# Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Geelong | Sierra Recovery > Every drug and alcohol rehab option in Geelong compared: free Barwon Health and DirectLine services, Windana residential rehab, AA and NA, plus honest costs. [Home](/) / [Local guides](/local-treatment-guides/) / Geelong Treatment options in Geelong, VIC # Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Geelong: the honest guide The real routes to drug and alcohol help in Geelong, from free and public services to private care and treatment abroad, with honest costs and how to reach each one. 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. You do not have to pay to get help in Geelong. Barwon Health runs the region’s free public alcohol and other drug service, and Geelong also has a residential rehabilitation community of its own, at Corio. Statewide phone counselling and intake through DirectLine is free and open around the clock. Private residential care and treatment abroad are options if you want something faster, more private or further from home, but for most people the free local service is the right first step. Below are the main options, side by side. If you may be physically dependent, do not stop suddenlyStopping alcohol or benzodiazepines (such as Valium or Xanax) 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 in Australia call 000, and for free, confidential 24-hour advice call DirectLine on 1800 888 236 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Who publishes this, and why it matters. This guide is published by Sierra Recovery. We are not based in Geelong. 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, this list is not influenced by anyone paying for placement, and where a local option is better for you than we are, we say so. ### Speak to a clinician about treatment from Geelong 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 Geelong 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 [Windana Barwon Therapeutic Community](https://windana.org.au/services/barwon-therapeutic-community/) the commissioning authority Free drug and alcohol treatment for Geelong is commissioned by Windana Barwon Therapeutic Community. 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 Geelong 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 Geelong Alcoholics Anonymous Search your town or postcode on the [Alcoholics Anonymous Australia](https://meetings.aa.org.au/near/?near=Geelong+VIC) site to see every meeting near Geelong, in person and online, with days and times. Narcotics Anonymous If drugs are part of the picture, search the [Narcotics Anonymous Victoria](https://www.navic.net.au/meetings/) site for meetings near Geelong. ### 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. ## Residential and private rehab for people in Geelong Geelong does have a residential rehabilitation centre of its own, the [Windana Barwon Therapeutic Community](https://windana.org.au/services/barwon-therapeutic-community/) in Corio, a not-for-profit residential service reached through the DirectLine intake line rather than by paying privately. That sets Geelong apart from many regional towns, where a residential stay always means travelling. Beyond the public system, dedicated private residential centres are mostly not based in Geelong itself; the private and luxury residential clinics that market to Victorians tend to be in Melbourne, on the Mornington Peninsula, interstate or overseas. In practice, choosing private residential care usually means travelling, which is worth knowing when you weigh up treatment further afield. ## What treatment costs Through the public system the cost is little or nothing: Barwon Health and Windana are funded to treat people at no charge or low cost, which is why they are the right first step for most people. Private residential care is a different market. As a guide, published Australian directories put private residential rehabilitation at roughly A$8,000 to A$30,000 a month, with premium or executive centres above A$40,000, and a private 28-day stay in Melbourne or Sydney commonly quoted between A$15,000 and A$55,000. Sierra’s £9,900 for a 28-day programme, private room included, sits well below the premium end of the Australian private market, because the cost of running a centre in the Spanish countryside is lower, not because the care is. Cost figures are indicative ranges compiled from published Australian directories and provider information, dated above. They are not quotations. Every centre sets its own fees. Please verify before you decide. Services, waiting times 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 Geelong 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 Barwon Health or DirectLine if you are unsure, if cost is the barrier, or if you want to stay near family and work. Windana’s Barwon Therapeutic Community if you want residential care within Geelong and are willing to go through the public intake process. Private residential in Melbourne or interstate if you need a bed quickly and can pay for it, or want more privacy than the public system offers. Treatment abroad only if private care at home is out of reach, distance from your usual surroundings would help, and you are well enough to travel and do not need an immediate medical detox. Use AA or NA alongside whatever you choose. If you would like to talk it through honestly, including