Residential Services
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples can face many barriers to accessing residential rehabilitation services. The services may require access to a phone to arrange a bed, and may require payment of fees. Some mainstream services may not be culturally comfortable, or (for patients from remote areas) may not have staff who speak the patients language.
Many services exclude clients with significant mental or physical health comorbidities, or those who are on opioid treatment programs. There is a shortage of services that can take pregnant women, or women with babies or families.
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation services can provide a broad range of treatment, including life skills, cultural education and counselling. Although these services vary by location, program length and services provided, fundamental to each is the integration of traditional values and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander concepts of health into the model of care.
| Chapter |
Recommendation |
Grade of recommendation |
| 15.28 |
Services and clinicians need to strive to reduce barriers to accessing residential treatment services, such as the need to access a mobile phone or transport. This includes efforts to increase the number of family-friendly and youth services. |
GPP |
| 15.29 |
Residential treatment services should be resourced and staffed to allow them to accept individuals with comorbidities (mental health, physical health or other substance use disorders, including opiate maintenance treatment). |
GPP |
| 15.30 |
Residential treatment services should have closely linked or onsite withdrawal management services (outpatient or inpatient) to reduce gaps between withdrawal management and relapse prevention. |
GPP |
| 15.31 |
Ensure culturally secure programs in residential treatment services. |
GPP |