Construction almost complete at The Glen For Women

Media release - Minister Wyatt

Construction of The Glen for Women, the first culturally-specific drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre for women in Australia, is almost complete and is expected to open by late April 2022.

In 2019, The Morrison Government committed $9 million to establish The Glen for Women, including $6.5 million to build the new facility and $2.5 million for operational costs.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP said The Glen has provided rehabilitative services successfully since 1994.

“The Glen already serves an essential role for men in our community, and the new facilities for women will fill a gap in rehabilitative services in NSW. Our families have desperately needed this and I’m glad to see our commitment about to be delivered.

“The Glen will provide culturally-specific services so that women can find refuge and drug and alcohol related support in up to 90-day programs, so they are in the best place when returning to families and community.”

Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks MP, said it was exciting to see the facility for The Glen for Women come together.

“I am proud to be part of a government that is investing in a life-changing service for our community,” Ms Wicks said.

The facility will provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation services for vulnerable women utilising a holistic treatment model that addresses physical, mental, cultural and spiritual needs.

The facility’s goal is to empower the residents, to address their issues and the underlying trauma and then return them to their families and the community as active and positive members.

The Glen services the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and the Greater Sydney region and with more than 20 years of experience in the rehabilitation field, it has a history of providing high quality drug and alcohol treatment services.

“I have visited the Glen many times and I am absolutely confident that a holistic service specifically for women will deliver the same successful outcomes as achieved currently by the male service,” Mrs Wicks said.

The new facility includes 20 beds, recreation facilities, large kitchen, multipurpose rooms, clinical rooms.

As an organisation, The Glen works closely with the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Residential Rehabilitation Network (ADARRN) and National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) to share practices and provide training to clinical staff.