Please join us in the launch of Project ECHO: Alcohol and Drug Services Tasmania and Primary Health Tasmania. This program offers a series of interactive, case-based virtual mentoring sessions designed to support health professionals in delivering care for people experiencing alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues.
Each session includes:
- A deidentified case discussion to support practical learning
- A 10-minute didactic presentation to enhance understanding of:
- Prescribing and treatment options
- Withdrawal management
- Referral pathways
- Integration of AOD care into everyday practice
- Harm minimisation
Do you have a case you’d like to share? click here
Sessions are held bimonthly, with the first session scheduled for: 24 September 2025 at 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM AEDT
Upcoming Sessions
- 24 Sept 2025: Overview of current Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS) in Tasmania
- 19 Nov 2025: Session 2 Alcohol Use Disorders in Primary Care: Engagement, Assessment and Management (TBC)
- 18 Feb 2026: Session 3 Dependence on cannabis – non prescribed or medicinal; supporting withdrawal in primary care (TBC)
How Does ECHO Work?
Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a virtual knowledge-sharing model that connects community providers with specialist teams via multi-point video conferencing. It builds a continuous learning loop where clinicians learn from each other and develop expertise in managing complex conditions such as AOD dependence.
The hub-and-spoke model brings together:
- A central team of AOD experts (the “hub”)
- Health professionals across communities (the “spokes”)
Together, they share knowledge, discuss cases, and build clinical confidence.
Benefits of Joining AOD ECHO
- Build skills and confidence in AOD care
- Access real-time guidance from addiction specialists
- Improve delivery of quality AOD care in local settings
- Strengthen referral and treatment pathways for patients
- Enhance professional satisfaction through learning and peer support
- Reduce professional isolation, especially in rural and regional settings
How to Register and Join a Session
- Register your interest using the link above.
- You’ll receive a confirmation email with the Zoom session link.
- If you’re new to Zoom, the first time you click the link it will guide you through a quick installation. We recommend doing this before your first session.
- At the scheduled session time, click the link again to join. You can also save the session in your Zoom app or calendar.
Our expert panel:
Dr Catherine Horan is a GP with a particular interest in working with patients who don’t fit into the usual model of mainstream primary health care. She previously worked for Directions Health in Canberra, providing outreach whole-person medical care to people with co-morbid substance use disorders, mental health and psychosocial challenges, in addition to providing medical oversight to CanTest, Australia’s first fixed site pill testing service. Since moving to Tasmania, Catherine has worked for the Alcohol and Drug Service in Hobart while completing specialist training in Addiction Medicine. She currently works across the pharmacotherapy unit, inpatient withdrawal unit and the consultation liaison service at RHH.
Dr Nicolle Ait Khelifa is a General adult psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist having obtained FRCPsych with sub specialty addiction psychiatry from the Royal college of psychiatrists UK and since returning home to Australia with her twins FRANZCP and FAChAM. Nicolle has worked in the Drug and alcohol field for over 20 years, in multiple services across the UK and Australia. She worked as the consultant for the North Islington Drug Service and Camden Alcohol Service and is currently employed as the Statewide Specialty Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service (ADS) in Tasmania. Since coming to Tasmania, she has established Addiction psychiatry training sites at ADS and has continued to advocate for improved access to services for clients.
Dr Diane Hopper is Medical Director at the Aboriginal Health Service (AHS) where she has worked for the last 10 years. Diane was trained to provide pharmacotherapy in the UK and she also was a provider in New Zealand. Since working at the AHS she has been supported by Ian Guinan and the Alcohol and Drug Service to provide pharmacotherapy in that setting.