Finding Drug & Alcohol Help in Australia — Including Rehab
If you're trying to find a rehab place for your son, your daughter, a partner or a friend, here's the part that's hard to find out: you don't have to search a list of rehabs and work out which one fits. In Australia, one free, confidential phone call connects you to the right treatment — and the referral is done for you.
National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline
One call connects you to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) in your state or territory. Their staff can help you access treatment — community counselling, detox or residential rehabilitation — and arrange an assessment to work out what's needed. You can call about yourself, or about someone you love.
Family Drug Support (FDS)
Watching someone you love struggle with drugs or alcohol is its own kind of exhausting. Family Drug Support is run for the family and friends — not the person using — with support, information and a way through for parents, partners and carers.
Other ways to find treatment
Your GP
A doctor can talk through what's happening, assess the situation and refer into treatment and support. Privately funded rehabs often need a GP referral, so it's worth starting here too.
Path2Help
A free online tool from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation that matches you — or the person you care about — to suitable services near you, drawn from a directory of thousands of services nationwide.
Counselling Online
Free, confidential alcohol and drug counselling, 24/7, including webchat — for your own use or for someone you care about. Useful while you're waiting for an appointment.
How finding rehab actually works
Make one call
Ring 1800 250 015, or see your GP. You can call on behalf of your son, daughter or anyone else — you don't need their permission to ask for information and advice.
An assessment is arranged
A clinician works out what kind of treatment fits — that might be counselling, a day program, detox, or residential rehab. Most public services accept self-referral, so the person can also contact them directly.
You're referred into a service
Based on the assessment, you're connected to treatment. Waiting lists vary, and if one service is full a referral can be made to another. While you wait, you can keep calling the hotline or use Counselling Online for support.
Looking after yourself matters too
Supporting someone through addiction takes a real toll. If the stress is wearing you down, these can help.