In 2015, the Health Consumers’ Council (HCC) was funded by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) to co-ordinate a project to build on the recommendations from the November 2014 Forum, Improving Consumer Involvement in the Alcohol and Other Drug Sector.
An Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Group (AODAG) comprised of government agencies, not for profit organisations, and consumers was set up to oversee progress.

Over time, this group imposed a 50% consumer quorum to ensure the group-maintained consumer led focus and leadership.
The project specifically addressed the following recommendations:

• To develop a common set of principles for engagement.
• Outline best practice engagement strategies for the sector.

As a result, a consumer consultant was hired to undertake this work and, the ‘Principles and Best Practice Strategies for Consumer Engagement in the Alcohol and Other Drug Sector in Western Australia’ was delivered to the MHC in January 2017.

In March 2017 the WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) funded the HCC to support the ongoing work of the AODAG to progress toward incorporation and the development of consumer training. With this funding, the group became the Transitional AODAG.

Additional funding was received from the Western Australian Network of Alcohol and Drug Agencies (WANADA) and broad consultation in relation to these deliverables was undertaken.

In June 2018 the Alcohol and Other Drug Consumer & Community Coalition (AODCCC) was Incorporated, the constitutional purpose being, “to promote the interests, education and welfare of those affected by alcohol and other drug use”. It was decided that family and significant others were to be recognised as equal consumer members and that an avenue for broader community inclusion was necessary, hence the name “Consumer & Community Coalition”.

Following the establishment of the AODCCC an interim committee was formed. This committee began to build a membership base and progressed to the 1st Annual General Meeting where a Board of 12 were elected. In January 2019 a small capacity building grant from WACOSS was received to hold community consultations in order to submit to the parliamentary inquiry “Alternate approaches to reducing illicit drug use and its effects on the community”.

This document was written on the basis of feedback from 80 participants and submitted to the Inquiry Committee in Feb 2019. Soon after this the AODCCC began funding negotiations with the MHC and have since received funding toward establishment the next two years. The delivery of the AODCCC Mission, Vision and Values marks the achievement of successfully meeting the first funding deliverables.

You can find our Constitution below.