RESCUING men, restoring lives and rebuilding families is the motto for Yarramundi rehab centre ONE80TC.
The centre houses up to 48 drug-addicted men aged between 18 and 35. The residents are referred there by police, themselves, court or their probation officers.
CEO Mark Hill said almost everyone there had some sort of relation to ice or had had a problem with it.
“Most of the men who are in here have experienced horrific abuse or trauma, which is why they turn to drugs or other addictions,” Mr Hill said. “People are too quick to judge and often think that it’s hard for addicts to recover.”
Mr Hill said the men at the centre were willing to change and finish the 12-month recovery program.
“The door is always open, they can leave whenever they want and there is no one stopping them. The choice is theirs and almost all stick it out.”
General manager Paul Hutchinson said often these men just needed some sort of guidance and motivation in their life.
“Some of them haven’t had proper fathers in their life to help them through, which is why they can quickly fall into a downward spiral,” Mr Hutchinson.
“When they come here, they feel a sense of purpose and are working towards a specific goal. We help them build life skills and job skills through various courses and counselling.”
He said although methamphetamine was on the radar, alcohol was still a bigger problem.
A report which details the calls or referrals made to the centre show half — 37 out of 75 — had methamphetamine as the primary substance of concern from January to June this year.
Of the 37, 25 were referred there by probation officers and 11 never showed up at the centre. Mr Hutchinson said even though they called and wanted the help, they couldn’t get themselves there.
“The addicted troubled person misuses drugs as an escape mechanism,’’ he said. ‘‘They just need the help to get out of that mind frame.”
Referrals for ice have increased from 23 per cent in 2012 to 39 per cent in 2014, while referrals for every other drug remained stable or actually decreased. Alcohol has remained steady, accounting for 30 per cent of referrals since 2012.
