By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
Success spreads in battle against ice…
A SUCCESFUL drug and alcohol service in Melbourne’s north has opened a day rehab facility in Narre Warren – its first in Casey and funded by the State Government as it aims to tackle the spread of ice locally.
UnitingCare ReGen, based in Coburg, has just started running the six-week day rehab program out of Connections in Webb Street, the community centre where Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley visited on Tuesday 17 November to officially announce the funding as part of Labor’s $45.5 million Ice Action Plan.
ReGen CEO Laurence Alvis said the funding, which was allocated until June 2018, will allow for roughly five ‘dayhab’ courses a year, which each run for six weeks and are full time from Monday to Friday.
“When we spoke to Connections about the potential we said we’d really like to submit for funding in some of these areas and Connections was the one that had the venue, because the most important thing is that we actually needed to have a venue that could be adapted fairly quickly for the start of the program,” he said.
Unlike other programs, ReGen participants go home at the end of each session.
“People can go back into their community and actually practice what they’ve learnt, and if they do happen to have a lapse one day, where they use drug and alcohol again, it’s not the end of the program,” Mr Alvis said.
“It’s about coming back and saying what did you learn? What are you going to do differently?”
Ms Graley said it was vital for people in Casey to have access to rehab, especially due to the region’s “limited service delivery”.
“In the outer suburbs, we’ve got our own challenges, especially with the number of young people that live here, go to school here, and we also have our own challenges around the limited service delivery and service provision that we have in the interface outer suburban areas.”
“I’m really pleased to announce today that these service providers are now taking referrals and this includes Uniting Care Re-Gen service, who will be providing services for the Casey Cardinia area, and that’s good news for everybody, every family that comes into my office desperately seeking help.
“I’m glad you’re going to be there for them.”
Those who are seeking drug and alcohol treatment, including community-based day rehab, can phone DirectLine on 1800 888 236.
