Putting out the welcome mat - A qualitative exploration of service delivery processes and procedures as barriers to treatment-seeking for people who use alcohol and other drugs
Our summary
Accessing support for alcohol or other drug use can be a long and confronting journey — and for many people, the systems meant to help can sometimes make it harder.
Published in Drug and Alcohol Review (2023), this Australian qualitative study explores how service delivery processes and organisational structures can inadvertently discourage treatment-seeking and engagement among people who use alcohol and other drugs.
Researchers from Monash University’s Addiction Research Centre and Turning Point conducted interviews with 39 participants — including people with lived experience and frontline health staff — to uncover the barriers that emerge during intake, assessment, and referral. The findings highlight recurring issues such as lengthy waitlists, repeated trauma-inducing assessments, and rigid procedures that prioritise compliance over compassion.
The study also reveals how broader health services can reinforce stigma — through unrealistic behavioural expectations, viewing substance use as “outside” their scope, or missing opportunities for informal, person-centred engagement. These systemic gaps often leave people feeling excluded or “out of bounds” of traditional healthcare, despite significant need.
By identifying these practical and structural barriers, the research calls for a shift toward more flexible, needs-based, and humane service models that prioritise connection, continuity, and dignity.
For community work and health professionals, this paper is a vital reminder that how services are delivered can be as important as the services themselves.