Recovery Support Service (RSS) is an alcohol and other drug treatment service offering community-based housing and a day program for young people aged between 16-25 years who want to learn to live without using drugs.
RSS offers a balance between support and independence; residents have the opportunity to recover with a group of like-minded people while living in the community. RSS believes that making new friends, helping others and building a fun and balanced life is essential to long term recovery.
Each resident sets their own recovery goals; these can include returning to work and study, regaining the trust of people they love, reconnecting with family, becoming healthy and working on psychological issues as well as enjoying life to the full.
Our houses are ordinary houses and units in the community so residents can stay connected with their families and friends while they learn new ways of having fun, meeting friends and getting on with their lives without falling back into drug use. Some houses are mixed gender and others are specifically for men or women. Our residents cook and clean for themselves, get about by public transport and manage their own lives out of program hours.
The RSS day program is a mixture of groups, recreation, attending community-based support meetings and having regular contact with staff. It runs from 10.30 – 3.30 Monday to Friday and there are some evening activities.
RSS staff are not only qualified Alcohol and Other Drug professionals, they are in recovery themselves and have insight and understanding available only to those who have lived through the experience.
See our RSS brochure
How to apply to RSS
You can contact Recovery Support Services yourself, or you can be referred by your worker, family or a friend.
Call us on (03) 9573 1759 and we’ll either pick up the phone or you can leave a message so we can get back to you. You can also email us on rssgroup@sharc.org.au
We’ll ask you a few questions on the phone, tell you more about RSS and then may book you in for an assessment. If you’re too old or young for the service, or need more support than we can give you, we may refer you to another more appropriate service.
We’ll get you into the office, show you around and complete an assessment. Once you’ve completed your assessment we’ll ask you if there are people we can contact to get up-to-date information about your health, legals etc. After we’ve received everything we need, and staff believe we can support you in our service we’ll work with you to set a pre-admission date.
If you’re in rehab or hospital when you’re assessed and accepted into RSS, we ask you to transfer directly to RSS when you’ve completed that program.
If you’re using, we’ll probably ask you to spend time in a residential drug withdrawal unit before admission; in this case, we’ll help you to find one.
Recovery stories
I’d be partying and up for 6 days on ice and I’d use GHB to put me back up instead of coming down. I’d drive and be unconscious at the wheel—I almost hit a couple of trucks—and people would raid my mates’ houses and steal everything. I was sick of it. One time I went all the way to the Mornington Peninsula to pick up and got stuck there for four days, I shredded one of my tyres and went to a 7/11 to get them to pump it up, I was loopy, and I sat in my car for ages wishing I could get out of the situation. I threw my drugs out of the car. I didn’t care. I smashed my pipe. I was done. I told a woman I needed to get home and she gave me her myki. My parents said they’d help if I did what they said.
I went to a rehab for 3 months and the manager told me about SHARC (Recovery Support Services). She said I would get to do a day program and spend time with people my own age. My parents said to go with your heart.
I’ve been here for 6 months so I’ve been off drugs for 9 months and I’ve learned about relapse and new ways to live; I’ve learned to cook and help out with other people. I want to give back and tell new people what it’s like to not use drugs, I feel better about myself when I do this. I went on a hike over Mount Bogong and found out I’m stronger than I thought and I experienced the peace of the mountains and bush. It made me want to become an outdoor educator.
But the main thing is I’m not using drugs which is a miracle; this is my first recovery.
I’ve been at RSS for 17 months and I’m working part time and getting ready to leave.
I guess I finally realised that I needed to be at RSS when I learned that all my expectations about where I should be, and who I should be, were making things worse. I learned that my life travels better when I accept myself and stuff as it is. I relapsed after 9 months in the program because I wasn’t being honest and didn’t fully follow the program and was lucky enough that the staff took me back.
I used drugs, called up the staff and came in to the office and they said I had to go back to my parents so I used for a bit more. But I stayed in contact with people who weren’t using and it looked like their lives were changing; they were going to school and getting jobs and I wanted that too. So having faith that I could do these things, I learned to stop having unrealistic expectations about me and my situation and do something about my low self-esteem, and when I worked through these things, other people were saying they saw changes in me that I couldn’t see.
