AIVL STAFF AND
AIVL STAFF
Jake Docker started his career at St Vincent’s Hospital Alcohol & Drug Service, Sydney. From there, Jake spent 13 years working across the areas of Corrections and Child Protection, before leaving the public service to step into the NGO sector where he felt that he could affect more positive change in the community. Prior to joining AIVL, Jake managed a suite of support services aimed at supporting vulnerable children, families, and youth. While Jake has always been passionate about supporting people, he observed first hand how the criminalisation of drug use, and indeed the persecution of drug users in other statutory settings, negatively impacts the community overall, and indeed increases the likelihood of drug-related harm. Jake is very keen to be part of change in this area.
Jake holds a Bachelor of Social Science (double-major in Psychology and Social Science & Policy) from the University of New South Wales and is presently undertaking a Master of Leadership with Deakin University, Melbourne.
Jake is passionate about promoting harm reduction and peer-driven services. He is a staunch supporter for the human rights of people who use drugs and heartily believes in the value of self-determination.
Steph Tzanetis joined AIVL after several years with Harm Reduction Victoria, working in peer-based outreach and program management roles. She has a particular interest in and experience with health promotion and harm reduction initiatives in music festival and nightlife settings, including peer support, psychedelic care, and ‘pill testing’/drug checking services.
Steph has spent several years practising as a volunteer community lawyer, as well as volunteering for several organisations that promote the health rights and human rights of people who use drugs. She originally studied law and humanities and more recently completed higher qualifications in medical and health law and addictive behaviours.
Adrian Gorringe’s career background before joining AIVL was is in Public Health (Health Promotion) and education. Throughout his career he have been involved in research into the perceived reasons behind drug use, the associated harms, and Australian society’s portrayal of various illicit drug-using, marginalised and stigmatised communities.
Adrian believes that “Although we have progressed as a society, the stigmatisation and general misunderstanding of illicit drug users largely remains and has distorted public consciousness, which in turn has created many public health issues”.
This sparked his interest in being part of the response to improve the health, wellbeing, rights and dignity of people who use/have used illicit drugs.
Adrian is a strong advocate for illicit drug using communities, Adrian believes that people who used drugs should have their voices heard and have meaningful involvement in the development of policies, programs and services that affect their lives.
Charlie Lay came to AIVL via St Vincent's Hospital Alcohol and Drug Service (SVH ADS) and The Wayside Chapel (TWC).
For over a decade, Charlie worked in various roles at SVH ADS, including Drug & Alcohol Clinician at both Rankin Court Opiate Treatment Program and Gorman House Withdrawal Unit (GH).
Charlie also managed Gorman House Withdrawal Unit for a period of 5 years, ensuring Residents were provided services in, Dignified, Respectful and Compassionate way. One of the central philosophies of the model of care used at GH revolved around the importance of peer knowledge and support through the withdrawal process.
For the past three years, Charlie has provided frontline support to Visitors at The Wayside Chapel. 'I am very focussed on providing our Visitors with as much advocacy and support as possible to access the services they want'. Charlie possesses a number of relevant qualifications, including a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Diploma in Alcohol and Other Drugs, and is in the final stages of a Master of Social Work. One of Charlie's hobbies is collecting Hawaiian shirts!
Sav Gollapally is a Marketing Professional with a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Health from Torrens University Australia. Prior to his Masters degree, he was a compounding pharmacist for a community pharmacy in Sydney. His experience as a pharmacist was extremely rewarding; however, it was through marketing and public health that he could use his analytical aptitude, marketing, and problem-solving skills to their fullest. So, he decided to pursue his Masters degree, and he says it was the best decision that he has ever made.
Sav brings over three years of marketing, sales, and public relations expertise, and he has worked for a variety of advertising, IT, healthcare, and marketing firms developing – CRM marketing strategy, landing page optimisation on websites, and Health Marketing (creating, communicating, and delivering health information and interventions). He loves creativity and he is a creative problem solver who has a passion for change, innovation and the wellbeing of society.
Rob has over 30 years' experience in accounting, taxation and finance, holding a Bachelor of Business – Accounting from Charles Sturt University and a CPA qualification.
Rob commenced his career as a junior accountant in a public accounting office and working in a diverse range of roles covering public accounting, small business, government before progressing his career to a role as the Australasian Chief Financial Officer for an international company based in Germany.
Rob has spent years volunteering his time with many Not for Profits. He has held roles such as State Vice President for APEX NSW and Treasurer and Board member for the ACT Children’s Book Council.
