Hope Springs launches business case calling for State Government funding for Mid West detox centre

A business case addressing the urgent need for an alcohol and drug detox facility in the Mid West and Gascoyne will be put forward to the State Government, calling for funding in the 2024-25 State Budget. Hope Community Services travelled to Geraldton, Yalgoo, Mt Magnet, Meekatharra and Carnarvon in August and September to consult with communities and meet with local service providers, key stakeholders and government organisations to gather feedback on the need for a detox facility in the region. There was also an online survey for people with lived experiences to fill out. Following community consultation, HCS will combine their findings into a business case to put forward for consideration for next year’s State Budget. HCS chief executive Merinda March said current funding was inadequate and local communities were grappling with limited resources to combat addiction, sometimes detoxing in unsafe places. “We do know there’s no low or high medical withdrawal services in the region and we’re not aware of any providers who are undertaking supervised withdrawal in the home,” she said. “We spoke to stakeholders that talked about the risk of having to withdraw without medical supervision at home or sometimes in police cells. “It’s really important that we get on to it now because people are at risk.” Without an alcohol and drug withdrawal service, it creates a barrier for entry into local rehabilitation facility Hope Springs Therapeutic Community. Ms March said a service provider in the Mid West estimated about three people a week contacted them seeking detox services in the region. “It’s important that people have placed services to access. People don’t want to leave their community, they want to be able to get the service when they need and want to be able to have the support of those around them,” she said. “We want to demonstrate that there is an inequity that in other regions people can easily detox, yet in the Mid West people can’t.” The Mid West is one of two regions without a detox facility, with the closest options in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Roebourne. The business case will be made available to the relevant government representatives. It will be finalised in December for a January release to government.