Alcohol and drug addiction — Nelson Marlborough

Nelson Marlborough Health Addictions Service

Nelson Hospital — Braemar Campus
Building 3
Franklyn Street
Nelson 7010
Phone: 03 546 1994
After hours emergency phone: 03 546 1800
Email: addictionsnelson@nmdhb.govt.nz

Wairau Hospital
Hospital Road
Blenheim
Phone: 03 520 9908
After hours emergency phone: 03 520 9999
Email: addictionswairau@nmdhb.govt.nz

St Marks Addiction Residential Treatment Centre

61 Main Street
Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 578 0459

Nelson Marlborough Health Addictions Service

The Nelson Marlborough Health Addictions Service is a regional service, with facilities located in Blenheim, Golden Bay and Nelson. Our staff are committed to reducing the harm associated with addiction to individuals, whānau and the community.

Services include:

• screening and brief intervention for drug use problems for people admitted to Nelson Hospital or Wairau Hospital (including the Wahi Oranga mental health unit)
• community detox
• opioid substitution treatment (methadone and suboxone)
• The Matrix Methamphetamine Treatment Programme (outpatient programme)
• seminars and workshops on drug use for workplaces, schools and community groups
• training for professionals and community workers on drug use issues
• referrals to local support groups
• referral to inpatient treatment facilities.

People can refer themselves to this service. Referrals are also accepted from:

• whānau and friends affected by someone else's addiction
• other services working with the person with addiction problems.

Matrix Methamphetamine Treatment Programme

The programme is for people who are using methamphetamine and want to stop. People are encouraged to bring whānau or a support person with them. The programme aims for abstinence.

The Matrix Methamphetamine Treatment Programme is an intensive group treatment for people who want to stop using methamphetamine.

It is an outpatient programme based at the Nelson Addiction Service clinic at Nelson Hospital. It runs for 20 weeks with 2 sessions a week.

The sessions are organised into:

• early recovery skills
• relapse prevention
• gender-specific groups
• whānau support groups.

The Matrix Methamphetamine Treatment Programme is effective because:

• people are treated with respect and understanding
• there is no shaming or judgement
• intensive group therapy is proven to work
• it was originally developed in the USA to treat cocaine, and then methamphetamine, addiction. It is still running there and in Australia and has now been adapted for Aotearoa New Zealand
• whānau and support person involvement is encouraged
• the programme includes the contribution of people who have used methamphetamine and who have had significant periods in recovery
• facilitators have extensive knowledge and experience in addiction treatment.

Kaupapa Māori addiction services

Te Piki Oranga provides a kaupapa Māori alcohol and drug assessment and treatment service in Blenheim, Nelson and Motueka.

People can refer themselves to this service. Referrals can also be from:

• primary health care
• inpatient care
• community mental health teams
• alcohol and other drug services.

Mental health and addiction — Te Piki Oranga (external link)

St Marks Addiction Residential Treatment Centre

St Marks Addiction Residential Treatment Centre in Blenheim provides a residential treatment service, crisis respite care and supportive detoxification for people in the Nelson Marlborough region. Referrals to St Marks are made by healthcare providers.

St Marks Addiction Residential Treatment Centre (external link)

For information about any of these services, contact the Nelson Addiction Service.

Call: 03 546 1994