Alcohol and Drugs

This program is provided by an experienced alcohol and drug nurse who works with your own doctor (if you do not have your own doctor, we may arrange a suitably qualified person for you).

The program will help you undertake withdrawal from alcohol and/or other drugs in a suitable outreach setting, such as your home – if it’s safe and there is someone to support you. Other suitable settings include a hospital or as an outpatient visiting our AOD nurse at our Bendigo, Eaglehawk or Kangaroo Flat sites.

Our Pharmacotherapy service supports you to access pharmacotherapy treatment.

The program provides assessment, support, information and coordinated care for people requiring alternate pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid dependence.

People with an opioid addiction from drugs, such as heroin, and/or prescribed medications, like oxycontin, morphine and codeine, can be treated with opioid replacement therapy, which includes Methadone and Buprenorphine and LAIB (long acting injectable Buprenorphine).

Visits to our doctor or addiction nurse practitioner are bulk billed through Medicare. Please bring your Medicare and health concession card with you when you visit.

Note: There is a cost associated with the supply of Methadone or Buprenorphine.

If you or someone you know is concerned about alcohol or other drug use call Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO) Intake and Referral Service on 1300 022 760 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and ask to be sent to Bendigo Community Health Services. No referral is needed, and your confidentiality is respected. ACSO can assist you to access appropriate supports and services.

BCHS Intake services facilitate the intake, triage, and referral to treatment, including the use of brief interventions and bridging support as required. They also support families and friends of people with alcohol and other drug issues.

Through the intake and assessment process, prioritisation and referrals are made according to clients' needs and service availability. Intake providers determine who is prioritised for treatment based on clinical judgement and the best management of client flow through different treatment streams.

Need is determined based on the severity of substance dependency and complexity, including frequency and amount of use and other life complexity factors such as being at risk of experiencing family violence, homelessness, or being required to attend treatment as part of a court order.

Counselling services incorporate face-to-face and telephone counselling for individuals and, in some instances, their families, as well as group counselling and therapeutic group programs.

Counselling can range from a brief intervention or single session to extended periods of one-to-one engagement or group work.

Our Family Drug Support Program can help you care for a family member or friend with a drug issue.

We will work with you and other family members to help you feel more empowered to support your loved one or friend.

The program focuses on:

• Reducing stigma around substance use
• Referral pathways to health professionals
• Counselling sessions with a focus on mediation, conflict resolution and boundary setting.

We can also provide individual support in single sessions.

For more information, call the Family Drug Support Practitioner on 0436 430 021. If there is no answer, leave your name and phone number and the worker will return your call as soon as possible.

Care and recovery coordination supports integrated treatment and care pathways for people with the highest need who are at highest risk and require coordinated care.

People are referred for care and recovery coordination if they require more than the basic planning provided by an intake and assessment service provider.

The Karen Community Engagement Worker role is responsible for working with clients to coordinate their AOD treatment, planning and care in accordance with their recovery goals.

A peer support worker is a person who uses their lived experience of alcohol and other drugs, plus skills learned in formal training, to deliver services in support of others. The AOD Peer Support Worker engages with clients and provides support while they are on the waitlist.

Please contact our AOD Peer Support Worker on (03) 5406 1200 if you require support.

Our outreach worker uses harm prevention strategies for alcohol and other drugs aimed at preventing or reducing injury or death from drug use.

Contact (03) 5406 1200 to ask for assistance from our Mobile Drug Safety Worker.

Our Needle Syringe Program offers confidential access throughout the City of Greater Bendigo to clean injecting equipment, condoms and dams, health information, education, support and referrals to health and welfare services.

We can safely dispose of your used injecting equipment with the yellow 24-hour disposal bins located at the following sites:

• Bendigo Central: 165-171 Hargreaves Street
• Eaglehawk: 3 Seymoure Street (currently closed for refurbishment)
• Kangaroo Flat: 13 Helm Street. 

Injecting drug users also have access to safe use and harm reduction information, education, support and referrals to other health and wellbeing services.

To access the Needle Syringe Program outreach vehicle call 1800 636 514 between 7.30pm and 10.45pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

This is a free service, unless you need to buy items not covered by a government subsidy such as wheel filters, tourniquets and water.

You can buy these during business hours at our Bendigo Central, Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat sites only. These items are not available from our outreach car after-hours.

There is 24-hour access to our Needle Syringe Program Secure Dispensing Units, available at our Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk sites. Five and 10 packs are available at no cost.

We offer free Naloxone and Nyxoid scripts and can show you how to safely administer the medicines.

Naloxone and Nyxoid is used in hospitals and by paramedics to ‘reverse’ the effects of an opioid overdose and can mean the difference between life and death.

Anyone who uses opioids and opioid-based medication is at risk of an overdose. This includes pharmaceutical opioid medications like oxycontin and methadone.

If you think there is even the slightest chance that you or someone you care about is at risk of an overdose, please contact our Mobile Drug Safety Worker on 1800 636 514 between 7.30pm and 10.45pm from Tuesday to Saturday. Or call (03) 5406 1200 during business hours.

Note: The Naloxone or Nyxoid and short training sessions is free.

headspace Bendigo offers alcohol and drug counselling for people aged 12 to 25 years.
Address: 78-80 Pall Mall, Bendigo
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Phone: (03) 5434 5345
Email: 

Website: https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/bendigo/