Mr Arthur Dowdle1
1NSW Health – Drug Health Services – Redfern Harm Reduction Program, Redfern, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Arthur Dowdle is a clinical social worker who is interested in the problematic ways systems wield power, and aims to practice from a person-led, anti-oppressive framework. He currently helps run the social work clinic for the SLHD Needle Syringe Program/Harm Reduction Program mostly based in Redfern. He has experience in drug health, paediatric oncology (including gen med, ED, ICU), school-based social work and homelessness. He is also admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW as an Australian lawyer and have a background in worker's rights.
Abstract:
This project explores the intersection of housing and harm reduction, emphasising how stable housing serves as a fundamental component of rehabilitation for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders. Through an innovative collaboration between the Redfern Harm Reduction Program and a local homeless shelter, The Haymarket Foundation, this initiative integrates housing-first principles with harm reduction strategies to create a holistic model of social work.
The program recognizes that traditional abstinence-based rehabilitation models often fail to address the complex social and psychological factors contributing to substance use. By providing safe, stable housing alongside access to clean injecting equipment, access to mental and physical healthcare, this initiative fosters a non-judgmental environment where individuals can engage in recovery on their own terms. The model shifts the focus from punitive approaches to one centred on dignity, autonomy, and long-term well-being.
Our works suggests that individuals with access to stable housing are more likely to engage in health services, reduce high-risk drug related behaviours, and achieve greater long-term stability compared to those without secure housing. Furthermore, the partnership strengthens community engagement and reduces the stigma surrounding harm reduction services and creates a mutual aid relationship between service providers (people in the shelter have greater access to AOD interventions and Harm reduction clients have easier access to housing).
By reframing housing as a form of rehabilitation, this project argues for a paradigm shift in social work practices, advocating for increased investment in integrated service models that address the root causes of homelessness and substance use.