About the LDAT program
The Aim of the LDAT Program
The Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) Program works to develop the capacity of Australian communities to deliver evidence-informed activities that prevent and minimise alcohol and other drug-related harm at a local level.
Objectives:
- To support communities to plan, deliver and evaluate effective, targeted, evidence-informed prevention activities to address their local AOD-related needs.
- To build capacity in communities by strengthening partnerships, broadening community leadership, providing resources and access to collaborative learning.
- To increase LDAT knowledge, and the effective application of approaches to AOD prevention, including risk and protective factors, across the AOD lifecycle.
- To support communities to use consultation and local data to understand local needs and measure the impact of their activities.
- To grow the evidence for AOD prevention through learnings from novel approaches used by LDATs that are cost-effective, based on their reach and impact.
The LDAT Program Definition of Prevention
For the purpose of the LDAT program, prevention is defined as:
Preventing AOD related harm by supporting communities to:
- Prevent and delay AOD uptake amongst young people
- Strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors
- Increase awareness of strategies that individuals can use to reduce their own AOD harm and promote their wellbeing.
AOD treatment is not funded by the LDAT program.
LDAT Program Highlights
Every year we bring together and publish highlights, stories, and facts about the LDAT program. Read the 2024 Highlights Report:
An LDAT is a group of organisations who form a partnership to address alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues in their local community.
LDATs must have a lead organisation for governance purposes as well as at least two community organisation partners. This can be any mix of schools, educational institutions, health workers, police, community organisations, businesses or local government who unite to drive a community-led response focussing on AOD prevention.
Partnerships within an LDAT are imperative to the success of the activities and longevity of the LDAT.
Key elements for a successful LDAT include:
- Strength of partnerships: Long term partners with extensive experience of working together.
- Capacity: One partner is providing fully funded 'backbone' coordination resources for the activity.
- Alignment: LDAT program activity goals are embedded in objectives of the major partner organisations.
- Breadth: The LDAT activity is being delivered as part of a comprehensive AOD prevention program.
- Engagement: Strong understanding of local needs, values and priorities through comprehensive community consultation and analysis.
LDATs are able to apply for funding (average is $20,000) to help them deliver their approved Community Action Plan (CAP) and implement evidence-informed activities in their community.
A CAP is a plan that defines the scope of the activity and establishes clear evaluation measures to understand if the activity has had an impact.
A CAP defines the target audience and key issues a community aims to address, describes the actions to be undertaken and demonstrates how these connect to prevent alcohol and other drug-related harms.
The planning, delivery & evaluation of at least one CAP is a requirement for all LDATs.
In addition to funding received through the program, LDATs can further collaborate with more partners to support the delivery of their CAP through 'in-kind' support and other expertise.
Harnessing community action
Community-based action is powerful in preventing and minimising harm from alcohol and other drugs.
The LDAT program uses the strength of community partnerships, local knowledge and commitment to boost the factors that we know protect against community harms from AOD and, at the same time, reduce risk factors that have been shown to increase harms.
Protective and Risk Factors
Factors that protect against alcohol and other drug-related harms include:
- social connection
- education
- safe and secure housing
- a sense of belonging to a community.
Factors that increase the risk of alcohol and other drug-related harms include:
- high availability of drugs
- low levels of social cohesion
- unstable housing
- socioeconomic disadvantage.
Alcohol and other drugs are a community issue, not just an individual issue.
Community action to prevent alcohol and other drug-related harms is effective because:
- the solutions and barriers for addressing alcohol and other drug-related harms are community-based
- it creates change that is responsive to local needs
- it increases community ownership and leads to more sustainable change.
Supporting resources
Over the past four years the LDAT program has developed a solid footprint of partnerships with communities across Australia, evolving and adapting to support LDATs now with more than 1530 partner organisations nationally.
More than 590 Community Action Plans have been delivered, addressing locally identified AOD-related issues through evidence-informed approaches.
Priority populations for CAPs
- 71.5% have focused on youth
- 52% are being delivered in regional or remote areas of Australia
- >25% have focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- 10% have focused on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities
- 1.5% have focused on LGBTQI+.
Supporting resources
The Local Drug Action Team Program is funded by the Australian Government and is being implemented across Australia
