Residential Rehabilitation Facilities:
Recovery from Addiction a Cost Saving to Community
“Drug Action Week is a good time to recognise the important contribution of Tasmania’s Residential Rehabilitation Facilities”, said acting CEO of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Council, Ella Haddad.
“Residential rehabilitation plays a vital role in rebuilding the capacity of people with drug dependence, to live to their full potential and make positive contributions to our community” Ms Haddad said.
Alcohol and other drug rehabilitation services are delivered in Tasmania by The Salvation Army Bridge Centre in Hobart, Launceston City Mission’s ‘Missiondale’ and ‘Live Free Tasmania’ at Ellendale.
These three agencies are in close collaboration and work under the shared principles of harm reduction, supply reduction and demand reduction. Between them they offer treatment programs to suit a wide variety of people.
“The Tasmanian Government’s Future Service Directions funding has partly supported the provision of rehabilitation service for the past three years.” Said Grant Herring, Manager of The Salvation Army Alcohol, other Drugs and Corrections services in Tasmania.
“The commitment to continuation of this funding in the recent State Budget has been welcomed, but all residential rehabilitation services agree that much more could be done. More Government investment in rehabilitation services will generate significant returns,” Mr Herring said.
Each of the residential facilities also raise their own funds to make up for shortfalls in rehabilitation costs.
“The cost of alcohol misuse alone is enormous, accounting for $14.3 billion Australia wide in 2010. Of this, health and justice costs comprise $4.6 billion and loss to national productivity over $6 billion”, Mr Herring said.
“Supporting people’s recovery from alcohol addiction alone contributes towards recovering these losses to society”, continued Mr Herring.
“There are many success stories residential rehabilitation facilities can share, from individuals who have been successfully supported to recover, as well as from their grateful families. Long wait lists show many more in our community need access to effective addictions treatment, and we need increased funding to support them”, said Mr Herring.
The Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Council (Tas) Inc is proud to be supporting all Tasmanian ATOD services during this year’s Drug Action Week, which runs from Sunday 16 June until Saturday 22 June.
ATDC Acting CEO Ella Haddad
