$13 Million to Establish a Drug And Alcohol Service in Cape York
The Minister for Indigenous Health and Rural and Regional Health, Warren Snowdon announced funding of $13 million to establish a new, residential rehabilitation service near Cooktown.
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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 MP
Member for Leichhardt
23 April 2010At the end of a tour of the Cape York region, the Minister for Indigenous Health and Rural and Regional Health, Warren Snowdon has announced funding of $13 million to establish a new, residential rehabilitation service near Cooktown.
The new residential rehabilitation service will:
- Feature 15 family-sized rooms and be custom designed
- Accommodate up to 45 people at any one time, including clients and their families in a safe and culturally appropriate environment.
- Provide clients with intensive treatments including work readiness programs, support and counselling, and relapse prevention programs
- Provide approximately 20 staffing jobs
- Be accessible to people across the Cape York region
“This service will ensure there will be a comprehensive suite of drug and alcohol services available to the people of the Cape and surrounding areas.
“As of 2011 up to 45 clients will be able to access the new custom designed facility, and this will compliment detoxification facilities already established at the Cooktown hospital and counselling and support services available through the Well Being Centre at Hopevale. It will also link to fully-funded transport services and after-care and accommodation near Weipa,” Mr Snowdon said.
“In particular, this will work to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We know that alcohol related deaths amongst Indigenous people are 21 times higher than the non-Indigenous population and we hope to start to address that through this service,” he said.
Member for Leichhardt, Jim Turnour, said the facility will provide enhanced care because it will be based on a new model of family-centred service delivery.
“One of the major benefits I see from locating the service near Cooktown is that it provides clients from anywhere in the Cape with an opportunity to work on their recovery, with their family, in a supportive environment away from the pressures of their normal living environment.”
He said the Cooktown region was chosen because of its proximity to enhanced detoxification facilities in Cooktown at the local hospital; ease of acquiring land; access to power, water and telecommunications; and access to staff housing.
Mr Turnour said the funding gives the Cooktown community a unique opportunity to develop a tailored service from the ‘ground up’.
“The new provider and the Department of Health will consult extensively across the Cape to ensure that the services best meet the needs of clients and the local communities.”
The service and transition care will be managed by the Congress Community Development Education Unit (CCDEU),
“It’s a well-established Indigenous organisation with over 200 staff. It’s developed a strong reputation in Queensland including delivering a residential rehabilitation service in Townsville and an aged care service in Cairns,” Mr Snowdon said.
The service is expected to be operational by early 2011.
In addition, Mr Snowdon announced he would supplement the residential rehabilitation service with a transition program near Weipa.
“Of course, once clients have completed the intensive program, after-care and support will be critical. A transitional program near Weipa enables Western Cape clients to continue their supervised rehabilitation and work readiness closer to home,” he said.
An announcement will be made on the transitional program in coming months.
The new services will compliment the Rudd Government’s $22 million investment in four Wellbeing Centres recently established in Aurukun, Coen, Hopevale and Mossman Gorge.
“These Wellbeing Centres provide much needed drug, alcohol and social and emotional support, such as counselling and guidance, for community members and they have been extremely well received,” Mr Snowdon said.
Media contacts:
Alice Plate (Snowdon) 0400 045 999
Belinda Featherstone (Turnour) 0427 737 203
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