For Families | Navigating the treatment and support system

Treatment and support options

Not everybody who drinks alcohol or uses drugs needs treatment. Many people can stop on their own, or with support from family, friends or with help from their GP. People who have developed serious problems as a result of their use, or are dependent often need specialist treatment services.

What does treatment involve?
Often when people think about alcohol and other drug treatment, they think of ‘rehab’, but there are many types of treatment options available to support people change their alcohol or other drug use. The range of treatments available in NSW include counselling, withdrawal management or detoxification (also called detox), residential rehabilitation (or live-in rehab), day rehabilitation, the Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), self-help groups and social support.

Community-based programs such as counselling, support groups and day rehabilitation are usually the first step. Residential rehabilitation (live-in rehab) is usually for people with more severe problems and those who may have tried community-based treatments and have gone back to using alcohol and other drugs. Residential programs vary in length from four weeks to 12 months.

Alcohol and drug services are staffed by workers from a range of professional and non-professional backgrounds. These include addiction medicine specialists (specially trained doctors), doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counsellors and other allied health staff. Services also have trained peer workers, who have a lived experience of alcohol and other drug problems themselves.

How effective is treatment?
Research by the Australian Government’s Department of Health, shows that similar outcomes can be achieved by most alcohol and other drug treatments. Most people will respond well to ongoing support following treatment and find that helpful with keeping them on track. Ongoing support often involves relapse prevention, which means building skills to help them avoid going back to using alcohol and other drugs when triggered. Support to prevent relapse can be accessed through self-help groups such as SMART Recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Many specialist treatment programs run their own groups or provide one-on-one counselling.

How much will treatment cost?
Free or low-cost support and treatment services for alcohol and other drugs are available across NSW through government and non-government agencies. You and your family members can receive help via phone, online, or in person.

Residential rehabilitation services (live-in treatment) may require a financial contribution to cover living expenses. For people on government allowances the contribution is usually a per cent of any social security payments received. You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate, or if you have private health insurance these treatments may be covered by your plan. Before you start treatment, contact Medicare and/or your private health insurer to confirm exactly what you are covered for.

What is private treatment?
In addition to publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment services, private treatment is also offered by professionals such as addiction medicine specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, and credentialed counsellors. You will have to pay for any treatment undertaken at private alcohol and other drug services. Be sure to confirm these costs with the provider before your first appointment. Private health insurance is recommended if you wish to access the private treatment sector.

Read 'First steps' for more on what to expect after making contact for help with alcohol and other drug issues.

First steps

There are different types of treatment available to you and your family member. The following are a range of options, what to expect when you make contact, and how to navigate the service system to find support in your local area.

First step
As a start you can talk to your GP or call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 250 015 for free and confidential advice. The ADIS helpline is service provided by St Vincent's Hospital in partnership with the NSW Ministry of Health.

ADIS staff are a team of people from diverse backgrounds, they are drug and alcohol nurses, social workers and counsellors. This allows them to understand issues and provide suggestions and solutions from a broad range of treatment areas. They are professional and qualified counsellors who are there to listen to you, provide support and connect you to local drug and alcohol services.

Local intake services
In addition to ADIS, each NSW local health district has a central intake telephone service to connect people directly to drug and alcohol services in their region.

To access a local service, contact your local health district intake service.

Albury Wodonga Health Network - (02) 6058 1800
Central Coast - (02) 4394 4880
Far West – (08) 8080 1554
Hunter New England - 1300 660 059
Illawarra Shoalhaven - 1300 652 226
Mid North Coast - 1300 662 263
Murrumbidgee - 1800 800 944
Nepean Blue Mountains - 1300 661 050
Northern NSW - (02) 6620 7608 (Lismore) or (02) 5506 7010 (Tweed Heads)
Northern Sydney - 1300 889 788
South Eastern Sydney - (02) 9332 8777 (Northern) or (02) 9113 2944 (Central)
South Western Sydney - (02) 9616 8586
Southern NSW - 1800 809 423
Sydney - 1800 793 466
Western NSW - 1300 887 000
Western Sydney - (02) 9840 3355

Please note that some local intake services only operate from 9am to 5pm. For 24 hour support contact ADIS on 1800 250 015.

