This document seeks to clarify the nature of residential rehabilitation services and the range of services that should be available to residents of a local drug and alcohol partnership area, and will inform the commissioning of residential rehabilitation at local, regional and supra-regional levels.

Key points:
Residential rehabilitation is:
• A highly effective form of treatment for drug and alcohol misusers who wish to achieve a drug-free lifestyle
• Appropriate for a range of drug and alcohol misusers at different stages of their treatment journey
• An essential – but often missing or inadequate – element in treatment systems
• Most effective when aftercare is planned before the end of treatment.