Waitlist

Our current wait time is about 20 weeks. Occasionaly  beds become available at short notice. It is preferable that preparation work is on going leading up to admission date, to ensure tangata whai ora have the best start  when arriving at St Marks.

We expect people to come here illicit drug and alcohol free, and, unless coming direct from detox, we test on admission; people that arrive here having consumed illicit drugs or alcohol will be denied admission for the safety of staff and other residents.

Please note, we do take private, self funding referrals, contact us for more information.

We are hiring:

 AOD Counsellor/Groupworker

• Qualified counsellors/key workers employed in the Addiction Field and working within a South Island Community AOD service (CADS) or NGO addiction service funded by local DHB
• Tāngata whai ora wishing to fund their own treatment privately (you will still need an assessment).

Who cannot refer directly to St Marks:

• Tāngata whai ora (self-referrals) unless intending to fund their own treatment
• General Practitioners
• Department of Corrections unless through a regional coordinator or South Island AOD service (we do have a contract for a bed with Corrections)
• North Island Services

Eligibility Criteria

• Moderate to severe addiction according to DSM- 5 and/or ASSIST
• Need to be 18 years of age or over
• Have completed some preparation work, in way of  AOD programmes, group therapy or counselling activities.
• Commited to making change.
• If on any outstanding charges or sentance, a curfew applies between 6:30am and 9:00pm. (we do not allow for EM bail).
• All court dates need to be adjourned until after treatment.
• Minimum of level 3 literacy
• No arson or sexual offences against children (other offences against children will be considered on a case by case basis)
• Complex Mental health disorders to be stabilised prior to entry.
• Complex physical health disorders to be stabalised prior to entry.
• For community clients, be willing to undertake detox or respite prior to entry.
• An exit plan is required before admission.

Requirements for admission:

• A recent AOD Comprehensive Assessment completed by a qualified practitioner.
• Pre admission paperwork returned.
• Supporting information to be provided  e.g. Reports from other services relevant to referral.
• Completed Detox leading up to admission.
• Travel arrangements must be made by bus or plane on day of admission. 
• Admission to St Marks once accepted, must be on a Monday or Tuesday  (no later than 2pm).
• Drug screening will be undertaken upon arrival and may result in admission cancelled if positive.
• Physically able to undertake all aspects of the programme.

Process on receipt of referral:

Our clinical team will review the information received and decide in collaboration with the referrer as to the tāngata whai ora suitability for the programme.

Our operational support team will confirm acceptance and send you our pre admission paperwork (possibly with a preliminary admission date), once we have received the pre admission paperwork back from you, a confirmed date will will allocated for entry and you will be informed, you should have at least four weeks notice, though occasionally we will try and get the tangata whai ora here sooner.

Once St Marks allocate an entry date and a one-on-one practitioner for the tangata whai ora. The referrer will be notified by email in the first instance. The allocated practitioner will then liaise with both the referrer and the prospective resident as they establish an admission pathway including duration of programme (number of weeks), detox arrangements/bookings as required, travel plans and aftercare/discharge plans. You will also be in contact with our operational support staff who are really friendly and knowledgable about the things our practitioners need to ensure smooth admission.

Contact between the St Marks staff, tāngata whai ora and referrers is of the utmost importance to achieve the best possible outcome for people.

The reason we ask for the pre admission paperwork first is to ensure a speedy transition to entry date. It is our experience that when we allocated a date, sometimes, we have had to postpone or change that date as the paperwork we need to admit someone was not here in time, medication not arranged, benefits not in place and so on. It can be an anxious time for someone coming here and we want it to be as smooth a transition to here as possible. We have had occasions when people arrive here, without the correct paperwork and we take them off programme for the first couple of days to get benefits etc. sorted out, and they have become quite distressed, far better to get this done before they get here, thank you.

Referral Flowchart

Click image to enlarge: