Straight from the Source 2010
The Association of Participating Service Users
A service area of the Self Help Addiction Resource Centre
A practical guide to consumer participation in the Victorian alcohol and other drug sector.
In writing this handbook, the Association of Participating Service Users (APSU) has sought not only to gather the theory of consumer participation in the alcohol and other drug sector but also the practice. Although other guides to participation exist, this is the first to be written solely by consumers. It conveys experientially validated approaches to engaging with service users and their families to produce meaningful consumer participation.
Straight from the source draws on current literature, input from consumers and service provider focus groups and APSU’s own experience in conducting consumer participation activities to provide a comprehensive guide to participation in the AOD sector. The first section is a discussion on consumer participation and how it can be applied to the sector. The second section includes a consumer participation plan for organisations and the third section contains an extensive range of real life examples of participation activities across AOD services, training, policy development and research.
APSU anticipates that this handbook will be used by the alcohol and other drug sector in the development and implementation of significant and sustainable consumer participation.