In the late 1990s during the heroin ‘epidemic’, Bradley set up the Drug and Alcohol Unit at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern – the first such unit in an Aboriginal community controlled health service. This unit has offered opioid pharmacotherapy for more than 20 years. It is person-centred, low-threshold care, where someone can walk off the street, and likely get on the program the same day. Buprenorphine is provided on site, and people can receive counselling, support, advocacy and holistic health care.

Bradley has played a leadership role through many national and state committees, including the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC), the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association, the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network (ADAN), Just Reinvest, NSW.

Bradley is an adjunct Professor at La Trobe University, and has co-authored research articles and book chapters, and was an editor of the very popular Handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work. Bradley has been inducted into the NIDAC Coralie Ober Honour Roll and has received the APSAD First Peoples Award.

In all, Bradley has brought warmth, wisdom and humour to his 30+ years of working to reduce harms from alcohol and drugs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Back to Speaker Page