Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU)
About Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU)
Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU) is a residential withdrawal service at 350 Antill St, Watson, in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The unit offers up to fourteen days of non-medicated support for young people going through alcohol or other drug withdrawal, and can be reached on (02) 6123 2500.
No referral is required, so a young person can make contact themselves, and approaches also come from a GP, family or friends, other services, the courts and police. Alongside withdrawal support, the unit provides information, employment support, training, relapse prevention and life and group skills, with continuing care once the programme ends. Drug testing forms part of treatment. Enquiries also go to tnfact@noffs.org.au.
Facility Type
Setting and Surroundings
A town setting near Canberra, 5.3 miles from the coast and at 2,005 ft. The nearest town is Hackett (population 2,892), under a mile away.
Nearest named features
- Mount MajuraMountain · under a mile
- Crace HillHill · 1.9 miles
- West BasinLake · 4.3 miles
- Bimbi BeachBeach · 5.3 miles
- Cotter Storage ReservoirReservoir · 15 miles
- Yarrow PeakPeak · 16 miles
Getting there
- Canberra Airport (CBR)Regional airport · 5.0 miles
- Goulburn Airport (GUL)Regional airport · 43 miles
Setting and distances are calculated from this facility’s coordinates against GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), OurAirports and Natural Earth. Distances are straight line, not driving distance.
Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU) Alcohol and Drug Services
ADWU runs two levels of care for young people in their teens: inpatient withdrawal management of up to fourteen days at the Watson unit, and continuing care afterwards. Support through withdrawal is described as non-medicated, so the work rests on supervision, structure and the staff team rather than prescribing.
The programme adds relapse prevention, group work and life skills to the withdrawal stay, along with information sessions, employment support and training that look ahead to what follows. Drug screening is part of treatment. Named therapies beyond these, medications and the substances treated are not stated for the unit, so the intake team is the place to ask.
Levels of Care
Substances and Addictions Treated
Counseling and Therapy
Specialized Programs
Where Is Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU)?
ADWU is located at 350 Antill St, Watson, Australian Capital Territory, postcode 2602, in Canberra’s inner north a short way from Dickson and the Federal Highway. The unit is the Territory’s dedicated youth withdrawal service rather than a hospital ward.
Hours are not stated for the unit. Contact goes through (02) 6123 2500 or tnfact@noffs.org.au, with background at www.noffs.org.au. Self-referral is accepted, and a GP, family member, friend, another service, the courts or police can also make contact. Because a place depends on availability, check before travelling to Watson.
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How Much Does Treatment at Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU) Cost?
Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit is recorded as charging no fees for its withdrawal programme, so a young person or their family would normally pay nothing for the stay at Watson. The available service information is inconsistent on this point, however, and also notes that a fee may apply in some circumstances.
Because of that inconsistency, the sensible step is to ring the unit on (02) 6123 2500 and ask what, if anything, is charged before an admission. No private pay rate is stated, private health insurance is not needed, and Medicare, NDIS and WorkCover arrangements are not stated for the unit.
Payment Options
Support Services
Assessment and Testing
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Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU) — Compiled From Public Records
This listing is compiled from public directory and licensing sources rather than confirmed firsthand by our editorial team.
Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit (ADWU) Reviews
Reviews of Adolescent Drug Withdrawal Unit from around the web are limited, which is usual for youth withdrawal services where privacy matters a great deal. RehabSeekers hosts reviews for the Watson unit, and any young person or family who has used it is welcome to share their experience.
Parents considering a withdrawal admission for a teenager have very little to go on publicly. An account of how quickly contact turned into a place, what the fourteen days involved, how non-medicated support was managed and what continuing care looked like afterwards would be valuable to the next family facing the decision.
Bit disappointing that only Youth Justice funded placements are accepted into the new Caboolture PALM program but hopefully that changes because we need more drug rehab options for our teens.
One of The most down to earth and important service available to support our young people. Guideing kids through the toughest times of their lives.
Excellant facility and peaceful grounds
This was such a great place to turn my life around at 16 😊
Place of angels .... Simply heaven
No reviews match those filters.
Ratings and reviews from Google, collected 30 October 2026. RehabSeekers does not edit or remove them.
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