New Beginnings women's program operates seperately from the other We Help Ourselves services. Its aim is to provide a safe and secure environment where women who suffer from drug abuse and its related problems can concentrate on their recovery. Groupwork and individual counselling is provided by same sex drug and alcohol workers who deal with the special needs of women. Our service is situated close to the city and to all the professional facilities that a city has to offer. We are ideally situated for our residents to make the transition back into the community and we can also offer 3/4 way housing if a longer stay is required.

Activities

New Beginnings is a three to six month program offering group work, counselling, women's health support and education, stress management and skills development. Groupwork covers topics such as relationship issues, parenting, social and communication skills, assertiveness skills and boundary setting. We also provide HIV and other infectious disease education and adopt a harm minimisation approach should a drug free outcome not be chosen. Outreach services and a registered needle exchange are available and provided by We Help Ourselves. We provide multiple access to outside activities such as self help meetings, women'd health centres, legal and welfare services, TAFE and other educational activities and various exercise programs such as yoga and Tai Chi. Weekends are a time for leisure activities and relaxation.

What we expect from you

We expect you to acknowledge that there is a need for change and that drug use is no longer working for you. Detox arrangements will need to be made or negotiated with staff prior to admission. We need 3 forms of identification for Centrelink purposes and our minimum age requirement is 18 years. If you have any ongoing court or legal business it will need to be deferred for the first six weeks of the program. We ask that you agree to abide by the community's rules and guidelines, in particular no drugs (including alcohol), no violence (or threat of), no stealing and no sexual activity with another client. Childcare accommodation arrangements will need to be negotiated due to limited space and available resources. If you have a special medical problem that needs individual medical services or supervision, please contact us to see if we have the resources to meet your needs.

What it costs

New Beginnings is funded by the NSW Health Department for expenditure such as direct staff services. However this does not cover all our operating costs. To cover costs such as food and provisions, accommodation, travel to and from meetings or appointments, activities, laundry, medical supplies and prescriptions, official communications and postage, stress management classes, movies, videos, leisure activities and other community functions it is necessary to charge a small fee or ask for a significant proportion of your benefit entitlement for your first three months. After three months your focus will be on leaving the community and you will only need to contribute for food and accommodation. To ensure some financial security, a savings plan is available for when you leave our program.

Admission Details

Assessments and admissions are carried out by staff Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

For more information please contact WHOs staff on:
Phone: +61(2) 9318 2139