History of Amity Community Services

In 1976 Amity (then known as the Darwin & District Alcohol and Drug Dependence Foundation) was formed and, with funding from Territory Health Services, set up an alcohol and other drug service.

Over the years Amity gathered considerable information about the characteristics of effective drug intervention including the factors that influence behavioural change. Research shows there are more similarities across behaviours of habit than differences. In fact the basic principles of change are the same despite the behaviour to be changed (Prochaska & DiClemente 1982,1986). We surmised that the strategies for preventing and reducing drug related problems were applicable to other problematic behaviours. So, in 1994 in response to an increasing demand, and with the support of the Racing and Gaming Authority, we developed a service to address gambling issues.

Amity also designed the Drink Driver Education Course based on these principles. This accredited course is a re-licencing requirement for Northern Territory drink drive offenders. Amity delivers the course in the Darwin region and coordinates delivery throughout the Territory. The course has been reviewed and recommended for introduction into some other States.

In 1997 the results of a Client Outcome Study, funded by Living With Alcohol to help determine the impact made by alcohol treatment services, were released. Amity's clients reported a swing from heavy drinking to more moderate drinking. In addition, they were experiencing fewer problems overall and far less alcohol related problems after attending Amity. All clients surveyed rated the service as useful.

Amity's Philosophy and Approach
Amity Community Services (Amity) supports the view that health is more than just the absence of disease, but rather is a complete state of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Amity accords with the World Health Organization description of Health as a resource for life, and a product of lifestyles and living conditions. At Amity it is recognized that lifestyles contain different patterns of human behaviour which have both benefits and costs to the individual and to the community. Amity believes that these patterns of behaviour are best considered from a holistic perspective, that is, within the context of the activity, the individual and the environment. We believe that people learn patterns of behaviour and maintain them because of the benefits they derive, but such patterns may, at some stages in life, have negative consequences.

Amity Community Services is an incorporated non-government community organization providing a range of services pertaining to behaviours of habit.

Amity's multi-disciplinary team of professional staff provide services aimed to:

• minimize the risk of negative consequences occurring, and
• reduce existing negative consequences.

Current research findings and best practice inform Amity's service delivery which is:

• pragmatic rather than ideological,
• geared towards concrete results rather than labelling and reinterpreting the client's experience,
• holistic rather than focussing exclusively on a specific behaviour.

Amity's client group consists of people experiencing problems relating to their own or someone else's lifestyle, and those at risk of developing problems.

The emphasis is on self responsibility and self management using a cognitive behavioural approach. We recognize that many clients are ambivalent about change as the short term rewards associated with a pattern of behaviour can outweigh the longer term costs. Accordingly, we use motivational techniques designed to assist the client to shift the decisional balance, and collaborate to set realistic goals and strategies for change. Increasing the repertoire of coping skills is widely acknowledged as an effective intervention strategy. Indeed clients themselves often identify the need to learn a new skill, or to further develop an existing one, to achieve their desired behavioural change. Mental health issues are frequently associated with problematic behaviours. A recent survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that one in four Australians who have a drug problem also have a least one other mental health issue. Similarly intervention at Amity invariably involves mental health counselling and coping skills training. Some examples of the latter are stress and anger management, assertion training, conflict resolution and effective communication.