Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) – Alice Springs
About Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) – Alice Springs
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) is an Aboriginal community-controlled residential alcohol and other drug rehabilitation service on a 4-hectare property just outside Alice Springs, operating since 1991. Separate men’s and women’s streams run a 56-day programme across 29 beds in total.
Counselling and group therapy sit alongside cultural healing led by Elders and Traditional Owners, time on Country, and life skills such as budgeting, literacy and employment readiness. The programme runs Monday to Friday, with weekend family visits offered. Referral can come from you, a family member or a service with consent, through an online form; the intake team then arranges a phone or face-to-face assessment covering medical, psychological, cultural and social background, with a written outcome usually within 48 hours.
Key Facility Details
- Primary focusAlcohol
- Programs forWomen, Men
Facility Type
Setting and Surroundings
A town setting near Alice Springs, at 1,903 ft. The nearest town is Ross (population 1,571), 1.6 miles away.
Nearest named features
- Mount BlatherskiteMountain · under a mile
- Meyers HillHill · 2.6 miles
- Randalls PeakPeak · 28 miles
Getting there
- Alice Springs Airport (ASP)Regional airport · 4.7 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.
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) Alcohol and Drug Services
CAAAPU offers residential rehabilitation over 56 days, followed by aftercare planning with clients and their supports. Alcohol is the substance named for the service, and the men’s stream holds 20 beds while the women’s stream holds 9, keeping the two groups separate throughout the programme.
Treatment combines individual counselling and group therapy with exercise and nutrition and vocational support, and the service follows the ADARRN Model of Care. Cultural healing led by Elders and Traditional Owners and time on Country are built into the week rather than added on. Doctors and psychologists are on site, and entry involves an intake assessment and a medical examination. Named medications are not listed for CAAAPU.
Levels of Care
Substances and Addictions Treated
Counseling and Therapy
Specialized Programs
Where Is Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU)?
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) sits at 290 Ragonesi Road, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, postcode 0871, on a 4-hectare property on the edge of town. The private estate setting gives the men’s and women’s streams room to run separately.
The office opens Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm and the intake line is (08) 8955 4600, with referrals also accepted through the service’s online form and intake email. Assessment can be done by phone or face to face, and a written outcome usually follows within 48 hours, with a bed booked subject to availability. Weekend family visits are offered, so confirm visiting arrangements before travelling in.
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How Much Does Treatment at Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) Cost?
CAAAPU charges A$200 per week, which covers a bed, board and meals as well as the programme itself and the support that goes with it. Across a 56-day stay that is the headline cost, and the service lists private pay and a Centrelink contribution as the ways it is met.
Because part of the arrangement runs through a Centrelink contribution, what you actually hand over depends on your income, and the intake team can explain how that works before admission. Private health insurance, Medicare rebates, NDIS and WorkCover are not listed for the service. Ask also whether anything extra applies for travel in from a remote community or for weekend family visits.
Payment Options
Medications Offered
Support Services
Assessment and Testing
Key Locations Served Near You
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) – Alice Springs
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Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) – Alice Springs
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) – Alice Springs — Compiled From Public Records
This listing is compiled from public directory and licensing sources rather than confirmed firsthand by our editorial team.
Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) Reviews
Reviews of Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) from around the web are limited, which is common for Aboriginal community-controlled services in Central Australia. RehabSeekers hosts reviews for this service, and anyone who has completed the programme at Ragonesi Road is welcome to share their experience.
The things former clients can speak to are exactly what a service description cannot: how the cultural healing sessions with Elders felt, whether the separate men’s and women’s streams worked well, and what support looked like after graduation. CAAAPU has run since 1991, so there is a long line of graduates whose accounts would help anyone in Central Australia weighing up where to go.
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Ratings and reviews from Google, collected 30 October 2026. RehabSeekers does not edit or remove them.
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