About Us

WRAD Health’s vision is to advance the health and wellbeing of all people in the South Western Region of Victoria affected by addictive behaviours.

WRAD Health seeks to promote optimal enjoyment of life for people of all gender, age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, ability, cultural or language background.

WRAD Health seeks to provide comprehensive, holistic support and treatment to individuals and others affected by addictive behaviours and associated issues.

The philosophy of harm minimisation underpins the delivery of all programs offered by WRAD HEALTH and recognises the unique needs of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples and peoples who identify with LGBTIQA+. The harm minimisation principle recognises that people in our society use both licit and illicit drugs, and that drugs can be used in ways that are more or less harmful to individuals, families and society. Harm minimisation offers a number of options designed to reduce the harm of drug use to the user and society.

WRAD HEALTH works in the areas of demand reduction and harm reduction and offer an array of services that fit within these two policy areas of harm minimisation.

WRAD HEALTH values the uniqueness of all individuals and recognises the need to provide a flexible, accessible and acceptable service model to all individuals within our community.

You are expected to participate in developing an individual treatment plan which meets your goals.

You also have the responsibility to behave in a socially acceptable manner.

WRAD Health does not accept violence or threatening behaviour and if you need to express a complaint we encourage you to use our complaint process so that it can be addressed in a formal way.

Our Understanding

WRAD Health and Handbury Medical Suites acknowledge and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and the Traditional Custodians of this land.
We embrace reconciliation as a way to build strong relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations so that together, we can continue to mutually support strong and sustainable organisations that can provide quality services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We recognise the crucial role that the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector plays in upholding the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and in closing the unacceptable gap in life expectancy.
WRAD Health and Handbury Medical Suites acknowledge and share with you our feelings of shame and horror of actions and atrocities that were perpetuated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the ongoing impact of intergenerational trauma experienced as a result of the act of genocide committed through colonisation, the Stolen Generations and the legacy of social, systemic and economic disadvantage, which continues to affect many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

Our commitment

WRAD Health and Handbury Medical Suites are committed to conducting our business and providing programs, products and services that reflect mutual respect, goodwill, equity and social justice. We are committed to doing our part in hearing the voice and walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve:
“A united Australia which respects this land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and provides Justice and Equity for all” (Vision of Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation 1997).
Our decisions and our actions when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations will be guided by our Reconciliation Statement. Reconciliation in action for WRAD HEALTH and Handbury Medical Suites will focus on working in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to implement culturally appropriate accreditation processes. Through our programs and services, we will work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations to strengthen the cultural safety and cultural diversity of our own organisation and the organisations who engage with us.
We will do this by:
• Acknowledging, respecting and promoting cultural safety and diversity in our operations;
• Consulting with the relevant organisations in the development and evaluation of programs;
• Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to support strong organisational systems that achieve and maintain accreditation;
• Supporting the inclusion of cultural safety, respect and competence in standards and accreditation systems;
• Working closely with Boards and staff from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to ensure the accreditation process recognises the role of culture and community control;
• Supporting the role of Aboriginal organisations, through quality improvement, capacity building and accreditation services;
• Increasing the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations through consultation, feedback, decision making and quality improvement within WRAD HEALTH and Handbury Medical Suites;
• Increasing training opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander assessors;
• Increasing the understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities, cultures and experiences within QIP;
• Identifying key contacts within AGPAL and QIP for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to raise issues of concern and liaise on issues of importance to them;
• Actively working to identify and eliminate any racism in the workplace;
• Developing, implementing and reviewing a Reconciliation Action Plan based on this statement.

WRAD HEALTH and Handbury Medical Suites hope that the spirit and practice of reconciliation will be nurtured and grow strong amongst all Australians.

Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
TARGET AUDIENCE
All staff within WRAD Health including counselling, administration, peer workers and medical team
or casual employees.
PURPOSE
Health consumer rights are ethical and legal entitlements that consumers may reasonably expect to
be afforded them with regard to health service provision. Consumer responsibilities provide a guide
for the role of a consumer to ensure they receive a quality service. The purpose of this policy is to
establish the rights and responsibilities of all people accessing the service and ensure that they are
upheld and supported.
DEFINITIONS
Non-discriminatory practice ensures that any person from a minority or marginalised population
group has equal access to the service without fear of discrimination, and is provided with adequate
support to ensure they can benefit equally from the service. Non-discriminatory practice may
involve positive discrimination in order to ensure equity of access to population groups that may
otherwise experience barriers to accessing services.
Privacy protects consumers from unfair or unauthorised use of personal or sensitive information.
Personal information is any information that can lead to an individual being identified or whose
identity can be reasonably ascertained.
Sensitive information is any information about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, sexuality,
health, religious/philosophical/political beliefs, criminal record, and professional/union and like
membership.
Health information includes any information collected by a health service provider during the
course of providing treatment and care to an individual, including: medical information; personal
details, such as a name, address, admission and discharge dates, billing information and Medicare
number; information generated by a health service provider, such as notes and opinions about an
individual and their health and information about physical or biological samples, where it can be
linked to an individual (for example, where they have a name or identifier attached).
Confidentiality relates to how information that has been disclosed in the course of a professional
relationship is treated. The service and its staff have an obligation to take all reasonable measures
to ensure all information disclosed in confidence, whether to a staff member or in a service group
setting, is not disclosed without consumer consent or otherwise disclosed unfairly or inappropriately.
POLICY
WRAD Health adheres to the Health Services Conciliation and Review Act 1987 (Vic) guiding
principles of health care defining the rights of the clients using the health care system. These rights
are in no way affected by the legal status of the client.
WRAD Health will develop a written statement of consumer rights and responsibilities and ensure
this is disseminated to all stakeholders.
The service provided by WRAD Health is consumer focused and does not judge or discriminate
against members of the community on the basis of socio-economic status, religious beliefs, culture,
gender, sexuality, or disability. Respect, dignity and non-discriminatory practice is to be afforded to
all consumers accessing the service and is to be demonstrated through all interactions with staff.
WRAD Health has a responsibility to treat its consumers with dignity, and to respect the right of
consumers to privacy and confidentiality. WRAD Health will protect consumers from unfair or
unauthorised use of personal/sensitive information and will adopt standards on how information is
collected, used, secured and disclosed.
The clinical records (paper or electronic) and related information created for the continuing
management of each client are the property of WRAD Health. WRAD Health will ensure the
protection of all information contained therein and while the patient/client does not have ownership
of the record he/she has the right to access it under the provisions of the Health Records Act 2001
and Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.
WRAD Health recognises the requirement for the primacy of a duty of care to others over the duty
of confidentiality to the client, in situations where there is imminent risk of life-threatening violence
being inflicted upon others by the client.
WRAD Health is committed to providing a fair complaints process and efficient resolution of
complaints regarding the service and/or staff at all levels. WRAD Health will adhere to the specified
complaints process for privacy issues and those related to the Australian Privacy Principles and the
Health Privacy Principles.
PROCEDURES
WRAD Health will ensure processes are in place to inform consumers of their rights and
responsibilities through a variety of means, taking into account variations in literacy and cognitive
skills.
WRAD Health will ensure agency protocols are observed for the collection of personal and/or
sensitive information in a non-intrusive manner and with informed consent, except in specified
circumstances such as emergencies. It will be collected directly from the consumer, or confirmed by
the consumer, and will be limited to what is necessary for the function of the service.
WRAD Health will ensure protocols exist to maintain the integrity and security of personal
information collected, used or disclosed, ensuring that personal information received from another
source is confirmed with the consumer.
The service will ensure mechanisms are in place to measure consumer satisfaction and complaints
with the interactions they have with staff of the service, and that procedures for handling complaints
and grievances will be fair for both the complainant and respondent and will be dealt with in a timely
manner.
The service will continually review strategies for improving the access of any defined population
group, considering their needs and best match with available service resources. WRAD Health will
ensure processes are in place to measure numbers of people from defined population groups
accessing the service, and their needs and satisfaction with the service they have received.
RESPONSIBILITY
The Committee of Management will ensure governance processes are in place to maintain the
rights of consumers, the confidentiality of their information and to support non-discriminatory
practice.
The CEO is responsible for ensuring the development of processes and protocols and a physical
environment that supports client rights, privacy and confidentiality, and to ensure staff understand
and enact their responsibilities in their practice.
All staff at WRAD Health have a responsibility to uphold the rights of consumers, provide a nondiscriminatory service and maintain the privacy of personal health information and related financial
information.
KEY LEGISLATION, ACTS & STANDARDS
Health Services Conciliation and Review Act 1987 (Vic)
Health Records Act 2001
Information Privacy Act 2000
Health Privacy Principles
Australian Privacy Principles | OAIC
Guide to health privacy | OAIC
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014
Information Privacy Principles’ from the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (legislation.vic.gov.au)
APPENDIX Statement of Consumer Rights
WRAD Health supports the following key rights which affect individuals seeking access to
services:
the right to respect for your individual human worth, dignity and privacy
the right to access services without discrimination on the basis of your gender, race, disability,
indigenous status, age, religion, ethnicity, beliefs, sexual preference or medical condition
the right to appropriate and adequate information in terms you can understand about your
condition, its treatment and services available to meet your needs
the right to timely, high quality and evidence-based treatment
the right to be part of decision making regarding your treatment, care and rehabilitation
the right to access your own personal health information and view your records
the right to mechanisms of feedback or complaint without retribution and to receive a
response as to action taken the right to consent to or refuse to refuse any treatment, advice or
procedure (unless subject to legislation)
the right to consent to or refuse to participate in educational or research programs
the right to contribute and participate as far as possible in the development of WRAD Health
services
As a client at WRAD Health, you have the following responsibilities:
to respect the human worth and dignity of WRAD Health staff and other consumers
to make yourself aware of, and consent to, WRAD Health guidelines when attending for
treatment
to participate as far as possible in reasonable treatment and rehabilitation processes
to accept the consequences of your own informed decisions to contribute to a safe work
environment for staff and consumers
to not deal in any drugs, nor engage in any illegal activity while attending WRAD Health or in
the immediate area of the service
to respect laws and council regulations and respect the community in which others live, work
and/or access treatment
In providing services, WRAD Health has a responsibility:
To enhance and respect the independence and dignity of the consumer
to ensure that the consumer’s access to a service is decided only on the basis of need and
the capacity of the service
to meet that need to inform consumers of their rights and responsibilities in relation to
services
to monitor its standards in relation to this policy and review it, with consumer input, at regular
intervals.