whether we are the wrong choice for you, [read how admission to Sierra works](/admissions/) or ask us. ## Sources and verification - [Barwon Health](https://www.barwonhealth.org.au/contact/drug-and-alcohol-services/), Drugs & Alcohol Services (03 4215 8792), 181 Moorabool Street, Geelong - [Victorian Government](https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/intake-and-assessment-for-alcohol-and-drug-problems) / DirectLine, central intake for government-funded AOD treatment (1800 888 236) - [Windana](https://windana.org.au/services/barwon-therapeutic-community/), Barwon Therapeutic Community, Corio, Geelong (residential rehabilitation) - [Alcoholics Anonymous Australia](https://meetings.aa.org.au/near/?near=Geelong+VIC) (1300 222 222) · [Narcotics Anonymous Victoria](https://www.navic.net.au/meetings/) (1300 652 820), meeting finders - [City of Greater Geelong](https://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/services/health-and-wellbeing/resources-alcohol-and-other-drugs), local alcohol and other drug resources - Australian private residential price ranges, compiled from published provider and directory figures (not endorsements) - Junta de Andalucía register, Sierra Recovery, N.I.C.A. 67331 · [Sierra pricing](/pricing/) · [Sierra regulation & licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/) All figures dated 25 July 2026. Each price and contact detail should be confirmed on the provider’s own page before you rely on it. + ### Talk to a clinician You will speak to our admissions team, all of them clinicians. Confidential and no obligation. We will tell you honestly whether treatment abroad is right for you. [How admission works](/admissions/) Or call our UK line [+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) Registered health centre. N.I.C.A. 67331, entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios (Junta de Andalucía). Not a hospital or detox unit. [See our licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/). ### Urgent help in Australia - Emergency: 000 - DirectLine (AOD, 24/7): 1800 888 236 - Lifeline: 13 11 14 ## Questions people ask Is there a free drug and alcohol service in Geelong? Yes. Barwon Health runs the region's public alcohol and other drug service from 181 Moorabool Street, Geelong, with assessment, counselling and non-residential withdrawal support, reached through its triage line on 1300 094 187. Victoria's free, confidential DirectLine (1800 888 236) is open 24 hours and can arrange entry to government-funded treatment. For most people this free public route is the right first step. Is there a residential rehab in Geelong itself? Yes. The Windana Barwon Therapeutic Community in Corio is a not-for-profit residential rehabilitation service within Geelong, entered through the DirectLine intake process rather than by paying privately. That makes Geelong unusual, as many regional towns have no local residential option. Dedicated private residential clinics, by contrast, are mostly in Melbourne, on the Mornington Peninsula, interstate or overseas. How much does private rehab cost near Geelong? As an indicative guide from published Australian directories, private residential rehabilitation runs roughly A$8,000 to A$30,000 a month, with premium centres above A$40,000, and a private 28-day stay in Melbourne or Sydney is commonly quoted between A$15,000 and A$55,000. The public services through Barwon Health and Windana are free or low cost. These are ranges, not quotations; confirm fees directly with any centre. Can I get help without paying anything? Yes. Barwon Health's alcohol and other drug service, DirectLine, the Geelong-Queenscliffe Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, and AA and NA meetings are all free. You do not need private funds to start treatment in Geelong. If cost is the barrier, begin with Barwon Health or DirectLine. Is it safe to detox from alcohol at home? Not necessarily. If you are physically dependent, stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines suddenly can cause severe withdrawal, including seizures, so you should get medical advice before cutting down. Barwon Health can arrange supervised, non-residential withdrawal where suitable. In an emergency call 000, and for free 24-hour advice call DirectLine on 1800 888 236 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. ### From Geelong, 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 Geelong? 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 - [Bendigo](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-bendigo/) - [Melbourne](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-melbourne/) - [Victoria](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-victoria/) - [Adelaide](/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-adelaide/) 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/). ### Related pages [How much does rehab cost in Australia?](/how-much-does-rehab-cost-in-australia/)[Our programme](/our-programme-at-sierra-recovery/)[Pricing](/pricing/)[Regulation & licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/)[Rehab: UK vs Spain](/rehab-uk-vs-spain/)[Admissions](/admissions/) --- Source: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-geelong/ Retrieved: 2026-08-27 Canonical HTML version of this page: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-geelong/