We provide care in our AOD services that is informed by the best available evidence and practice recommendations. We are accountable through quality assurance measures and feedback from those who use our services.

We offer AOD services that provide the right care, for the right person at the right time. We strive to create pathways for people to access the services that are right for them. We acknowledge the unique and diverse needs of every person.

We endeavour to offer care, respect and support to all people who enter our AOD services. We understand and seek to overcome barriers that prevent people from getting the support they need. We use the best available knowledge to improve our service capacity to provide safe and inclusive care for all people who may benefit from our services.

We meet people where they are. We understand that people have a range of needs and achieving their goals is achieved by addressing more than one aspect of a person’s care needs. Our fundamental premise is that people are relational and create meaning, security and a sense of belonging through family, friends and social networks.

We work to sustain and develop partnerships to be effective and efficient in meeting the needs of people who use our AOD services or may benefit from access to our services. In particular, we understand the importance of partnerships and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and community services. We strive to overcome the limitations of system fragmentation one partnership at a time.

We demonstrate a commitment to sound, effective, evidence-based programs across our services. We work towards a capable, qualified, supported workforce who are provided opportunities to engage with current and new knowledge to support their practice. We respond to new issues as they emerge with enthusiasm and responsible innovation.

We strive to develop new ways of working to meet the needs of our diverse and complex participants and caring significant others. We incorporate the best available evidence and practice knowledge. New ideas and approaches to care are evaluated to ensure they are effective in improving the lives of the participants who engage with our services.

We know that culture is central to a person’s identity and sense of belonging. Our practices ensure cultural rights, values, beliefs and expectations are respected. We are committed to delivering culturally safe alcohol and other drugs services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have different cultural and support needs depending on their location.

We have positive working relationships with local community groups and we understand the need to be well-informed by local knowledge. We endeavour to continue to strengthen relationships and partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and community supports to holistically address the care needs of this group. We respond to specialist knowledge to improve access to our services.

Alcohol and other drugs services work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. People of diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds vary in risk factors, patterns, rates and consequences of alcohol and other drugs use and may also vary in how they respond to alcohol and other drugs treatment.

Strong evidence shows that culturally responsive treatments lead to significantly larger reductions in post-treatment alcohol and other drugs use compared to programs where culture was not considered. People from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly those newly arrived, may be unfamiliar with health services in Australia. Our Salvation Army alcohol and other drugs services understand this. These participants can expect that the service options available will be explained and that staff will describe the interventions we use and how and why they work. We discuss intake and assessment processes as well as topics like wait times for programs.

Services use interpreters where required. This is preferable to relying on family members, particularly where confidential or sensitive issues are being discussed or where there are risk concerns. Our alcohol and other drugs services recognise the importance of building and maintaining relationships with local cultural community groups and service providers. We continue to recognise the inherent cultural barriers in services and seek opportunities to overcome them.

The Salvation Army is committed to supporting all participants with accessing our services in culturally safe ways. Our services are sensitive to, and inclusive of the needs of, LGBTIQA+ people. We are committed to making sure our services are safe and welcoming spaces enabling LGBTIQA+ people to thrive. For all services, especially those historically segregated by way of gender, participants who identify as LGBTIQA+ will be supported to access services in a sensitive, affirming manner and decide where they feel most safe and comfortable in the service. The Salvation Army AOD services commit to regularly reviewing our services and minimising and removing any barriers individuals face with accessing alcohol and drug counselling or treatment.

Some of the ways we demonstrate this commitment is through:

• Maintaining confidentiality and not disclosing a person’s gender identity, sexual orientation or intersex status without consent

• Respecting people’s genders by correctly using names and pronouns

• Developing and maintaining relationships with LGBTIQA+ specialist services

• Facilitating LGBTIQA+ training for our staff to ensure our services are inclusive

• Ensuring local services have procedures and practice guidance to implement LGBTIQA+ inclusive alcohol and other drugs services

Rainbow Tick Accreditation

10 TSA locations that provide Alcohol and Other Drugs programs in Victoria are Rainbow Tick Accredited.

Read more about the Rainbow Tick Accreditation here ​

Our services ensure people living with a disability can participate fully in all programs and services. We focus on abilities and value the unique talents, skills and potential of every person.

Each state has developed and works to a Disability Action and Inclusion Plan, which can be seen here (Click the link to see the plans)

NSW ACT DAIP 2023
VIC DAIP 2023
SA DAIP 2023
QLD DAIP 2023
NT DAIP 2023
TAS DAIP 2023

Some of the ways we demonstrate this commitment is through:

• Delivering services and programs that are designed in such a way that any person living with a disability can participate in all programs and activities

• Ensuring our physical and social environments are accessible and safe

• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access services and events

• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access buildings and other facilities

• Ensuring people with disability receive information from our services in a format that will enable them to access the information as readily as other people are able to access it

• Ensuring people with disability receive the same level and quality of service from all Salvation Army staff

• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to make complaints to The Salvation Army

• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to participate in all public consultation by The Salvation Army