Family inclusive practice in treatment

Alcohol and other drug services give clients the opportunity to involve carers, family members, partners or friends in their treatment process. These are people who know the client well and can provide insights into their history, routines or symptoms, which may help guide treatment and ongoing support.

With client consent, select carers, family members, partners or friends can be included in clinicians' discussions with a client about their care.

If your loved one is in treatment you may be contacted by the service and invited to be part of 'family inclusive practice'. However, there may be occasions when a client informs the service and elects not to have their carer, family, partner or friend involved; this is respected.

In the following video Dr Suzie Hudson, Clinical Director with the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies, explains how family inclusive practice works in a clinical setting.

Watch the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies on Family inclusive practice video on YouTube

Next steps

Assessment is usually the first step to accessing most support and treatment services. Assessment is conducted by a trained worker who explores a wide range of issues to help your family member decide what will be the most suitable service or treatment type for them. Some treatment types are a better fit for some people and are more effective for some problems. Assessment makes sure people get the help they need.

Support for diverse communities
Many public services can provide support, including treatment, for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, that is in languages other than English. When contacting a service let them know about your needs and they will ensure you get the right support. If you need further help with accessing alcohol and other drug support, you can contact the Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) for information and specialised services.

NSW drug and alcohol services welcome people from all cultures and provides support and treatment to people from a range of backgrounds. For information on where and how to get help for drug and alcohol use in languages other than English, watch the videos 'Where can I get help?' available in Arabic, Burmese, Cantonese, Chaldean, Farsi, Karenni, Kirundi, Mandarin, Nepali, Swahili, Tigrinya, Assyrian, Hindi and Vietnamese. For other translated resources check Publications and choose your preferred language.

Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and other drug services are available across NSW. That is because Aboriginal ways of working can be very different to mainstream methods, particularly when building trust, rapport and maintaining relationships in general. This may include the involvement or support of families and communities of people who are having alcohol and other drug problems. Treatment might also involve integrated practices, traditions and activities that are based within Aboriginal cultural values, spirituality and beliefs.

Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) are based on a holistic model to address the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. Visit the For Aboriginal People pages for further information on the types of services available.

Support for LGBTQI people
ACON is an NSW based specialised service committed to providing inclusive support for people of diverse sexualities and genders. They provide a range of alcohol and other drug information, support and treatment services in Sydney and across regional NSW. You can contact ACON for free short-term counselling in relation to alcohol and drug use and other concerns. For further resources and support for LGBTQ people, their partners, friends and family visit ACON’s Pivot Point website and acon.org.au.

In the following video Genevieve Whitlam, Associate Director Clinical and Client Services at ACON, talks about tailoring alcohol and other drug services to LGBTQI people.

Watch the ACON on support for LGBTQI people video on YouTube

Support in pregnancy
The Substance Use in Pregnancy and Parenting Support (SUPPS) services operate out of several hospitals in NSW and work alongside antenatal services. SUPPS work with pregnant women with alcohol and or other drug use problems during pregnancy and early parenthood. They provide counselling and intensive case management for up to 5 years post childbirth, as well as referrals to other specialist services as required for example, withdrawal management services, psychologists, residential detoxification or rehabilitation services, general practitioners, antenatal care, child & family service support. SUPPS clinicians are there to help get the best health outcomes and advocate for mothers and babies. For more information about SUPPS contact your local health district, call 1300 652 226 or text your name to 0497 652 227 for a call back during business hours (SUPPS call back will appear as a private number).

Support for young people
Specialist programs for young people experiencing problems with alcohol or other drugs are available in NSW, you can call ADIS on 1800 250 015 to be referred.

Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation) is a service dedicated to young people aged between 12-25 who need information relating to general mental health, physical health, work and study and alcohol and other drugs. Headspace provides in person support via their centres and support online via their free online and telephone support service eheadspace. Both young people and their families and friends can access counselling via eheadspace, for further detail visit headspace.org.au/eheadspace. At headspace centres young people can access expert health services at free (or low cost). Centre staff can provide information, treatment services and alcohol and drug counselling. Many centres have on-site GPs who provide young people with safe, confidential and judgement-free medical advice and treatment. Find a centre near you at headspace.org.au/headspace-centres.

