Presentation at ReGen's 2015 Innovation in Action seminar. Live seminar video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euF5UnP3KCs. For more detail on the event see our website: http://www.regen.org.au/more-events/582-2015-innovation-seminar-30-april-10am-1pm.

1. Torque
Program
A Catalyst non-residential
rehabilitation program

2. Origins
• Catalyst is a community non residential rehabilitation program that was piloted from
2009-2011 and received funding from 2012 -2016
• In 2011 Catalyst won the National Drug and Alcohol Award for Excellence in
treatment and Support
• Torque is for people involved in the justice system, and is modeled on the Catalyst
program
• The Torque pilot is funded by Department of Justice & Department of Health and
Human Services.
• Torque is being Piloted from July 2013 - June 30th
2015

3. • The model is designed as an alternative treatment option
for Victorians involved in the justice system for whom
residential services are an inaccessible or unsuitable post
withdrawal, but who require more intensive support than
individual counselling.
Suitable participants need to be, capable of self-
management, and have at least a moderate level of
intellectual functioning

4. Considerations
• The environmental space
• Staff attributes and characteristics
• Evaluation
• Host agency support needs
• Introduction of the model to the AOD and Corrections industry
• The model being flexible and adaptive to meet the cohort needs

5. Torque Program
Development
• The unique partnership with
ReGen’s Education and
Training team has resulted in
high quality professional
manuals & resources for
participants and facilitators

6. Inclusion Criteria
• Currently engaged with forensic services and have a current ACSO
assessment (if places available, can also include people with potential to
have contact with Justice system)
• A recent withdrawal treatment episode completed prior to Torque start date
• Capacity to commit to abstinence for duration of the program.
• Stable accommodation
• Stable mental state.
• Basic English literacy skills
• The person must not have a significant intellectual or cognitive impairment

7. Sample Timetable

8. Overview &
Program
Description
• Torque is an evidence based structured program comprising of a range of
individual and group interventions
• It is a 6 week non-residential rehabilitation program for people who have
completed a withdrawal episode and who have made a decision to stop use
(at least for duration of the program)
• The program operates from Monday to Friday.
• Maximum 12 participants per group
• There is no charge

9. Compulsory Units
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and
motivational enhancement
• Completion of program: 80% of the total hrs of the compulsory sessions
• 4 x Motivational enhancement sessions (Individual counselling sessions)
• 10 x Cognitive behavioral coping skills training
• 4 x Mood management sessions (Anxiety, depression and anger)
• 4 x Skills practice sessions
• 18 x Check In & Outs

10. Treatment Adjuncts
The program also offers a range of educational,
complimentary and therapeutic session that
supports retention and specific needs

11. Challenges
• Implementing and marketing
• Short time period of pilot
• Initial low forensic referrals
• Withdrawal symptoms may be still experienced after completing a
withdrawal episode
• Managing intoxication
• Adapting the content, timing and sequence of sessions
• Low attendance to non compulsory sessions

12. Strengths of the program
• Non-residential, Cost Effectiveness,
• Access to rehabilitation treatment post withdrawal
• Person centred, Evidence based and consistent with best practise
• A suitable intervention for meth-amphetamine users
• Priority treatment for individuals involved in the justice system

13. Evaluation of the Torque program: 12 months on…

14. Methodology - overview

15. Torque at 12 months:
Between October 2014 and mid November 2015:
• Torque delivered 8 x 6-week treatment episodes
• 137 referrals were reviewed = 119 individual clients
- 70% of referrals from ReGen services
- External referrals from 18 separate services
•53% of referrals (n=72) were accepted into the program
•60 participants commenced the program; 5 people
attended more than once
•Overall average of 8 participants commencing each
program group (ranging 5-12)

16. Who is attending Torque?
Average age 37 years (range 21-74 yrs)
Gender - male 72%
Preferred Language- English100%
ATSI 5%
Living arrangement:
with family – 61%
with others- 21%
alone – 18%
Any history mental health
symptoms/diagnosis: 97%
Average age 37 years (range 21-74 yrs)
Gender - male 72%
Preferred Language- English100%
ATSI 5%
Living arrangement:
with family – 61%
with others- 21%
alone – 18%
Any history mental health
symptoms/diagnosis: 97%
Referral and assessment data - Participant characteristics (N=60)
Current Justice system contact:
Community Corrections order 43%
NIDS Diversion 20%
Pre-sentencing (e.g. Bail,CISP) 17%
Drug Court/Parole 3%
None- Community clients 17%
Primary drug:
Alcohol 38%
Amphetamine-type stimulant 35%
Opioids 17%
Cannabis 8%
Sedatives 2%
Current Justice system contact:
Community Corrections order 43%
NIDS Diversion 20%
Pre-sentencing (e.g. Bail,CISP) 17%
Drug Court/Parole 3%
None- Community clients 17%
Primary drug:
Alcohol 38%
Amphetamine-type stimulant 35%
Opioids 17%
Cannabis 8%
Sedatives 2%

17. Key participant outcomes
Treatment Engagement & completion
• 52% (n=34) of all participants who began in Week 1 successfully
completed the Torque program
• average attendance of 18 days (range 1-30)
Offending behaviours
•From 21 clients responding at weeks 1 and 6 of treatment -
decreased prevalence of past month property, drug dealing, fraud
and/or violent offending – 9 clients reduced to 3 in week 6
Quality of Life (QOL)
• Overall improved QOL, health & life satisfaction, sustained or
further improved at three month follow-up

18. Key participant outcomes
Substance use outcomes
• Reduced rates of substance use at program completion &
significant increases in confidence to manage high risk
situations

19. Key Participant outcomes - AOD
Reduced rates of substance use at program end:
At 3 month follow-up (n=10): sustained abstinence from
heroin, and reductions in cannabis and methamphetamine
use still evident
Any use in past 4 weeks: Week 1
N=25
Week 6
N=25
Injecting drug use
3 2
Alcohol
mean days used (range)
10
3.1 (0-21)
9
0.9 (0-7)
Cannabis
mean days used (range)
7
1.8 (0-18)
4
1.8 (0-28)
Methamphetamine
mean days used (range)
10
4.3 (0-28)
5
0.7 (0-8)
Heroin
mean days used (range)
0 0
Benzodiazepines- non-
prescribed
4
1.3 (0-28)
1
(0-1)
Other pharmaceutical – non
prescribed use
2
0.5 (0-12)
2
(0-1)

20. “Being able to go every day;
meeting up with other
people in the same situation
as I was; filling in the day
and getting something out
of it”
Torque participants
Participant feedback
“I really liked the CBT and the way
it made you challenge your
thoughts and everything - and
the way they implemented
strategies to keep you clean
and keep you safe. Its a really
good program that’s run”

21. What’s next?
- The pilot completes in June 30th
2015
- The external evaluation continues until December 2015
Victorian Ice Action Plan:
- Non-residential rehabilitation will be expanded to rural and
regional areas.
- We hope that learnings from both Catalyst and Torque models
will be incorporated into these programs

22. For further information or to view the evaluation reports please visit:
http://www.regen.org.au
Presenters
Shannon Bell: sbell@regen.org.au
Angela Harney: angelaharney@leejenn.com.au