Case study
Substance Misuse Limestone Coast
Media & Communications Advisor – 2018-Current
Since 2019, Kate has worked with the staff and volunteer board of Substance Misuse Limestone Coast (SMLC) as their Media & Communications Advisor, providing specialist communication advice and solutions around complex and frequently sensitive alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues relevant to the Limestone Coast community.
Reporting to, and meeting weekly with, SMLC’s Project Manager, Kate’s work includes the following:
Government relations, strategy & advice;
Identifying proactive media opportunities & responding to negative news coverage;
Researching & writing media releases around relevant AOD issues;
Creation of advertising campaigns aligning with SMLC’s mission & values;
Managing, updating and creating content for the SMLC website;
Establishing, managing and creating targeted content for SMLC’s social platforms, including LinkedIn & Facebook;
Researching, writing & preparation of reports and submissions;
Community & stakeholder engagement;
Regional Summit event support & news photography.
Testimonial - SMLC Project Manager Sophie Bourchier
“Kate has worked as our Communications and Media Advisor since 2019 and has become a much-valued member of our team.
Kate’s expertise and experience when it comes to media, government and stakeholder relations has been crucial to our success in creating awareness of our activities and cause as a not-for-profit organisation.
As SMLC are reliant on government funding, our public image is crucial, and by strategic planning and continued communications, Kate ensures SMLC’s name is front and centre in the complex alcohol and other drug space, through our own channels and local and state media.
Always innovative and creative, I highly recommend Kate to any organisation or business looking to take their communications to the next level.”
Achievements include:
Alcohol Detox Beds: In 2021, SMLC successfully placed a community need for dedicated alcohol detox beds at Mount Gambier Hospital firmly on the State Government’s radar, resulting in a 2022 State Election commitment to fund two beds. The beds are due to be operational by 2025.
Link - Mount Gambier AOD Detox bed pledge welcomed by SMLC | Substance Misuse Limestone Coast
Regional Summit: In 2019, SMLC created a new biannual event – the Limestone Coast AOD Regional Summit – to draw frontline workers and AOD specialists from across the region together with key local, State and Federal MPs and decision makers. By uniting the groups and creating discussion themes, SMLC has been able to successfully identify, highlight and advocate for key AOD service gaps and infrastructure needs in the Limestone Coast region. The third event will be held in 2025.
Link - SMLC Regional Summit hears more funding, collaboration required | Substance Misuse Limestone Coast
Sporting club campaign: Funding from the Alcohol & Drug Foundation gave SMLC the opportunity to create a unique and targeted health promotion campaign in 2022 to open up conversations with parents/caregivers around the supply of alcohol to teenagers. The successful campaign was in direct response to Planet Youth survey statistics and was supported by 26 Limestone Coast sporting clubs.
Time for Change: During the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, levels of risky at-home alcohol use skyrocketed nationally and locally, as people complied with stay-at-home regulations. In response, SMLC created the successful Time for Change health promotion campaign, which ran across print and radio platforms locally, which was designed to prompt the question – ‘is it time for change in my drinking behaviour’?
Link - New SMLC education campaign 'Time for Change' debuts | Substance Misuse Limestone Coast