Community consultation process starts in bid to bring alcohol, drug detox centre to Geraldton to aid recovery

The community is being asked for feedback on the need for a drug and alcohol detox facility in the Mid West before a business case is presented to the State Government. The Geraldton community consultation process has begun for Hope Community Services to gauge the support for establishing a detox service locally. To enter a rehabilitation service, patients are required to complete a detox process first, which is considered to be the hardest step. The Mid West faces challenges with the absence of low or high medical withdrawal services, with the closest facilities being in Perth, Kalgoorlie or Roebourne, creating barriers for those wanting to start the alcohol and drug recovery process. Low medical withdrawal services provide supervised detoxes for five to seven days, in a residential setting which can be done at a specialised facility or at home. There is only one low medical withdrawal service in WA, whereas high medical withdrawal services are undertaken in hospital. Hope Community Services hosted the first round of stakeholder consultations in Geraldton late last month, speaking to healthcare professionals, police, AOD service providers and people with lived experience of substance abuse. The organisation is unsure what form a service would take, but aim to provide people in the region with an option to confidently start recovery. Member for the Agricultural Region Sandra Carr said she backed the evidence-based support services. “Our region has a significant demonstrated need for drug and alcohol support services, so I look forward to the consultation process and exploring all potential services that can assist people to recover from addiction and improve their and our community’s future,” she said. The feedback received from the consultation indicated strong support for the service, with the next consultations to be held in Carnarvon, Yalgoo, Mount Magnet and Meekatharra this month. The consultation process will be used to inform a business case being put to the State Government to help increase access to alcohol and drug service providers in the Mid West. This comes after the most recent National Wastewater Monitoring report — which analyses the level of narcotics in what Australians flush away across 57 secret sites — revealed regional WA was consuming more meth and cannabis than any other part of the country.