Kids Helpline is 24 hour, 7 days a week phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged up to 25 years. Its free, confidential and they can chat with a counsellor online via kidshelpline.com.au or call 1800 55 1800.

Take a look at 'Support for partners and family' under Talking about it for further detail on the support services for family and loved ones.

Supporting someone through change

For some people, stopping alcohol and certain drug use suddenly with no medical support can be very dangerous or even life-threatening. This is sometimes known as going "cold turkey" and may lead to withdrawal complications, depending on how much they were using, and whether their use was regular or casual. That is why it is important to seek professional help such as seeing a GP or talking to an Alcohol Drug Information Service (ADIS) counsellor. ADIS are available 24 hours, 7 days a week for free and confidential support, information, counselling and referrals on 1800 250 015.

When people recognise that they have a problem with alcohol and other drugs it can be a confronting experience. They may experience feelings of self-doubt and or isolation. During challenging times, it may help to remind them that connection with others and support play an important part in recovery. People who receive help from specialist alcohol and other drug services, often discover that they are not alone, they have support and shared experiences with people who have overcome the same things they are going through.
Change cycle

Being ready for change
Even if your family member or loved one is aware of their problem with alcohol or other drugs, they may not be interested or ready to get help or treatment right away. If they are not ready, it is important to not push or try to convince them to seek help. For some people, feeling pressured to take action may cause them to withdraw from their relationships / support network or resist change more strongly.

If they have mixed feelings about change you can be there to support them and talk through the issues. Asking them to tell you about their experiences and how they would like things to be different is a good start. Helping someone think about their own reasons for making a change can be a very powerful motivator for action. Take a look at the information under 'Talking about alcohol and other drug issues' for advice on how to raise the issue.

If they are getting ready to make changes, you may be able to help them with finding a suitable service and or specialist support. Take a look at the information under 'Treatment and support options' for further detail.

Things to consider
People can be at different stages of readiness to make change, communicating openly and calmly with them about this may help you understand what stage they are in and consider how best to look after yourself and other family members.

People need to work very hard to overcome cravings and urges so social events and other situations or places can be challenging without alcohol and other drugs, as can managing thoughts and feelings. Slips and set backs (sometimes called relapse) along the way are common. You can help the person get back on track by reflecting how far they have come in their treatment, helping them remember the reasons they started making changes, and by encouraging them to reconnect with treatment or support services.

If the person relapses, it can be distressing and frustrating. In situations like this, it is important to look after yourself and get support, take a look at information under Self-care and wellbeing for further advice.

Support services

If you are concerned about your child or another family member’s alcohol or drug use, and would like more information or support, there are a range of services that can help.

Alcohol Drug Information Service (ADIS)
A free and confidential 24 hours, 7 days a week telephone counselling service. ADIS provide support, information, counselling and referral to alcohol and other drug services in NSW. Call 1800 250 015
anytime or start a Web Chat (Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5pm including public holidays).

Family Drug Support (FDS)
A 24 hours, 7 days a week information, help and referral service especially for families. FDS also hold self-help groups for family members of people who use drugs across NSW. Call 1300 368 186 or visit fds.org.au for more details.

Parent Line
Parent Line is a telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents, grandparents and carers of children ages 0 to 18 who live anywhere in NSW. Parent Line is available 9am to 9 pm Monday to Friday, and 4pm to 9pm on weekends. Call 1300 130 052 or visit parentline.org.au for more information.

Counselling Online
A free, confidential, online text-based counselling service for people concerned about a family member, relative or friend, or about their own drinking or drug use. Trained counsellors are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Go to counsellingonline.org.au to start a session.

Protecting confidentiality and privacy

Sometimes family members, partners or friends contact Alcohol and other drug services (AOD) services about the progress of their loved one receiving treatment.

You should know that health services have a duty of care and are bound by NSW Health Privacy Principles to keep client information private and confidential between the service and client.

On entry to a program, AOD services discuss consent, confidentiality and privacy with each client. This includes:

the role of family in treatment
important people in their lives
recovery
when information may be provided
who should receive information
type of information being disclosed

As treatment progresses, consent may be modified and updated. Services can only provide families, partners or friends with information the client has given consent to be disclosed.

Navigating the system

Getting help