Jan McKinnon knows the heartache of families struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.
“I had two daughters and a son, I lost the son and the youngest daughter to drugs 26 and 25 years ago,” she said.
“And about 10 years ago, I lost a granddaughter to drugs.”
Through her family’s experiences, Ms McKinnon said she has seen the gaps in rehabilitation services, particularly for women.
It is what has moved her to be part of a push to set up a women’s-only rehabilitation centre in NSW.
“If I can save one family from going through the same heartache and pain, then it’s all worthwhile.”
Now, on Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast, that dream is becoming a reality.
Jan McKinnon who advocated for The Glen for Women Source: Supplied
This week, the first women’s-only Aboriginal community-controlled rehabilitation centre began taking applications.
'The Glen for Women' is the result of years of campaigning by Ms McKinnon and several other strong women who reside on the board of The Glen, which has been running a successful men’s rehabilitation centre since 1994.
“It started with being on the board of The Glen for Men," Ms McKinnon said.
"The board members decided it’s about time we gave the women the chance because they’re the usual caregivers.
“It was plenty of trips to Canberra and talking to the state and federal politicians. It took quite a while.”
In 2019, the board of The Glen for Men secured a $19 million grant from the federal government to open a women’s-only service.
Construction on the new facility began last year, and last month the board members were given a tour of the newly built women’s facility.
After the tour, chairperson Coral Hennessy, whose late brother Cyril set up The Glen for Men, was emotional as she spoke about the longstanding need for the women’s facility.
“You would not believe what it feels like to be able to see this happen,” she said.
“It means the world to me."
Another board member, Cheryl Bailey, said she shed tears when she saw the finished centre.
The Glen for Women. Source: Supplied
She has previously struggled with addiction, and the centre is one of the ways she’s been helping others since she became sober at the age of 38.
“When we first came here and saw the bedrooms as we wanted them, I just cried… it’s just mind blowing for us that this is even happening and it’s done and we’re going to open it up,” she said.
“We just feel joy in our heart.”
The women’s centre will be modelled on The Glen for Men.
Chief Operating Officer of The Glen for Women Kylie Cassidy said the 20-bed facility will run a 90-day “holistic” rehabilitation program.
“We're really looking at unpacking those traumas that led to that substance abuse, and really helping people work through that and know their triggers,” she said.
“But then also fostering healthy, happy sorts of habits and new ways of living once going back out into the community.”
The centre is taking applications from women from around Australia and is due to open its doors to its first clients this month.
The state of the art centre. Source: Supplied
Ms Cassidy expects the centre will be able to make a significant difference in the lives of many women and their families.
“We know that Aboriginal women are highly represented in the custody system, so I think having this healing, therapeutic space, which is just like home and really loves people back to life, is going to make a big difference in breaking that cycle."
Ms Cassidy said the centre will also take applications from non-Indigenous women.
The board members hope to see more centres like The Glen for Women open in other parts of Australia.
