A rehab enquiry should leave you with clear answers about the service you are considering. Before you book a stay, ask the provider to explain its admission process, what is included and what still needs to be confirmed. Keep the answers in one place so you can compare services on the same terms.
This checklist is for individuals, families and professional referrers. It helps organise a conversation; the provider's clinical team assesses whether its service is appropriate for the person seeking care.
Start with the exact service and location
An organisation may operate a residential program, a hospital withdrawal unit and a day program at different addresses. Ask which service your enquiry concerns and where treatment takes place.
Record the service name alongside the organisation name. This avoids comparing one provider's residential program with another provider's outpatient clinic.
Confirm the admission pathway
Ask about both the assessment date and the possible admission date. An available assessment appointment does not confirm an available residential place.
Do not treat an old availability statement as a current offer. Confirm it directly with the provider.
Ask how withdrawal and medical care are arranged
Withdrawal management and residential rehabilitation are different parts of care. Ask the service to explain how its own program works rather than assuming that a residential listing includes medical detox.
For advice about treatment options, speak with a GP or an alcohol and other drug service. In an emergency, call 000.
Get the funding and booking terms in writing
Ask for a written quote for the specific service and proposed stay. A provider's response should explain what you would pay and what is included.
Ask the insurer and provider to confirm the details that apply to you. A statement that a provider accepts a health fund is not confirmation that your particular admission is covered.
Check whether the stay works in everyday life
Accommodation and practical rules can affect your ability to attend and remain in a program. Ask about the details that matter to you.
Write down anything the provider still needs to check. An unanswered question is a follow-up item, not a yes.
Understand support after the stay
Ask for the aftercare arrangements that belong to the program you are considering.
Specific answers make comparison easier than a general statement that aftercare is available.
A message you can copy into your enquiry
Hello, I am enquiring about [service name and location] for [myself / a family member / a client]. Please explain your assessment and admission process, current waiting-list position, withdrawal arrangements, accommodation and aftercare. I would also like a written quote and the booking, cancellation and refund terms. Please let me know which details need confirmation and who can answer any clinical questions.
Only share another person's health information with their permission or an appropriate authority. Ask the service how it wants sensitive documents sent.
Read more about your next step
If you are unsure which service to contact, read detox versus rehab, whether a GP referral is required and questions about dual diagnosis care.
Keep a comparison record
For each shortlisted service, record the date, the person you spoke with, their answers and any outstanding questions. Before accepting a place, reconfirm information that can change, including availability and the proposed admission date.
Browse Australian treatment services or start with Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide. Use the comparison tool to organise published provider information, then ask the service to confirm anything missing.
Sources and support
The checklist questions are RehabFinder's editorial guidance. For general information on treatment, see healthdirect's guide to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
The Australian Government National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline is available on 1800 250 015, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.