WHOS was established in 1972 by a group of concerned ex-users, who had identified a way to help drug dependant members of the community in finding a better way of living. This humble beginning of a self-help group has evolved into a recognised professional service today known as We Help Ourselves utilising the Therapeutic Community model of drug treatment. Our staff work within a strict professional code of ethics and have extensive experience in the field of drug addiction.

We Help Ourselves Hunter Valley operates separately from the other WHOS services. Its aim is to provide a safe and secure environment where men and women who suffer from drug dependence and its related problems can concentrate on their recovery. Experienced drug and alcohol workers who deal with the special needs of clients provide Groupwork and individual counselling. Our service is located at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. We facilitate aftercare support and accommodation for clients during their transition back into the community.

Activities

The WHOS Therapeutic Community is a three to six month residential program offering groupwork, counselling support and education, stress management and skills development. Groupwork covers topics such as social and communication skills, assertiveness skills and self esteem building, living skills, self and group evaluation awareness, exiting client groups, relapse prevention, drug overdose and ex-resident groups. WHOS also provides HIV and other infectious disease education and adopts a harm minimisation approach should a drug free outcome not be chosen. Outreach services are available and provided by We Help Ourselves. We provide multiple access to outside activities such as self-help meetings, general health services, legal and welfare services, TAFE and other educational activities and various exercise programs eg. Yoga and Tai Chi. Weekends are a time for the reintroduction of leisure activities and relaxation.

What we expect from you

We require a voluntary acknowledgement from you 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 three forms of identification for Centrelink purposes and our minimum age is 18 years. If you have any court/legal business, it needs 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 (includes alcohol), no violence (or threat of), and no stealing, no sexual activity on campus with another person. Visiting by resident's children is welcomed. If you have a special medical condition that needs individual medical services or supervision, please contact us to see whether we have the resources to meet your needs.

What it costs

WHOS Hunter Valley is recurrently funded by the Commonwealth Health Department for expenditure such as staff direct services and NSW Health provides the building from which the service operates, however this does not cover all operating costs. To cover costs such as food and provisions, travel to and from meetings/appointments and activities, laundry, medical supplies/prescriptions, official communications and postage, stress management classes, movies, videos, leisure activities and other community functions it is necessary to charge a fee or ask for a significant proportion of your benefit entitlement for your first three months. After three months, your focus is on leaving the community and after transferring to aftercare houses you will only need to contribute for food and accommodation. A savings plan is available ensuring some financial security when leaving our program.

Admission Details

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

For further information, please contact:
Phone: +61(2) 4991 7000
Fax: +61(2) 4991 7184
E-mail: info@whos.com.au

Site Address: We Help Ourselves 113 Allandale Rd, Cessnock

Postal Address: P.O. Box 628, Cessnock 2325 NSW, Australia