For Health Professionals

Within our supportive therapeutic community, Ashburn Clinic offers proven programmes for the successful treatment of a range of challenges, including: addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, life crises, PTSD, personal & relationship issues, and sexual trauma.

• Incoming patients must be 17 years old or older.
• We can help those that might benefit from treatment in a therapeutic community setting.

Inpatient care involves residing in the our main residential unit where there is 24-hour nursing care. Accommodation and meals are included in this service.

Day-patient care is for those who reside in the Dunedin community and attend the therapeutic programme during the week. Lunches are provided.

Outpatient care is for those who attend appointments with a specialist clinical team member (usually a psychiatrist). We provide outpatient services in Dunedin.

Private Payment
Referrals are made to the Medical Director. In usual circumstances admission to inpatient services will be available promptly, although it is important that admissions are appropriately organised, and preferably take place during normal working hours.

Ministry of Health
Ashburn has a contract with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to provide treatment for patients with serious and/or complex psychiatric illness who have not responded to or require treatment not available in their local DHB.

The individual needs to have been assessed by a mental health service within a District Health Board. If treatment at Ashburn is deemed appropriate by the individual’s treatment team, they make a referral to one of five regional co-ordinators throughout the country depending on the location of the DHB. If the referral is appropriate the regional co-ordinator places them on a waiting list. Patients are admitted when a place becomes available on a rotational basis. The exception to this process is the referral of ‘impaired professionals’ (usually health professionals) who cannot be appropriately treated in their local area due to confidentiality and privacy reasons. These patients may be admitted immediately, following discussion with Ashburn and the Ministry of Health.

Accident Compensation Corporation
The ACC Sensitive Claims Unit may, under some circumstances, fund intensive residential treatment at Ashburn for people with accepted sexual abuse claims. We need to emphasise that ACC view this option as being reserved for people who are suffering from very complex responses to their sexual abuse trauma and who have exhausted other community-based treatment options. The approval process is external to Ashburn and is initiated through the patient’s ACC Case Manager and the Sensitive Claims Unit. The patient must have an accepted sensitive claim and go through a process of assessment with ACC before a decision can be made regarding funding. The details of this process should be available from the patient’s ACC Case Manager or through the ACC website. If the application is successful, ACC will contact Ashburn and, once the referral is accepted, arrangements are made for admission.

We accept referrals via a number of means, including:

• Email
• Fax
• ERMS
• Cervin Media
• Post.

For details relating to referrals for ACC or Ministry of Health patients, please view the relevant guide on our Downloads page.  

Click here to access our referral forms.

Note that referrals must be sent by a health professional. This can include a GP, psychiatrist, therapist, or other health professional.

Ashburn Clinic is certified by the Ministry of Health to provide residential health and disability services under the Health & Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001. Our kitchen services programme is registered as a Custom Food Control Plan with MPI and verified as meeting the requirements of HACCP and the Food Act 2014.

Ashburn Clinic was previously certified by the ACC Workplace Safety Management Practices programme (tertiary level) which align with the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015.

Ashburn Clinic is a member of the Community of Communities, a quality network of Therapeutic Communities affiliated with the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Research Unit in the UK. Community of Communities brings together therapeutic communities from around the world in a systematic quality improvement process that incorporates international standards, peer-review, sharing of ideas and joint discussion.

Inpatient Unit
This unit is located within the main hospital building and provides 24-hour nursing care for up to 28 people. There is a kitchen and small dining area, as well as a number of living spaces for patient use (including a patient library with internet access). WiFi is also available. There is also a patient-operated canteen where people can purchase a range of items. The whole hospital campus shares a dining room in the main hospital building. Lunch and dinner are shared meals for the whole community. Each patient has their own bedroom with bed, built in wardrobe and drawers. There is a whānau lounge where patients can meet with family and friends in privacy.

Alexander House 
Alexander House is a self-care 17-bed accommodation facility (sited adjacent to and separate from the main hospital building) available to those attending the therapeutic programme. It offers further opportunities for patients to work towards greater independence as they move towards their discharge back into their own community. Most patients transition there from the inpatient ward, although direct admission to Alexander House is also available if appropriate. The House is not staffed, with patients working together to support each other, although they do have access to the on-call psychiatrist if needed after hours. House meetings are held regularly and attend to such things as allocation of practical household tasks as well as issues that come up around living and working together. It offers a comfortable and homely environment, with two pleasant living areas and a well-equipped kitchen providing space for relaxing or sharing meals together.