Alcohol & other drugs services in Victoria
Treatment & support

About drug treatment services

Page content: Counselling & support | Withdrawal services | Methadone & other pharmacotherapies | Rehabilitation & post withdrawal | Services for families | Services for young people | Services for Koori communities | Service requirements

There are a range of alcohol and drug related services available in Victoria. Most of these services are available in regional and metropolitan Victoria, however, in some cases services are restricted to certain areas, such as drug "hot-spots". In addition, some of the services are offered on a Statewide basis from a centralised location.

Services are free although Residential Rehabilitation and Drug and Alcohol Supported Accommodation will charge a rental fee. The Drink Drive Program is a fee-for-service program and prices vary according to the agency.

Counselling & support

Counselling is provided by health professionals, psychologists, general practitioners, consultant physicians, psychiatrists and social workers.

The range of services provided includes assessment, treatment and consultancy, outreach referral and ongoing case management.

Withdrawal services

Residential withdrawal

• Usually involves a short stay in a community residential drug withdrawal service or hospital.

Home based withdrawal

• Home based withdrawal is provided by an experienced nurse and a medical practitioner where the withdrawal is of mild to moderate severity and support is available from a family member or friend at home.

Outpatient withdrawal

• This is available to people whose withdrawal can be appropriately managed without admission to a residential service and involves a series of intensive individual consultations over a short period, followed by ongoing counselling and support to help complete the withdrawal.

Rural withdrawal support

• In country Victoria, general practitioners and health services often provide treatment and support involving a short hospital stay (where required) with a period of home based withdrawal.

Methadone & other pharmacotherapies

'Pharmacotherapies' is the term used to describe the use of medication to assist in the treatment of addiction (eg methadone, buprenorphine).

Methadone is usually administered through general practitioners who have been trained to prescribe methadone and is available through a range of community pharmacists.

Specialist methadone services may be required when there are associated complex medical, psychiatric or psychological problems. Specialist methadone services operate in association with a general hospital.

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Rehabilitation & post withdrawal

Residential rehabilitation

• Residential rehabilitation is usually offered to people who have previously undergone a drug or alcohol withdrawal program without success.

Supported accommodation

• This is for people who do not have a stable home environment. It helps them achieve lasting change and assists in their re-introduction to the community. Services include, as a minimum, a day support worker from a community based setting, usually within public housing.

Peer support

• Provides mutual support and information by individuals with a personal experience of alcohol and drug use. Peer support groups or activities are usually established by current or past alcohol and drug users.

Services for families

Family drug help

• There are many self-help groups for family members of drug users across the State. These groups provide a regular newsletter, support, information and advice for families. For family drug help, contact 1300 660 068

Parent support program

• These programs are provided by alcohol and drug professionals to groups of parents across Victoria. Such programs will provide support to parents and families of drug users and assist them to respond effectively to children and other family members with a drug problem.

Family counselling program (Drug & Alcohol)

• These services are provided to families who seek assistance, counselling and support to their family member who has a drug problem.

Services for young people

These services are available in Victoria specifically for young people.

Youth outreach and support

• Outreach services provide assessment, support and ongoing case coordination for young people in their own environment.

Youth residential withdrawal

• Withdrawal services are provided through a community residential drug withdrawal service or through hospital based treatment.

Youth home based withdrawal

• These services are provided for young people where the withdrawal is of mild to moderate severity and the person can be supported by a family member or friend at home.

Youth residential rehabilitation

• Comprising a 15-bed statewide facility to provide 24 hour staffed residential programs that will provide a range of interventions for young people whose established use of drugs has caused them significant harm.

Youth supported accommodation

• Provides a supportive residential environment to help young people achieve lasting change and assists in their re-introduction into the community.

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Services for Koori communities

Koori-specific alcohol and drug treatment services are provided to Aboriginal people who are affected (either directly or indirectly) or who are at risk of being affected by alcohol and/or other drugs.

Koori Community Alcohol and Drug Workers undertake a number of activities to reduce the use of and harm caused by drug and alcohol in their communities.

These activities include health promotion, information provision, education activities, development and maintenance of community linkages, referrals and counselling. These workers liaise with services in an advocacy role on behalf of the service user.

Service requirements

All services must meet the following general requirements:

• services must be targeted to people with serious problems resulting from their use of alcohol or other drugs

• the principal of harm minimisation to the approach of funded drug treatment services. Harm minimisation focuses on reducing the harm to both the individual and society from alcohol and drug use

• services must ensure continuity of care for clients through an appropriate case-management process

• where services are offered to young people, agencies should ensure that programs are tailored to their needs, are accessible, have flexible hours, work closely with the young person's family group and build strong links with other relevant agencies

• to provide education and information relating to alcohol and drug issues which will enhance prevention and harm minimisation

• to facilitate arrangements for the care of client's children while their parents are in the program

• to operate under age, gender and culturally-sensitive protocols in relation to client care.