Jonathan Tyler

Jonathan Tyler

Overview

Jonathan oversees Turning Point's Specialist Clinical Services, which provides a suite of advisory, assessment, assertive linkage, early intervention and complex care services within the field of addiction, as well as a range of national industrial health and wellbeing services.

The team includes over 40 staff from the disciplines of addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, nursing, midwifery and allied health (psychology, social work and counselling). Jonathan is an experienced manager working for over 14 years in mental health and drug and alcohol services. His passions are program development and clinical implementation focused primarily in mental and substance health concerns.

Jonathan holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health, Graduate Diploma in Community and Rural Mental Health, a Bachelor of Social Work and Welfare Policy, a Bachelor of Applied Science Majoring in Psychology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Male Family Violence Counselling.

What made you want to work in the addiction sector?

I have always been interested in working within the dual stream of clinical service delivery, research and workforce development. Working at Turning Point gives me the wonderful opportunity to work within all these areas. Working as part of an exceptionally skilled and passionate team seeking ways to implement best and new clinical practice, embed research into our clinical work as well as train and allied health, nursing and medical students makes the work I complete quite fulfilling. Furthermore, I am passionate about working in health fields, which have barriers associated with stigma. Working within Turning Point gives me the opportunity to work in a health field where reducing and eliminating stigma concepts are such an important component to improving service outcomes for people.

What are the misconceptions of addiction?

There are many misconceptions of addiction. The one I hope the documentary as well as the ‘Rethink Addiction’ initiative can combat is the belief that addiction is an individual choice, which can be fixed with just a bit of individual self-belief and discipline.

What are the biggest challenges for someone with an addiction?

It is such an individually unique experience. However, areas I commonly have witnessed are isolation, loneliness, disconnection, trauma, blame, discrimination.

What has been your experience of the documentary?

It was a unique experience. It is very rare to have an experience where by you have a suite of clinical and support services available for a client in one location working and collaborating as one. The opportunity to work collaboratively had significant benefits when working on providing wrap around support to a client. I hope this also was reflected as a positive experience for the clients.

What do you hope people will see when they watch the documentary?

I hope they are able to see how unique, individual, talented and wonderful people with addiction are. I hope they gain an understanding that addiction does not define a person. I hope they gain an understanding that there is hope with addiction and the opportunity to get good support.

How can we as a society ‘Rethink Addiction’?

It is about all of us being willing to explore, reflect and be open to learn. Addiction is a very complex issue that has the potential to impact everyone. We cannot simplify addiction into one stereotype and we need to support people with humanity and kindness.