Arabic version: عدم اليقين بشأن التمويل يهدد خدمات علاج الإدمان في أستراليا

According to SBS News, half a million Australians who need drug and alcohol treatment are missing out, while uncertainty over future funding is increasing concern for services that provide addiction support. The Australasian Therapeutic Communities Association (ATCA), a peak health provider, says the problem is especially acute in regional and remote areas.

ATCA chair Gerard Byrne said members providing residential therapy, outreach and day programs had reported longer waiting lists and waiting times. He said people’s conditions worsened when they could not access services, and that they could then turn up in hospitals, police stations, courts, prisons, homeless services, or domestic and family violence services. Byrne said they were not going to those places specifically for drug and alcohol problems, but because other issues were occurring when they could not get addiction help.

ATCA executive officer Michelle Ridley said providers were working under significant pressure from increasing demand for alcohol and other drug treatment, workforce challenges and uncertainty about future funding arrangements. Without confirmation of ongoing funding, she said some services could face difficult decisions about future admissions.

Following a review of the federal Drug and Alcohol Program, the federal government extended existing grants until the end of June 2027. Byrne said the sector needed opportunities for the next round of three-year grant agreements to be released soon. He said Drug and Alcohol Program funding usually part-funds programs alongside state and territory governments, creating a “house of cards” risk if one funding stream is removed or reduced.

People struggling with alcohol or other substance use can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.