The Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora community alcohol and drug service provides comprehensive alcohol and drug assessment and treatment for people in Waikato presenting with moderate to severe, complex substance abuse or dependency.
Contact us
Hamilton
To contact the community alcohol and drugs service in Hamilton:
Hours: 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Thames
To contact the community alcohol and drugs service in Thames:
After hours
To contact the mental health crisis assessment and treatment service:
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Where to find us
The community alcohol and drugs service in Hamilton is at:
Te Kuuwaha o Te Wairora
Waikato University — Gate 101
35 Silverdale Road
Silverdale
Hamilton 3216
35 Silverdale Road, Silverdale — Google Maps
The community alcohol and drugs service in Thames is at:
Manaaki Centre
Thames Hospital
610 MacKay Street
Thames 3500
610 MacKay Street — Thames
Services we provide
We provide specialist services to the most severely affected people. Comprehensive alcohol and drug assessment and treatment planning form the basis of multi-disciplinary team treatment that includes:
- medical assessment and treatment
- individual case management and talking therapy
- educational and therapeutic groups
- hospital-based assessment and stabilisation in-patient beds
- home alcohol detoxification program
- consult liaison service to Waikato Hospital and Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre
- psychological therapy
- access to free hepatitis C screening and intervention as applicable
- links with community probation services offering brief alcohol and drug screening with referral onto the most appropriate
- service as applicable.
Alcohol and drug services are provided at:
- Hamilton
- Thames
- Te Awamutu.
Outreach clinics are also available in rural areas.
Opioid substitution treatment programme
We provide an opioid substitution treatment program. Eligibility is defined by the Opioid Substitution Treatment New Zealand practice guidelines 2014 entry criteria.
Opioid substitution treatment prescribing may include either methadone or buprenorphine naloxone treatment.
Once stabilised on treatment our shared cared service will provide support to your healthcare provider to continue your treatment.
Eligibility for the community alcohol and drug service
Adults aged 20 and older are eligible. Treatment may be provided to younger people in some circumstances.
People younger than 20 may be seen if no other provider exists in the area, but they must have issues associated with complex substance abuse or substance dependence
We provide specialist programmes for people with opioid dependency and co-existing mental health disorders.