Detox facility proposed for Mid West will increase access to rehabilitation in the region

A dedicated drug and alcohol detox service would provide the missing link in rehabilitation for the Mid West, with stakeholder consultations under way to gauge interest. In order for a patient to be admitted to a rehabilitation facility, they must undergo a detox process which can be between five to seven days. It can be done in a residential facility or supervised at home. The Mid West is one of two regions without a detox facility, and the closest options for those wanting to begin their journey to recovery are located in Perth, Kalgoorlie or Roebourne. Detoxing is often regarded as the hardest step in recovery and comes with medical side effects, with alcohol being the most common substance to abuse, but also the hardest to detox from. Hope Community Services has begun a consultation process in the Mid West and Gascoyne to measure the community support behind a proposed local facility. HCS CEO Merinda March said the organisation had met with the Geraldton mayor, police, healthcare professionals and alcohol and other drug service providers to design a service that would suit the region. “The demand is high, the Mid West is one of the only regions without a detox centre. We often find our existing centres have a waiting list, so being able to add this into our network would minimise that wait,” she said. Ms March said the ideal service would have 10 beds, including space for adults and children using the facility, and would work in tandem with the existing HCS rehabilitation centre in Walkaway. “The challenge for us is seeing people ready to start but unable to because of the absence. It’s hard for people to travel all the way to Perth, being away from home and without support,” she said. Ms March explained an absence of such a facility meant rehabilitation lacked consistency, and often caused people “to bump in and out of the other service providers”. The existing detox centres have proven success in the process, with Ms March receiving positive feedback on the work done at the Kalgoorlie centre. Kit (surname withheld) is a resident at Hope Springs’ rehabilitation facility in Walkaway, joining 10 weeks ago after hearing about it through an acquaintance who had done the program. “The last time I was in Nannup at another rehabilitation centre, I got out for a weekend and relapsed quite badly, and ended up in Bunbury hospital. I began to detox again in there, and it was quite terrifying,” he said. Kit has detoxed on his own, and in supervised settings before, and said both experiences were horrible, but being in a guarded ward drove him to have suicidal thoughts. “Having a designated centre where staff understand addiction would be a huge help. Having people with lived experience of addiction would also help. Being able to talk to a person who understands what you are going through, and can talk you through those first few days would make a huge difference. Those first days are dark,” he said. Kit said detoxing in a hospital was a vastly different experience, feeling immense self loathing due to the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction. “I feel extremely blessed to be here at Hope Springs. I feel hopeful thanks to the staff here,” he said. HCS has been working towards submitting a business case to the Mental Health Commission, but is still early in its consultation process. The feedback received from the consultation indicates strong support for the service, with the next consultations to be held in Carnarvon, Yalgoo, Mount Magnet and Meekatharra this month. National Alcohol and Other Drug 24/7 Hotline: 1800 250 015 Lifeline 13 11 14