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WRAD TO BE KNOWN AS WRAD HEALTH

The Western Region Alcohol and Drug Centre (WRAD) will now be known as WRAD Health.

The new name reflects the broad range of medical services being offered and recognises that substance use is a health issue.

The change, made after nearly 40 years with the original title, was adopted unanimously at the WRAD Heath annual general meeting.

CEO Geoff Soma said the original name didn’t cover the range of health services being offered to the community.

“Substance misuse is a complex issue that is often difficult for people to understand,” Mr Soma said. “It is not a justice issue or simply a drug issue, it is a health issue that creates a range of challenges for people in recovery. Just like other serious health problems it requires timely, directed and multiple layers of care.

“WRAD has worked hard over the years to address the broad range of problems facing people in recovery and remains committed to promoting substance misuse as a health issue.”

WRAD Health includes the Handbury Medical Suites bulk billing general practice with six doctors, along with a psychologist, psychiatrist and specialist substance misuse and mental health clinicians.

“We have and are taking a broader, holistic approach to treating clients and families with substance use issues and providing services for a range of health presentations,” Mr Soma said. “Health issues affect everyone in the community, and as a health issue so does substance misuse.”

Mr Soma said he believed the community had come to understand what WRAD does. “For years we’ve worked hard at promoting the WRAD Centre,” he said. “People understand that the acronym relates to substance misuse; now we’re focusing more on promoting the broad range of services that we offer.

“We’ve matured over the years and educated the community around substance issues and what we do, along with promoting the successes of people in recovery. We are confident that people will recognise that WRAD Health stands for quality treatment for everybody that can benefit from what we offer.”