- Published:
- Thursday 4 July 2019
People in Gippsland will have better access to treatment and support to help kick their drug dependency, thanks to Hope Restart Centre residential rehabilitation facility being delivered by the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley today visited the Hope Restart Centre, which is on track to open in Bairnsdale later this year and will provide tailored support to people dealing with the devastating impacts of addiction.
The Andrews Labor Government invested $10.2 million in the Victorian Budget 2019/20 to operate the Centre, which will be run by leading provider Odyssey House Victoria.
Residential rehabilitation is one of many treatment types, providing a structured and therapeutic environment for people to address issues related to their alcohol and other drug use.
The new facility will feature 30 beds and provide individual and group counselling sessions, and residents will learn important life skills to support them when they return to the community.
More than $40 million is being provided to construct other drug rehab facilities in the Barwon, Hume and Gippsland regions.
These investments will see the number of alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation beds in Victoria more than double and once all beds are operational, about 900 more Victorians each year will be able to access rehabilitation services.
More than half of the new residential rehabilitation beds will be based in regional Victoria.
The Labor Government has increased funding for alcohol and other drug services by 65 per cent over the past five Victorian Budgets.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Mental Health, Martin Foley
“Strong regional investment is part of our plan to create lasting change in people’s lives and help them stay connected to their communities.”
“We’re making record investments in alcohol and other drug initiatives to help address addiction and its impact on regional Victorians.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Jane Garrett
“Addiction has a devastating impact on communities such as ours. This facility will help to deal with the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs and help people get their lives back on track.”