Background

Amy has over 10 years experience in public and community health spanning direct service delivery, project management, research and policy.

Amy’s research interests include prisons and injecting drug use. She manages outreach fieldworkers collecting data on drug and alcohol and justice health projects.

Qualifications

• MSW, RMIT
• MSocSci (Policy and Human Services), RMIT
• BA (Hons), University of Melbourne

Projects (10)

Current (7)

• Breaking the cycle: supporting people with drug use histories to avoid reincarceration
  Re-designing the post release experience for people with drug use histories using systems and co-design
• CREIDU: Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use
  Improving the health of PWID through new research to inform public health policy and practice.
• EDRS: Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System
  EDRS aims to examine trends in the use of ecstasy and other drugs among regular users.
• Evaluation of the Multicultural Drug and Alcohol Service
  Formative and outcome evaluations of a new alcohol and drug service for South Sudanese youth, their families and communities.
• IDRS: Illicit Drug Reporting System
  A strategic early warning system identifying emerging trends related to illicit drugs.
• PATH Cohort Study
  A cohort study of the trajectories of prisoners with a history of injecting drug use after release from prison.
• SuperMIX: The Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study
  A five-year study of the dynamics of cessation of injecting drug use and any subsequent relapse.

Past (3)

• Cohort study of ex-prisoners with a history of injecting drug use
  The largest ever prospective study of ex-prisoners with a history of injecting drug use in Australia.
• Evaluation of a condom distribution trial in Victorian prisons
  The evaluation of a pilot program introducing condoms and dental dams into Victorian Prisons.
• Hit & Miss: Health needs of ex-prisoners with an IDU history
  Assessing drug use and health needs for six months post-release.

Publications (9)

2019 (1)

• The Prison and Transition Health (PATH) Cohort Study: Study Protocol and Baseline Characteristics of a Cohort of Men with a History of Injecting Drug Use Leaving Prison in Australia.
  Kirwan A, Curtis M, Dietze P, Aitken C, Woods E, Walker S, Kinner S, Ogloff J, Butler T, Stoové M
  J Urban Health. 2019 Apr; 96(3):400-410

2018 (3)

• Lifetime prevalence and correlates of self-harm and suicide attempts among male prisoners with histories of injecting drug use.
  Stewart AC, Cossar R, Dietze P, Armstrong G, Curtis M, Kinner SA, Ogloff JRP, Kirwan A, Stoové M
  Health Justice. 2018 Oct; 6(1):19
• Acceptability of prison-based take-home naloxone programmes among a cohort of incarcerated men with a history of regular injecting drug use.
  Curtis M, Dietze P, Aitken C, Kirwan A, Kinner SA, Butler T, Stoové M
  Harm Reduct J. 2018 Sep; 15(1):48
• The associations of poor psychiatric well-being among incarcerated men with injecting drug use histories in Victoria, Australia.
  Cossar R, Stoové M, Kinner SA, Dietze P, Aitken C, Curtis M, Kirwan A, Ogloff JRP
  Health Justice. 2018 Jan; 6(1):1

2016 (1)

• Take-home naloxone programs and calls to emergency services.
  Kirwan A, Curtis M, van Beek IA, Cantwell K, Dietze PM
  Med J Aust. 2016 Mar; 204(4):143

2015 (2)

• Modelling the Impact of Condom Distribution on the Incidence and Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in an Adult Male Prison System.
  Scott N, McBryde E, Kirwan A, Stoové M
  PLoS One. 2015 Dec; 10(12):e0144869
• Correlates of property crime in a cohort of recently released prisoners with a history of injecting drug use.
  Kirwan A, Quinn B, Winter R, Kinner SA, Dietze P, Stoové M
  Harm Reduct J. 2015 Aug; 12(1):23

2014 (1)

• Prevalence and associations of quetiapine fumarate misuse among an Australian national city sample of people who regularly inject drugs
  Reddel SE, Bruno R, Burns L, Kirwan A, Lokuge K, Dietze P
  Addiction. 2014 Feb; 109(2):295-302

2013 (1)

• Evaluation of the Introduction of Condoms and Dental Dams into Victorian Prisons, Stage Two and Three – Final Report.
  Kirwan A, Scott N, McBryde E, Stoové M
  Technical Report for Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute: Melbourne, Australia.. 2013 Jul

News Articles (3)

2019 (1)

• Paul Ramsay Foundation funding to tackle disadvantage

2018 (1)

• Preventing and responding to opioid overdose in Victoria

2012 (1)

• Suboxone® in Australia: focus of CREIDU Colloquium