Having other people in recovery to support me and encourage me was really important, I didn’t feel so alone and was able to accept my life just as it was, while believing that things could get better because I had proof in other people.
I was found dead on the nature strip a few houses up from my parents’. I tore my family to pieces emotionally and divided them against each other, they ended up putting security cameras around their house to make sure I didn’t go around when they weren’t there. I was so broke internally.
I’ve been clean 9 months this week, I had a relapse but I’ve been around recovery and RSS now for about 20 months and the best thing is that I have relationships again with people who love me, it’s amazing to have some self-worth too. I put myself in healthy environments, have healthy relationships with people with the same goals as me and I’m open to getting support. I’m actually proud to be me.
I’m working again and there’s nothing in my life worth complaining about except when I get the flu.
It look a while before I felt I really belonged in RSS. I stayed away from everyone, I’d speak to a few of the other residents when I had to and then go home. Then one of the other girls invited me to her place and we had a few sleep-overs and stuff like that, she totally guided me and when I was against doing parts of the program she’d put a positive light on things. She’d been here for 8 months and I followed in her footsteps.
After a few months a new girl came in and we just clicked and then I had two friends who lifted me out of a bad place. After a few months I found the misery going out of my life; I’ll never forget how horrible it was.
I’d always had people around but when I stopped using I lost my old friends. I had to develop a new group of friends, without these new people I don’t think I’d be clean and have the life I have.
I realised that recovery only happens when you want it.
In full-on rehab you get followed around and you can’t go to the bathroom without putting your hand up; sometimes I still feel that there are cameras watching me I got so used to it and I’ve never been happy about being forced to do stuff, even if it’s good for me. I finally decided I wanted recovery when I was homeless, living in my car, couldn’t go to my family home because they didn’t want to see me. Even my friends kicked me out of their places. I ended up lonely and crying in my car and all I knew to do was use. I was so isolated and lonely. I wanted independence and I also needed support from other people. That’s what SHARC gives me.
Having friends is massive. SHARC allows me to run most of my life and make a lot of my own decisions, good decisions. I’ve been here for two months and it’s working out.
Recovery Support Services FAQs
This will depend on your progress in the program. You can stay with us for up to 12 months.
Yes. We can either help you to get into a drug withdrawal unit or will need you to provide us with 2 drug-free urine screens before you can enter the program.
No. When you’re in RSS we ask you to remain drug and alcohol-free.
There’s no cost for the RSS program itself however you’ll have to pay rent for your property (25% of your income) and pay for personal expenses such as groceries, public transport etc. Your rent will generally come out of your Centrelink payment. If you’re not receiving a Centrelink payment you’ll have to make firm arrangements to have your rent and expenses paid for.
RSS provides community lunch on a Thursday and community dinner on a Friday evening. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy your own groceries and food.
No, everyone gets their own room and a key.
Yes, outside of program hours. You must always check with your housemates first. People who are substance affected may not visit at any time.
Absolutely, but you will need to turn it off or to silent during groups.
During the Entry Phase all residents are required to participate in the day program. If you become a Senior Resident you may work and/or study up to 3 days per week however you need to attend program on the days you’re not working or studying. If, for example, you work a 3 hour shift in the afternoon you’ll need to come to the program in the morning.
You cannot have your car or drive during the Entry Phase. Once you’ve successfully completed your Entry Phase you can drive and bring your car to the house. If you have your car in RSS you’re still required to travel with the community to external program activities.
During the Entry Phase of the program, residents are required to sleep in their own beds every night. Once you’ve successfully completed your Entry Phase you may apply to go on overnight or weekend leave.
The Entry Phase is usually 60 days in the program although this may be interrupted by being exited or failing to commit to the program. After successfully completing the Entry Phase you’ll be able to use your car and apply for overnight or weekend leave. If, after successfully completing 90 days in the program, you want to commence work and study or take extended leave, you can apply to become a Senior Resident.
