What’s your name and position?

Sandy Lendrum, Advanced Practice Nurse at Directions Health Services

How long have you lived in Canberra, and what do you love about it?

I have lived in Canberra for 20 years.  Canberra has developed a reputation as Australia’s most progressive city, following a health-first and harm-minimisation approach to many policies, and it’s one of the reasons I love living here. It’s a diverse city and along with having an emphasis on healthy outdoor living, Canberra naturally encourages a lovely work-life balance.

How would you describe Directions Health Services and why do you love working there?

Directions is a unique not-for-profit service that provides a range of free, integrated services and programs for individuals, family members and friends impacted by alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, mental health and other complex health issues in the ACT and regional NSW. The flexibility of the service, with outreach sites and a no wrong door approach to holistic health care means vulnerable people have access to excellent health care.

I love working with a dedicated team who are passionate about delivering health care to people who otherwise might not be able to access care. I love that Directions are willing to try new and innovative ways of delivering health care to ensure we remain relevant and accessible.

Directions takes a collaborative, harm-reduction focused approach to the services provided and has a strong reputation for providing client-centred, respectful, non-judgemental care.

What’s been a highlight, or pivotal point with your work at Directions Health? 

Directions Health has supported the importance of adapting and growing our services depending on the needs of our clients. The natural evolution of Teen Clinic to the newly-created T25 Clinic has been an exciting expansion on the existing free nurse-led health services we have been offering for young people in the ACT and Queanbeyan. Joining with local community organisations to provide a holistic service for young people which also empowers the community has been a pivotal moment for me in working for Directions.

What do you think are some of the misconceptions surrounding drug and alcohol addiction?

 There are many misconceptions about drug and alcohol use disorder. People often stigmatise people who use drugs and believe that the addiction is simply as a result of poor decisions, lack of will power or a moral failing. In reality, addiction is a complex, chronic brain disorder influenced by genetics, environmental and psychological factors. Another misconception is that people who are deep in addictions are a lost cause and will not be able to recover. In reality, many people recover with the right access to support and treatment. It is often a rocky road our of addiction, but recovery is possible at any stage.

Misconceptions such as these, and there are many more, can contribute to the stigma around addiction and can prevent people from seeking help or receiving appropriate care.

What would you say to anyone thinking about donating or wanting to get involved with Directions Health Services?

Directions is dedicated to working with people often over the most challenging times in their life. They have a non-judgemental, harm minimisation approach to addiction and mental health which means people, including young people at Teen Clinic/T25, can be confident in receiving care which is not stigmatised.

Vulnerable young people need services such as Directions Health who are willing to meet them where they are and in a format which is open and accessible, reducing barriers and addressing the social determinants of health. In this way we can ensure a more positive, supported and healthy future for some of our most vulnerable young teenagers and young people.

Services like T25 Clinic and our purpose-built mobile health clinics ‘Chat to PAT ‘and Mini PAT wouldn’t exist without the generous support of donors. I’d encourage anyone interested in supporting our work to visit our website and read about the various services Directions have been providing for over 45 years, as well as the profound impact those services have made in our communities. If you’re in a position to make a donation, you can do that via the website or by reaching out to our team.