Negotiations under way for New Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation service for Cairns
A new drug and alcohol rehabilitation service has been announced for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Cairns and surrounding regions. The new service will begin in March 2010.
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Previous MinistersJoint Release
The Hon Warren Snowdon MP
Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery
Jim Turnour
Member for Leichhardt
17 February 2010A new drug and alcohol rehabilitation service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been announced for Cairns and surrounding regions.
The new service will be delivered by the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council Inc, an offshoot of the Gold Coast Drug Council Inc, and will begin in March 2010.
The council will establish a 20-bed facility, with the potential to service up to 30 clients. It will be locally based and an exact site for the service will be announced shortly. It will employ approximately 20 qualified and experienced staff and is committed to employ local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers.
The service will provide:
- Residential rehabilitation
- Counselling
- Structured transition back to community
- Relapse prevention
- Supportive aftercare
- Drug education
- Mental health and primary health care.
“This is a high priority. This group will help assist in building local relationships and ensure the service is responding to the needs of the local community,” he said.
“The group will also work with the council to develop a transition plan so eventually the service will be community controlled, and that’s a very important part of this process,” Member for Leichhardt Jim Turnour added.
In the interim, the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council Inc has approached Wuchopperen Health Service to provide comprehensive primary health care to clients of the new service.
In addition it has had productive discussions with Gindaja Treatment and Health Indigenous Corporation around culturally appropriate care.
The Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council Inc was chosen as the drug and alcohol rehabilitation service because it demonstrated the strongest capacity for best practice drug and alcohol rehabilitation service delivery and good financial management through an open tender process.
“The parent organisation, Gold Coast Drug Council, has more than 25 years experience in delivering drug and alcohol rehabilitation services,” Mr Snowdon said.
“It has a proven track record with meeting its service contract requirements and has a qualified and committed board of management that places a strong emphasis on risk management, clinical governance and financial accountability,” he said.
The Gold Coast Council has developed a strong presence in the community and is currently working with the Wuchopperen Health Service to provide assistance to former clients of the
Aborigines and Islanders Alcohol Relief Services (AIARS) program, which closed late last year.
Media contact: Alice Plate 0400 045 999 or alice.plate@health.gov.au
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