Victorian Clinicians Get Rare Chance to Upskill on Cognitive Impairment in AOD Settings

Turning Point is hosting a free, full-day training workshop in Richmond, Victoria, this June. It gives frontline workers practical tools to recognise and respond to cognitive impairment in AOD settings.

The workshop brings together three senior clinical neuropsychologists with deep experience in substance use and brain health. AOD clinicians, counsellors, support workers, and allied health professionals can attend. Participants must work within a Victorian Department of Health funded organisation. Places are strictly limited.

Why Cognitive Impairment in Drug and Alcohol Work Is So Often Missed

Cognitive difficulties in alcohol and drug treatment are far more common than many clinicians realise, yet they frequently go undetected. Research shows that up to 80 per cent of people seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder present with some degree of cognitive impairment. These deficits range from mild memory difficulties to significant executive dysfunction. When clinicians miss them, engagement drops, treatment retention suffers, and long-term recovery becomes harder to achieve.

The presenters point out that cognitive impairment in AOD settings rarely has a single cause. It may stem from acquired brain injury, long-term substance use, or neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD or intellectual disability. Mental health diagnoses add another layer. Often, several of these factors combine across a person’s lifespan. Untangling them requires a nuanced, informed approach, and that is what this workshop sets out to provide.

What Attendees Will Learn

The one-day programme covers four core areas relevant to everyday clinical practice.

The morning session focuses on recognising cognitive impairment in AOD settings. It covers the behavioural signs that clinicians can easily mistake for non-compliance or poor motivation. Attendees will also explore the underlying causes that drive cognitive difficulties in alcohol and drug treatment, spanning developmental, neurological, and substance-related factors.

The afternoon moves into practical territory. Attendees will learn how to adapt communication, structure sessions, and modify care plans to better support clients with cognitive difficulties. The final section covers referral pathways and when a formal neuropsychological assessment becomes the right next step.

The Presenters

Three experienced clinicians from Turning Point’s Addiction Neuropsychology Service lead the workshop.

Dr James Gooden is a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist and clinician researcher. His caseload centres on clients with complex presentations, including comorbid traumatic brain injury, polysubstance use, mental health difficulties, and forensic and psychosocial issues. He co-authored the clinical practice guidelines for managing cognitive impairment in AOD treatment at Turning Point. He has also authored 14 academic manuscripts and a book chapter in the field.

Georgia Bolt is also a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist. She works across both acute inpatient and community outpatient settings at Turning Point and Austin Health. Her recently completed PhD investigated a personalised mobile health cognitive intervention for older adults drinking at hazardous levels in the community. She won the inaugural Maureen Molloy Prize in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Melbourne.

Sarah Bussell is a Clinical Neuropsychology Registrar at Turning Point Statewide Services. She provides secondary consultation and neuropsychological assessment for adults with significant substance use histories. Her work focuses on translating neuropsychological knowledge into practical, person-centred support for consumers and care teams alike.

A Growing Need in the AOD Sector

The need to address cognitive difficulties in alcohol and drug treatment settings grows more urgent each year. The sector now serves a more complex client population than ever before. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, alcohol remains one of the most common substances for which Australians seek treatment. A significant proportion of those people arrive with years of cumulative neurological harm already behind them. Studies suggest that cognitive impairment affects up to two thirds of people entering residential AOD treatment, yet many services lack the tools to screen for it systematically.

Specialist neuropsychological support remains scarce outside tertiary settings. Workshops like this one build the capacity of frontline workers to spot cognitive impairment in AOD contexts early. They also help clinicians adapt their approach and connect clients with specialist support when the situation calls for it.

Workshop Details

Date: Friday 26 June 2026 Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm Venue: Turning Point, Level 1 Training Rooms, 110 Church Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Cost: Free Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

This workshop is exclusively available to staff working in a Victorian Department of Health funded AOD organisation. Participants must provide their manager’s contact details at registration. Managers will hear from Turning Point if a registered participant does not attend without prior notice.

Places are limited and demand is high. To cancel, log into your Eventbrite account or email tp@turningpoint.org.au.

Source: mailchi