Gorman Unit

 

Who We Are

St Vincent’s Hospital Gorman Unit is a medically supervised alcohol and drug short stay unit that provides five to seven days of inpatient withdrawal management. As a patient at Gorman Unit, you will receive specialist care from our team in managing withdrawal symptoms, psychosocial support and post-discharge planning. We are a voluntary service.

Our Team

Our multidisciplinary team of medical, nursing and allied health clinicians will take a holistic approach to your care and are committed to supporting you in your treatment planning throughout your admission and following your discharge. We will work collaboratively with you to connect with supports in the community after leaving our service. 

How we can help you

Our team will support you through your treatment and provide you with a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment. We will provide you with medical intervention to manage your withdrawal symptoms. We will also provide individual and group based education and therapeutic intervention to work towards your treatment goals. 

 

Preparing for your admission

We recommend coming with comfortable clothing, shoes, slippers and any personal toiletries you may need. All food will be provided and you will have access to a washing machine and dryer. All electronic devices will be locked in a cupboard during admission. 

We ask you to nominate one support person that you would like to keep in contact with for the duration of your admission. As you are not able to bring mobile phones or personal electronics into the ward (we will keep it in a safe locked cupboard during your admission), we can put calls through the ward from your nominated support person. The treating team will, with consent, contact only with your nominated support person.

While withdrawal is an important first step to getting the right help, it is crucial to start thinking about supports after you leave our service. We encourage you to contact services that will support your recovery after withdrawal prior to your admission to the Gorman Unit. You can find more information on supports on “Your Room” website.

 

Ward Guidelines

  • No violent or aggressive language or behaviour. For the safety of all staff and patients, Gorman Unit complies with the NSW Heath Zero Tolerance Policy for violent and aggressive behaviour
  • No discriminatory language or behaviour: Please be mindful of your language and behaviour, and be respectful of others
  • No smoking on the Gorman Unit both inside and out: Gorman Unit is smoke-free and complies with the NSW Health Smoke-Free Health Care Policy
  • No leave or visitors: In some circumstances it might be appropriate to involve your carer or support person in a meeting with your team here at Gorman Unit, which will be discussed with you
  • Mobile phones and personal electronics: These are not permitted on the ward and will be kept safe in a locked cupboard during your admission
  • No use of alcohol or drug: If you have alcohol, drugs or drug paraphernalia with you on admission, please inform nursing staff so that these can be disposed of safely
  • Medications: During your admission, your medications will be prescribed by a doctor and given to you by nursing staff. If you have your own medications with you on admission, please inform nursing staff so they can store them safely
  • No personal food or drinks: Due to food and safety concern you are not allowed to bring in your own food or drinks. 

 
Contact Us

You can contact our Alcohol and Drug Service Centralised Intake Line on (02) 8382 1080 Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm. Alternatively you can ask your GP or health service to email us on svhs.adsintake@svha.org.au.
In an emergency please call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department. For further support please call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) – 24/7 support line on 1800 250 599.

Finding Us

We are located on Level 2 O’Brien Centre.
Currently due to construction works, please enter from Street Level,  O’Brien Centre, corner of Burton Street and Victoria Street, Darlinghurst.

Obrien entrance

 

For more information on withdrawal management, please follow the links.

Your Room: https://yourroom.health.nsw.gov.au/getting-help/Pages/support-and-treatment.aspx

Alcohol and Drug Foundation: https://adf.org.au/reducing-risk/withdrawal/