Waikato behind on addictions services as drug court set to launch

Waikato’s eight local rehab beds won’t be enough when a drug court sets up in Hamilton, addictions providers say.

‘‘Even if there wasn’t a drug court, we’re behind,’’ Alcohol and Drug Community Support Trust director Stephen King said.

Waikato has 23 beds for people who need help with addiction but most are in Auckland or Rotorua facilities.

King says it’s time to bring the treatment home now Hamilton is getting a drug and alcohol treatment court, starting later in 2020. The idea of the court is to send people to treatment instead of jail time – unless they don’t comply.

The Government has invested $3.6m from the Proceeds of Crime Fund for a set-up team, and another $5.2m for the first two years of operational funding.

‘‘For some people . . . if you address the addiction you can stop the offending,’’ Justice Minister Andrew Little said.

When visiting courts in Auckland and Waitakere, for example, he met a woman who felt as if she had her husband back after six years.

Those in the drug court make fortnightly appearances until they finish their programme – another reason Waikato providers want treatment close to home. Little understood judges were queueing up to work in Waikato’s court and said local support made the Hamilton location an easy choice. Justice will put money into treatment services and rehabilitation, and work with the Ministry of Health and Waikato DHB to make sure there are enough services for the court.

At the moment, Waikato people may wait up to three months for residential treatment.

‘‘One of the core features of the drug court is that there isn’t wait time for people,’’ Waikato DHB executive director for mental health and addictions Vicki Aitken said.

Waikato has an outpatient service and many community providers, including NGOs, many of them small, she said. All drug and alcohol services are reporting an alarming increase in the number of people needing their help, she said.

Keeping up with the court would mean more staff again for assessing treatment needs, providing wraparound care, and extra day programmes. Not having enough treatment places could be a nightmare, said King, a spokesman for the Hamilton court’s formation committee.

‘‘That’s our biggest concern. That justice will roll out a drug court . . . but there won’t be a significant enough investment in health, addiction services.’’

He expects Hamilton’s court to place about 25 people in the first year, so Waikato’s existing agencies would need to upsize. He hopes his organisation – Alcohol and Drug Community Support Trust – can expand to an 18-bed residential rehabilitation centre.

There is money for extra health services for the court, Ministry of Health group manager for addiction

Richard Taylor said in a statement. Auckland had a relatively large number of providers who could upsize their operations, Taylor said, and a project team and local stakeholders would see whether Waikato services could do something similar.

Auckland’s providers added beds when the courts were set up, Odyssey House chief executive Fiona Trevelyan said.

Waikato covers a bigger patch but it’s ‘‘absolutely doable’’ to have a drug court there, she said.