Our Impact

The Your Opinions Matter evaluation assesses the effectiveness of Palmerston’s support for client outcomes and gathers insights for program improvement. Findings are to enhance service outcomes, recognise achievements and share learnings with key stakeholders.

Evaluation Approach
Semi-structured interviews with clients and clinicians across four locations provided a detailed view of Palmerston’s core practices, focusing on day-to-day support like counselling and groups.

Conclusions
This evaluation highlights Palmerston’s considerable positive impact on client outcomes, aligning closely with the organisation’s logic model. Key contributions include supporting clients in making meaningful changes, tailoring services to individual needs, helping clients achieve their AOD goals and reduce harm, and enhancing emotional wellbeing and mental health, among other benefits.

Good oral health is essential for overall wellbeing, yet many people in AOD recovery face barriers to dental care. The Oral Health Project was created to improve access to treatment and promote oral health for people in recovery.
Addressing several of Palmerston’s strategic priorities, this award-winning initiative is the first of its kind embedded within an AOD residential therapeutic community in Australia—and is unique internationally. It underscores Palmerston’s commitment to holistic care, demonstrating that something as simple as a smile can transform lives. By integrating trauma-informed dental care into AOD recovery, the program has boosted confidence, improved health, and strengthened motivation to stay in recovery.

Running since 2022, the program is a collaboration between Palmerston, St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, the Institute for Health Research, the University of Notre Dame, and volunteer dentists.

Participant Experiences
“This is a huge thing for me—to go out into the community feeling confident and not judged.”
“It’s not just about teeth. It’s about mental health, confidence, self-esteem, and hope. It’s a massive part of recovery.”
“Knowing I’m healthy and have a good smile means everything—to talk with my family and kids again is a big thing for me.”

Listen to the ABC interview with Dr Richard Slattery.

Parental problematic AOD use often has a significant impact on children in their care. The Child Support Service (CSS) provides Palmerston clients’ children (aged 5-13) with child centred, trauma informed support services to develop skills to build emotional literacy and resilience and express, regulate and manage behaviours in a positive way.

The program includes group activities, art therapy, play therapy, more traditional forms of ‘talk based’ support with the counsellor and referral to additional services when needed.

The service, evaluated by the University of WA, with research outcomes indicating that the CSS is providing a much need service to children and families. There were no similar services found in Perth and very few internationally with the same service design.