Choosing a rehab starts with understanding what help is needed and which service can assess those needs. Photos, location and general descriptions can help you form a shortlist, but they cannot establish whether a particular program is clinically appropriate.
Use this guide to organise a comparison of Australian drug and alcohol treatment services. The questions below are RehabFinder's editorial guidance; the provider's clinicians decide whether its program can meet an individual's needs.
Begin with the treatment pathway
A GP or alcohol and other drug intake service can help you explore options. healthdirect's rehabilitation guide recommends discussing treatment with your doctor.
Ask what needs assessment first: withdrawal, ongoing treatment, mental health care or a combination. The answer helps you enquire about the right service rather than choosing a residential program before its admission team has assessed the situation.
For help finding your state or territory pathway, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. The government page notes South Australian service hours of 8.30am to 10pm. In an emergency, call 000.
Compare the same kind of service
A provider organisation may run several distinct services. Record the exact program and address for each option. Ask whether your enquiry concerns a hospital admission, residential rehabilitation, withdrawal service, day program or counselling.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation describes different treatment settings and intake pathways. Avoid assuming that every service called 'rehab' provides the same care.
For each option, ask:
Our detox versus rehab guide explains the distinction and lists questions about transfers between programs.
Ask who delivers the care
Request details of the staff and care arrangements for the actual program. An organisation's broad list of therapies does not tell you who you would see during a stay.
If mental health concerns are part of the enquiry, ask how they are assessed and addressed. Our dual diagnosis guide provides a focused set of questions about coordinated care.
Separate assessment from availability
Ask for the next assessment step and the possible admission pathway separately. A prompt callback does not establish an available place.
Record whether a date is an assessment appointment, a provisional admission date or a confirmed offer. Ask what must happen before an offer becomes definite and who to contact if circumstances change.
Confirm whether a GP referral is needed for the specific program. Before arranging travel or leave, reconfirm the service, address and admission date.
Check the practical details that matter to you
A program also needs to work in everyday life. Ask about requirements that could affect attendance and participation rather than treating them as small details to resolve later.
For a program away from home, ask how follow-up care near home is organised. For a local program, check how visits and ongoing appointments would fit with your circumstances. Location is one comparison factor, not a clinical recommendation by itself.
Confirm funding and booking terms directly
Ask for a written quote for the proposed service and stay, plus its cancellation and refund terms. If you plan to use insurance, ask both the provider and insurer to confirm the arrangements that apply to your admission.
For a government-funded service, ask about eligibility and any resident contribution or other charges. For a private service, ask which items are included and which require separate payment. Our funding and fees guide helps structure that conversation.
Look beyond the admission date
Ask who prepares the discharge plan and what follows the program. Record the actual aftercare arrangement: who delivers it, how it is accessed, what is included and how existing clinicians are involved with consent.
You can keep a simple comparison record for each service: confirmed information, questions still awaiting an answer, and the date the details were checked. 'Not confirmed' is a useful answer to record; it should not be treated as a yes.
Build a shortlist, then confirm it
Browse Australian treatment services or begin with Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide. Use the comparison tool to organise published details.
Bring the admission enquiry checklist to your next conversation. RehabFinder helps you compare service information; it does not diagnose, assess clinical suitability or confirm available beds.