# Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Canberra | Sierra Recovery > Drug and alcohol rehab in Canberra compared: free ACT public and community services, residential therapeutic communities, real costs, and one honest option. [Home](/) / [Local treatment guides](/local-treatment-guides/) / Canberra Treatment options in Canberra & the ACT # Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Canberra: the honest guide to your options The real routes to drug and alcohol help in Canberra and the ACT, from free public and community services and residential therapeutic communities to private treatment and the option of a programme abroad, with genuine costs and how to access each. [See the options](#options)[+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) Clinically reviewed by[Nerea Encinas Sánchez](/clinical-team/)Director of the centre, MSc General Health PsychologyRegistered psychologist, COPAO AO13857 Checked for accuracy on 28 July 2026. Next review due July 2027. This page is general information about our programme and is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. If you may be physically dependent, do not stop suddenlyStopping alcohol or benzodiazepines abruptly can be dangerous if you are physically dependent, because severe withdrawal can cause seizures. Get medical advice before you cut down. In a life-threatening emergency call 000. For 24-hour health advice call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, and to reach alcohol and drug support in the ACT call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015, which connects you to the local service. You do not have to pay for treatment in Canberra. The ACT public alcohol and drug service is free, and Canberra also has free community services and residential therapeutic communities, so a residential stay here does not have to cost a fortune. Private residential clinics of the fast-admission kind are generally not based in the ACT, which is worth knowing if you are weighing up a programme abroad. Anyone searching for drug and alcohol rehab canberra will find the same short list of genuine routes below, side by side. Who publishes this, and why it matters. This guide is published by Sierra Recovery. We are not based in Canberra. We are a residential centre in Málaga, Spain, and we are included below as one option among the local ones, clearly marked, for people who would consider treatment away from home. Unlike a paid directory, our list is not influenced by anyone paying for placement, and where a local service is a better fit for you than we are, we say so. ### Speak to a clinician about treatment from Canberra Confidential, no obligation, and no referral fee is paid to anyone for sending you here. [Speak to a clinician](#talk)[+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) ## Free drug and alcohol services in Canberra Start here, before you consider paying for anything. These services are free, they are local, and for a great many people they are enough on their own. We publish them because a centre that only tells you about its own programme is not giving you the full picture. Where to go What they do, and how to reach them [ACT Health](https://www.health.act.gov.au/) the commissioning authority Free drug and alcohol treatment for Canberra is commissioned by ACT Health. Their page lists the current provider, which changes when contracts are retendered, so we link the authority rather than a service name that may be out of date. Your GP, or NHS 111 The NHS advises starting with your GP, who can assess you, advise on safe options and refer you into local treatment. Call NHS 111 for urgent advice that is not an emergency. [Talk to FRANK](https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you) Free, confidential drugs advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Its find-support tool lists local services for any postcode. Drinkline The free national alcohol helpline on 0300 123 1110, weekdays 9am to 8pm and weekends 11am to 4pm, for you or for someone you are worried about. [We Are With You](https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/) Free, confidential support for drug, alcohol and mental health problems, in person in many areas and by webchat everywhere. [Adfam](https://adfam.org.uk/) Support and information for families and friends affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. Checked 28 July 2026. Commissioned services are retendered periodically, so confirm the current provider with the authority before you travel to an appointment. ## AA and NA meetings in Canberra Mutual aid meetings are free, they run most days, and there is no waiting list, no referral and no assessment. You can walk into one this week. They work alongside whatever else you choose rather than instead of it, and plenty of people use them and nothing else. Fellowship How to find a meeting near Canberra Alcoholics Anonymous Search your town or postcode on the [Alcoholics Anonymous Australia](https://aa.org.au/) site to see every meeting near Canberra, in person and online, with days and times. Narcotics Anonymous If drugs are part of the picture, search the [Narcotics Anonymous Australia](https://na.org.au/) site for meetings near Canberra. ### What actually happens at a first meeting You do not have to speak, and you do not have to give your surname. Most meetings open with a reading, someone shares for a while, and others speak if they want to. It lasts about an hour, and it is free, though a basket goes round for the room hire. Nobody takes a register and nobody will ask you to commit to anything. An open meeting can be attended by anyone, including family. A closed meeting is for people who think they may have a problem themselves. If the first group does not suit you, the next one along will feel different, because each has its own character. The usual advice is to try three before deciding it is not for you. We link the official finders rather than print a timetable, because meeting times and venues change and a stale listing sends someone to a locked door. Checked 28 July 2026. ## Private residential rehab for people in Canberra Canberra does have residential rehabilitation, but it sits mainly in the community and public sector, at services such as Karralika, Arcadia House and Toora, rather than in private pay-for-speed clinics. These community places are free or low cost, reached through assessment, and often have a waiting list. Private residential clinics of the luxury or immediate-admission kind are generally not based in the ACT, so people who want that route usually travel interstate, most often to New South Wales. In practice a residential stay almost always means either a