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Questions On Notice Questions on notice are usually asked when a more detailed answer is required and are in writing, and are forwarded by the Clerk of the Parliament to the relevant Minister who prepares a written answer which is presented to Parliament.
Mr LAWLOR asked the Minister for Emergency Services (Mr Cummins) -
With reference to page 15 of the Ministerial Portfolio Statement which states that the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) will be extending drug and volatile substance misuse awareness program and as I read recently of Project DOV, one of the many community education projects that benefit our young people, run by QAS - Will
he outline the role that the QAS has in making sure that our young people are supported by this project?
Mr CUMMINS: I thank the Member for his question and for the strong support he has shown for Emergency Services within his electorate. As the Member would no doubt agree, Queensland paramedics do a magnificent job protecting the lives of Queenslanders every day and it is important that the Government provides them with the best possible resources to do their job. Project DOV (which stands for Drug Overdose Visitation) is a crisis intervention and support program designed to link those who have been affected by drugs with counseling and ongoing support and this initiative is spreading throughout Queensland. The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) plays a pivotal role in the education of our young people, particularly in the area of drug and volatile substance misuse.
In meeting this commitment, discussions are currently being held with the Department of Education to ensure that the QAS delivers appropriate messages, consistent with learning principles of the school curriculum, at varying levels of schooling.
The QAS currently provides information sessions to various school and
community groups. The QAS is currently exploring opportunities and fostering new partnerships to maximise the outcomes delivered in these sessions.The QAS also offers the DOV program to young people affected by drugs and volatile substances, on an ongoing basis. This program is a self-referral program, which is supported by our partner organisation, Teen Challenge. In the past six months, some 78 people have utilised support services through this program.
The QAS has also been working collaboratively with Queensland Police
Service (QPS) to implement the Government's Safe Place arrangements, an initiative under the Volatile Substance Misuse Strategy. The arrangements particularly target young people in vulnerable situations, by putting in place a protocol between the QPS and the QAS to deal with such situations. Shortly, a set of guidelines will be released in the form of a Z card and training package, which will provide our Paramedics with important information about how to deal with people affected by volatile substances. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 12:00 AM
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