In deciding if you are eligible for placement at Hebron House we consider, among other things, long term or out of control use of drugs or alcohol. The most popular drugs of choice are alcohol, heroin, benzodiazepines and stimulants, though we cater for any drug misuse and polydrug use as well. We also consider clients with deteriorating physical health, mental health problems, self-harm or suicide attempts, chaotic lifestyle, repeated offending, unsatisfactory housing, history of physical or sexual abuse, eating disorders, failure of previous interventions and time spent in custody or care. We would also consider the appropriateness of an all-female setting. As one of the few specialized women-only treatment centres in the country we recognise that the needs and expectations of women in recovery are different to those of men and without access to a women-only setting, some women will not recover.

We may not be able to accept some women:
•    who are not fully mobile or who cannot manage their own self care or who are unable to participate fully in the normal household routine
•    who have a clearly diagnosed psychiatric illness that requires maintenance medication
•    who have serious personality problems (not directly related to addiction) characterised by poor impulse control, violent/aggressive or extremely anti-social behaviour, compulsive self-harm etc. In order to benefit from being at Hebron House clients must be able to be integrated into the household community without putting other residents at risk and be able to fully co-operate with the programme.

We will not take women:
•    who have had an arson conviction in the past seven years
•    who have a history of violence which is not related to their drug or alcohol use
•    who are pregnant

While all of our staff and volunteers are Christian, we neither require residents to be Christian nor do we pressure them into making any kind of religious commitment. We do ask, however, that they are open to the spiritual principles on which our way of life and our recovery treatment is based. We offer places without discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, philosophical belief, sexual orientation or social class.

The first thing that you need to do, in order to obtain admission, is to be assessed by your Local Authority which can be done through Social Services or through a drug and alcohol worker. We will request doctors’, psychiatrists’ and probation reports if appropriate.
Our referral procedure is designed to promote client choice and to lay the foundation for co-operation between all of the parties involved.
1.    referrals are accepted from statutory and voluntary agencies, potential clients, friends or family
2.    an application form and information will be sent
3.    funding to be identified eg Community Care Assessment by Social Services
4.    when a completed application form is received we will arrange an interview.
5.    in exceptional circumstances we may be able to arrange a telephone interview
6.    written social, medical and legal reports will be requested with the client’s consent
7.    decision about acceptance will normally be made within 48 hours of interview pending funding approval and the receipt of essential reports

The average length of stay is 3-6 months, though this does depend on your needs. You are free to leave at any time and are encouraged to negotiate your own goals and length of stay. We have found that people who stay for a full six month programme are more likely to maintain a stable drug and alcohol free lifestyle after leaving.