AIVL BOARD
I am currently the Chief Executive Office of Peer Based Harm Reduction WA and have held this position since February 2015. We are the only peer-based, not for profit, community-based harm reduction organisation in WA. As such we are in a unique position within
the sectors to advocate for consumer focused harm reduction approaches and bring the perspective of people who choose to use drugs into sector planning; engagement with other sectors and advice and advocacy to government.
I have worked in both the Government and non- Government (NGO) AOD and viral hepatitis sectors for more than 25 years in a variety of clinical, management and leadership roles. During this time, I have participated on a number of NGO Boards, undertaking executive positions including the Chairperson role. I believe I have a wealth of experience working with people who choose to use drugs and advocating for their rights and needs.
I have a sound understanding of governance issues
and the need for effective accountability mechanisms at an individual, organisational and sector level. I
am committed to maintaining the highest possible ethical standards and seek to act professionally and strategically to support the ethos of AIVL and the member agencies that it represents.
Paul works for Peer Based Harm Reduction WA, a not-for-profit NGO that provides peer-education, harm reduction, and health treatment services for people who use illicit drugs.
Paul currently coordinates Peer Based Harm Reduction WA’s Outreach Team, which delivers; mobile NSEP and other harm reduction services in the community; Overdose Prevention and Management (OPAM) Peer-education Project and WA Peer-administered Naloxone Program; Hep C PHRE (Peer Harm Reduction Education) Peer-education Project and Hepatitis C Treatment Case Management Service; and the Stirling Empowerment Project ‘CaLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) team’.
He also provides consultancy, training, and education to other agencies, and guest-lectures to several universities.
Paul has worked at Peer Based Harm Reduction WA for more than 20 years. Paul has also worked as a Drug and Alcohol Officer for the State-wide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service; as an educator and consultant for the Transnational Institute (in China and Myanmar); and as a trainer for the Burnet Institute for Public Health.
In 2002 Paul was awarded an Alcohol & Drug Council of Australia (ADCA) Australia Day Medal.
I am Sione Crawford and I am currently the AIVL Treasurer and started the role in 2019.
I have worked at three AIVL member organisations over the past 16 years and am currently the CEO of Harm Reduction Victoria where I have been since May 2018. I have worked in various roles at user organisation over those years including policy & advocacy, community development and health promotion. As part of this community of people who inject drugs and of people affected by hepatitis C I know that peer- based organisations have a crucial role to play both
as advocates for our communities and as places our community can work and be who we are.
I’ve been attending AIVL’s AGMs and member meetings for many years off and on and while it is disappointing that I won’t get to see all the great delegates and members from around Australia in person, I am proud to be attending this AGM as an AIVL Board Member, and Treasurer.
Chris Gough is Executive Director of the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy (CAHMA) and The Connection health service. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Honours in entomology and developmental parasitology from the University of Queensland.
He has over ten years of experience in the blood borne virus and alcohol, tobacco and other drug sectors, and has identified as a person who uses drugs for 20 years. Chris’ expertise centres around peer and consumer driven programming including peer education, peer treatment support, community development, consumer representation and advocacy.
He has worked at the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) and the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA). Chris has served on the Boards of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), NUAA, the ACT Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association (ATODA) and is currently the Secretary of the Australian Illicit and Injecting Drug Users League (AIVL).
Peter came to the sector as a consumer working as an Audio Engineer before starting with NTAHC as a peer NSP Officer.
He now has the position of Harm Reduction Coordinator though still works in the NSP keeping close contact with our community, delivering peer NSP services in a manner that gives PWID a break from the daily judgmental, humiliating garbage they suffer from when accessing most other services.
Peter is working to expand NSP service delivery to remote and un-serviced areas of the Northern Territory, with limited resources countered by enthusiasm.
Amanda Bresnan is CEO of the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists. She was previously Manager Strategy at Djirra – an Aboriginal family violence prevention and legal service; and CEO of Community Mental Health Australia. Amanda has over 15 years of experience in working with the non-government and health and social services sectors. From October 2008 to 2012 Amanda was a Member of Parliament in the ACT Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the ACT Greens.
Amanda is a Director and Deputy Chair of the Women’s Mental Health Network Victoria; a Director of WIRE; and a Director of AIVL - the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League. Amanda’s previous Board experience includes ACOSS; President of the Asthma Foundation ACT; and the National Asthma Board. She was Patron of ACT Mental Health Week in 2013 and 2014, and was a member of the ACT Ministerial Mental Health Advisory Committee. Amanda is also a judge for the Hesta Community Sector Awards.