Reconciliation Action Plan
Clean Slate Clinic proudly presents our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), endorsed by Reconciliation Australia.
This plan marks the beginning of our formal commitment to ensuring our services are culturally appropriate and accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture.
Through our RAP, we commit to supporting reconciliation and working towards a more equitable and inclusive future.

A Message from the CEO
Reconciliation is not just a goal - it’s a responsibility. At Clean Slate Clinic, we acknowledge that the lands and waters on which we work and live have always been, and always will be, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands. We recognise the harm and suffering that has been done to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people through colonisation and subsequent harmful policies, which resulted in the banning of cultural practices, stolen generations and intergenerational trauma. With this understanding comes a commitment to healing, respect, and collaboration.
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As an addiction treatment provider, we understand the inequity in burden of disease from alcohol and other drugs on First Nations Australians. This inequity is an enduring consequence of the harm done to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people through colonisation, where alcohol in particular was used as a means of control and exploitation.
This inequity is also evidence of the ongoing challenges Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people face in accessing culturally safe, non-stigmatised care. We hear firsthand of the challenges our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients have faced in this regard, which strengthens our resolve to address these disparities.
Our inaugural Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan is a deliberate and heartfelt step in this direction. It is a map for our journey and guided by our values of social justice, inclusion, and equity. We are grateful to our partners, such as Armajun and Goondir Health, who have entrusted us to work in collaboration to support their communities and we aim to learn, grow, and co-create pathways to better health and wellbeing.
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Our RAP is more than a document; it is a promise. It commits us to fostering deeper relationships, embedding cultural learning in everything we do, and ensuring our services reflect the diverse needs of the communities we serve.
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I am deeply grateful to the RAP Working Group, our team, and our partners for their dedication to this process. Together, we are setting the stage for sustained change - not just for Clean Slate Clinic, but for the broader community.
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Reconciliation is a shared journey, and we are proud to walk this path alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, now and into the future.
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Pia Clinton Tarestad
CEO | Clean Slate Clinic


Our RAP Artwork
Clean Slate Clinic is deeply honored to feature the artwork of Sharlene Smith, an artist from Western Queensland, in our Reconciliation Action Plan.
Sharlene finds painting a place of peace and calm, a way to connect with her spirit. Her mission aligns closely with ours, as she has seen firsthand the devastating impact of substance use on her loved ones and her community. Her artwork, titled “Too Close to Home,” reflects on the impact of substance use, expressing the heartbreak of “too much sorry business for our mob.” Sharlene believes passionately that this cycle must end, saying, “There is another choice.”
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Sharlene’s experiences bring depth to her perspective. Having grown up as a ward of the state, she knows the challenges faced by her community yet proudly speaks to the power of choice, saying, “I could have gone down that path, but I made a different choice. We have a choice.” Sharlene shares her message with anyone who will listen, advocating for healthier lives free from substance use. Her commitment to her community is further displayed through her commissioned artwork, which also features on local football jerseys, promoting community spirit and resilience.
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Clean Slate Clinic is profoundly grateful for Sharlene’s generosity, spirit, and talent. Thank you, Sharlene, for sharing your story and vision with us.

Our Business
Applied Recovery Co Pty Ltd (trading as Clean Slate Clinic) is a Social Enterprise with a mission to tear down barriers to accessing addiction treatment services, be they geographical; financial; stigma; cultural or other. We do this through providing home-based assessment, withdrawal & recovery services for individuals struggling with dependence on alcohol, stimulants or cannabis, delivered fully via telehealth.
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Our program typically comprises 3 phases: Assessment & Preparation, where we work with an individual to ensure that they are clinically, psychologically and socially ready and safe to withdraw at home; Home-based withdrawal, where our doctors prescribe detox medications and our nurses check in with our clients daily to ensure they are okay and adjust medication as required; and 12-months of follow-up support, where we work with our clients to support them in meeting their long-term goals.
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Clean Slate Clinic has 35 employees (a mixture of permanent and casual employees) in addition to 2 Clinician Contractors. We currently employ 1 Aboriginal General Practitioner and an Aboriginal lived experience worker.
Clean Slate Clinic has a national reach, providing services to every State & Territory in Australia. We have supported over 800 individuals to safely detox at home.
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Clean Slate Clinic is a fully virtual organisation, with no in-person office space, although we have a registered office in Northern Sydney and are exploring co-working space in Sydney.


Our RAP Working Group
We are a small organisation and intend to develop and implement our RAP in collaboration with the whole organisation, through our regular Service Team Meetings and with the support of a small RAP Working Group.
The Working Group comprises of:
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Dr Bec Davison, a GP and Dharawal and Yuin woman
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Dr Chris Davis, our Medical Director working on Gadigal land
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Dr Paul Grinzi, a GP working on Wurundjeri land
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Dr Ian Guinan, a GP working on Muwinina land
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Jo Corbett, a nurse working on Bandjalang land
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Fiona Faulkner, a nurse working on Muwinina land
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Jodie Foster, our Intake Coordinator, working on Wurundjeri land
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Pia Clinton-Tarestad, our CEO, working on Gadigal land
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Piotr Blaszczyk, our Operations Manager, working on Gadigal land
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Linda Smith Senior Lead -Government and Recovery programs working on Wiradguri landi
The CEO is our RAP Champion and will take overall responsibility for implementing the plan, and many of the individual actions.
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We are a values-based organisation, with a strong emphasis on social justice and a value of inclusion that we developed together as a whole team, but we are early in our reconciliation journey.This RAP marks the first formal step in our reconciliation journey.
Our Reconcilation Journey

We have established meaningful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to support their communities. This includes our collaboration with Orana Haven, an Aboriginal Led rehabilitation facility in Western New South Wales, to support their staff in the care of clients with alcohol and other drug dependence, and to provide specialised input to enable their services to provide on-site withdrawal for their local Aboriginal community.
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We also have a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Goondir Health, with a commitment to co-design, co-develop and co-implement initiatives that support the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities that Goondir services, and have jointly submitted proposals for funding to QLD Government.
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In our efforts to foster mutual learning and understanding, we have visited other Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across the country, and seek out opportunities for mutual learning, for us to understand more about the specific needs of local communities, and to provide training in the clinical management of alcohol and other drugs. Visits have included Armajun, Goondir Health, Gidgee Healing and we are working with The Glen Centre to explore partnership opportunities.
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To further our commitment, we have engaged an Aboriginal owned media agency to support development of materials and messaging to raise awareness of our service in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities across Western Queensland and Western New South Wales.