives, PHNs, researchers, state and territory government departments, people with lived and living experience, and consumers are key actors in the AOD service and policy system. Each is uniquely placed to consider the potential impact of proposed reforms on their part of the system and the extent to which such reforms might impact other parts of the system. Each brings valuable knowledge which the department is keen to harness as part of ensuring that any reforms pursued work to enhance the AOD service and policy system as a whole.   

Share your views on the updated program logic and KPIs along with the data inputs for the need based funding model.