In 1984, a group of concerned community members led by Peter Bucci raised community awareness of the need for a St Kilda based organisation to respond to the needs of people with alcohol and other drug related problems. Having raised the funds necessary, the group bought an historic property in East St Kilda and established The Windana Society.
Windana today is a major non-government organisation with over 95 staff catering directly to over 1500 clients per year providing specialist drug and alcohol services. Windana has a committed and diverse staff group offering a range of skills, qualifications and experience including family, individual and group counselling, complimentary therapies, social welfare, youth work, nutrition, art therapy, psychology, recreation and specialist health training. Some staff also bring to their roles a personal experience of recovery from drug and alcohol dependence.
Currently the organisation receives funding from the Department of Human Services and the Federal Government. Both Commonwealth and State drug and alcohol objectives are adopted involving the utilisation of harm minimisation approaches, a focus on minimal/brief interventions and medium to long-term support. Windana currently operates a range of programs to assist people wishing to address problems associated with alcohol and other drugs.
Windana aims to offer a comprehensive range of quality services that assist people in taking the steps necessary to improve their quality of life.
These include: Adult and Youth Residential Drug Withdrawal, a Therapeutic Community, Supported Accommodation and the Community Health and Integration Program, inclusive of the Windana Community Centre. A broad focus to program delivery is provided by a variety of ancillary staff and volunteers as well as partnerships with a diverse range of organisations. An experienced and effective Administration support team supports these programs.