wait or a journey, whichever route you choose, which is worth knowing when you weigh up treatment abroad. Nationally, private alcohol rehab centres and drug treatment services typically build addiction treatment programs around evidence-based therapy addressing both the behaviour and the psychological aspects of addiction, whether it presents as drug use, alcohol use, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, drug or alcohol addiction, or combined drug and alcohol addiction, and whether it is treated through residential care, medical detox or outpatient support. These programs usually combine detox and rehab, individual and group therapy sessions, holistic therapies, and relapse prevention planning aimed at lasting recovery and addiction recovery more broadly. Some also offer outpatient support for people who cannot commit to residential care, alongside support services for family members. Costs and approach vary hugely between providers, which is exactly why checking a specific centre’s own published information matters more than any general guide. A comprehensive approach in this sector usually means care and support that is tailored to your needs and goals, not a single fixed template. Good services in Canberra offer individualised care plans and personalised care, easy access to a counselling service, and a range of holistic therapies and wellness activities designed to promote overall well-being and comfort and safety, especially for people experiencing alcohol and other drug issues alongside mental health concerns. Community-based treatment and support, alcohol and drug information lines, and other rehab services all exist to support your recovery, and any reputable provider should be able to explain its own recovery process, its rehabilitation program and its aftercare plans clearly before you commit. ## What treatment costs, honestly The free and community services above are the sensible first step for most people, and they carry no fee. If you look at private residential rehab in Australia, published directory listings commonly run into the tens of thousands of dollars a month, rising well beyond that at the luxury end. Health-fund cover for residential rehab varies by policy and usually applies only to recognised hospital programmes, so always check what your policy includes before you rely on it. Where cost or a waiting list is the barrier, the ACT public service and the community sector remain the honest answer. Cost ranges are indicative figures drawn from published Australian directory listings, checked on the date above. They are not quotations. Every centre sets its own fees. Please verify before you decide. Services, waiting times, health-fund cover and prices change, and every centre sets its own fees. The figures here are drawn from each provider’s own published information and public directory listings, dated above. Always confirm directly with the service or centre. Considering residential treatment abroad? ## Sierra Recovery, Málaga, Spain Most people who look abroad are not chasing sunshine. They are trying to get far enough away from the people, the places and the routine that keep the drinking or the using going, because they have already discovered that stopping while all of that is still fifteen minutes away does not hold. That distance is the whole point, and it is the one thing a clinic near Canberra cannot give you. Sierra Recovery is a working farmhouse on forty hectares of olive groves in the Málaga countryside, about forty five minutes from the airport and roughly three hours from most UK airports. It is small, the team is English-speaking, and the same clinicians treat you from the first day to the last. What follows is what that actually buys, stated plainly enough that you can compare it with anything else you are considering. What matters when comparing Sierra Recovery Is it actually licensed A registered health centre entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios (the Andalusian register of health centres, services and establishments) under N.I.C.A. 67331, authorised by the Junta de Andalucía. You can look it up yourself on the public register. What it costs, in full £9,900 for the 28-day residential programme, published on the site up front. All rooms are individual. You get an itemised written quotation before admission. Who pays whom No referral fees are paid or accepted, in either direction. Nobody earns a commission for sending you here, which is worth checking about any centre you are comparing. What the clinical work is Three group sessions a day five days a week, individual therapy three times a week, and a seventeen-module psychoeducation curriculum. The approach adapts the method of PROMIS Clinics, treating addiction in the United Kingdom since 1986. Where the limits are It is not a hospital and not a detox unit. Where a medically supervised detox is clinically needed it is completed in an appropriate medical setting before admission and billed separately. Qualified nurses are part of the team throughout the stay. Who you speak to first Our admissions team, all of them clinicians, working to the standards set by our clinical director. The assessment is free, and if a service closer to home suits you better, we will say so. What happens afterwards Aftercare is agreed before you leave: a session every week for a full year, online or in person at the PROMIS clinics in London, which is more than 48 sessions in the twelve months after discharge. A written handover goes to your GP so nothing has to be explained from scratch. Every figure above is published elsewhere on this site and can be checked. See [pricing](/pricing/), [regulation and licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/) and [the programme](/our-programme-at-sierra-recovery/). ## Which option is right for you Start with the ACT public Alcohol & Drug Service or the National Hotline on 1800 250 015 if you are unsure, if cost is the barrier, or if you want to stay near family and work. Directions or Karralika if you want a residential therapeutic community in Canberra and can wait for a place. Toora Women if you are a woman who would prefer a women-centred service. Ted Noffs for a young person needing a residential programme. Treatment abroad only if the private cost or wait at home is out of reach, distance from your usual triggers would genuinely help, and you can travel and do not need an immediate hospital detox. Use AA or NA alongside whatever you choose. If you would like to talk through whether a programme in Spain fits your situation, [see how admission works](/admissions/) and speak to our team honestly first. Whatever you choose, focus on your recovery, keep a supportive environment around you, and treat sobriety as a process rather than a single decision. Join AA or NA meetings alongside treatment, whichever route you take, and give yourself a realistic recovery journey rather than expecting overnight change, since recovery is a process, not a single event. + ### Talk to a clinician today You will speak to our admissions team, all of them clinicians. We will tell you honestly whether this is the right place, or point you back to a local service. [How admission works](/admissions/) Or call us directly at [+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) Registered health centre, N.I.C.A. 67331, entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios. [Look us up](https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud/oficinavirtual/consulta/index.jsp). ## Sources and verification - [ACT Health](https://www.health.act.gov.au/) and [Canberra Health Services](https://www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/), ACT public Alcohol & Drug Service - [Directions Health Services](https://www.directionshealth.com/), Arcadia House residential and community AOD services, Woden ACT (02 6132 4800) - [Karralika Programs](https://www.karralika.org.au/), residential therapeutic community, Deakin ACT (1800 152 772) - [Toora Women](https://www.toora.org.au/), women’s AOD support, ACT · [Ted Noffs Foundation](https://www.tednoffs.org/), young people’s residential programme - [National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline](https://www.health.gov.au/), 1800 250 015 · [healthdirect](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/), 1800 022 222 - [Alcoholics Anonymous Australia](https://aa.org.au/), 1300 222 222 · [Narcotics Anonymous Australia](https://na.org.au/), 1300 652 820 - Australian private residential price ranges, compiled from published provider and directory listings (indicative, not endorsements or quotations) - [Junta de Andalucía register](https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud/oficinavirtual/consulta/index.jsp), Sierra Recovery, N.I.C.A. 67331 · [Sierra pricing](/pricing/) All details dated 25 July 2026. Confirm each service, waiting time and price on the provider’s own page before you rely on it. ## Questions people ask Is there free drug and alcohol rehab in Canberra? Yes. The ACT public Alcohol & Drug Service run by Canberra Health Services is free, and community services such as Directions Health Services and Karralika Programs provide free or low-cost residential and community treatment. The National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 connects you to the local service, and your GP or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 can also help you start. Is there a residential rehab centre in Canberra? Yes, and this is unusual for a city of its size. Canberra has residential rehabilitation within the community sector, including Karralika Programs’ therapeutic community in Deakin and Arcadia House run by Directions Health Services, plus women-centred support through Toora Women and a young people’s programme through the Ted Noffs Foundation. These places are free or low cost, reached through assessment, and often have a waiting list. Private pay-for-speed clinics are generally not based in the ACT. How much does private rehab cost in Australia? Public and community services in Canberra carry no fee. Private residential rehab in Australia, by contrast, commonly runs into the tens of thousands of dollars a month in published directory listings. Health-fund cover varies by policy and usually applies only to recognised hospital programmes. These figures are indicative and not quotations, so confirm fees and cover directly before you decide. Can I stop drinking or taking benzodiazepines on my own? Not safely if you are physically dependent. Stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines abruptly can cause severe withdrawal, including seizures, and can be dangerous. Speak to your GP, the ACT Alcohol & Drug Service or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 before you cut down, and call 000 in a life-threatening emergency. A supervised withdrawal keeps you safe. Is Sierra Recovery based in Canberra? No. Sierra Recovery is a registered health centre in Málaga, Spain, not in Canberra. We are listed here as one honest option for people who would consider treatment abroad, after the local services. We are a registered health centre rather than a hospital or detox unit, so any medically supervised detox is completed elsewhere first. Our residential programme is £9,900 for 28 days, published, with no referral fees. ### From Canberra, admission can happen within days Where no medical detox is needed first, the usual sequence is a free assessment, an itemised written quotation, and a flight. Málaga is around three hours from most UK airports. Where a detox is needed it is arranged first and that changes the timing, and we will tell you so at assessment, before you book anything. [How admission works](/admissions/) [Getting here from the UK](/travelling-to-spain-for-treatment/) ### Still not sure which option fits you in Canberra? Tell a clinician what is going on and they will talk it through with you, including the free routes above, before anything is booked. [Speak to a clinician](#talk)[+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) + ## Talk to a clinician today You will speak to our admissions team, English-speaking clinicians who know the programme and the people in it. Callback within 24 hours. Step 1 of 3 Confidential, and no obligation Registered health centre. Authorised by the Junta de Andalucía, N.I.C.A. 67331. ### Other areas we cover - [Adelaide](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-adelaide/) - [Perth](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-perth/) - [Melbourne](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-melbourne/) - [Victoria](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-victoria/) See every location in our [local treatment guides](/local-treatment-guides/), or compare what treatment costs in [Australia](/how-much-does-rehab-cost-in-australia/). Read next ## Understanding treatment and cost ### Related pages [Our programme](/our-programme-at-sierra-recovery/)[Pricing](/pricing/)[Regulation & licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/)[How much does rehab cost in Australia Public, community and private routes compared](/how-much-does-rehab-cost-in-australia/)[Admissions](/admissions/) --- Source: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-canberra/ Retrieved: 2026-08-27 Canonical HTML version of this page: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-canberra/