Long-term care in disorders of substance use and addictive behaviours

NSW Health, 2008NSW Health, 2022

Long-term management of disorders of substance use or addictive behaviours focuses on maintaining a therapeutic relationship and offering a range of strategies, including:

• case management—a co-ordinated approach that considers physical and mental health, social networks, sexual health, nutritional advice and dental care
• access to a range of outpatient psychosocial supports
• revisiting options for interventions to reduce use or addictive behaviours as the situation and goals change
• residential rehabilitation.

Residential rehabilitation communities are drug and alcohol-free therapeutic communities that offer withdrawal and relapse prevention during stays of generally 1 to 24 months. Interventions include individual or group counselling, peer support and help re-integrating into the community. Residential rehabilitation may benefit people who specifically seek a long-term commitment or those who have not had success with other therapies, but evidence is limitedGuidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems, 2022.