16/03/2026
Twenty-nine years ago, the Subiaco Post newspaper first reported on a new approach to addiction treatment being introduced locally by Dr. George OโNeil. The story sparked a flood of phone calls from desperate families seeking help for their loved ones. Together with a growing team of staff and volunteers, Dr. O'Neil began helping people whose addictions had proven resistant to conventional care.
In the years that followed, Dr. OโNeil went on to develop a number of innovative approaches to treatment, including the naltrexone implant and new methods of detoxification. Over nearly 30 years, Fresh Start Recovery Program has provided care for more than 15,000 people struggling with various addictions in our community.
Last week, the same newspaper reported on recent developments that have prevented Fresh Start from offering one of our key treatments for people struggling with benzodiazepine dependence.
What happened next was remarkable.
More than 100 members of the community responded to the article by sharing their own experiences โ unprompted, unfiltered, and spanning decades.
These are not our words about our work. They are the voices of people whose life's have been changed:
โข Former patients describing recovery journeys of 10, 20, even 25 years that began at Fresh Start.
โข Families sharing how their loved ones found help here when other services could not or would not treat them.
โข Community members recognising the compassion, innovation, and persistence that have always shaped our approach to care.
Together, these stories reveal something powerful. Fresh Start fills a critical gap in addiction treatment โ working with complex cases and individuals who often feel they have run out of options.
Even those who question aspects of our work cannot ignore a simple truth: people are voluntarily stepping forward to share decades-long recovery stories that began here.
As we navigate this challenging transition, these voices remind us why Fresh Start exists. They reflect the trust that has been built over nearly three decades and the many lives that have been restored through compassionate, innovative care.
They also remind us that this work has always been sustained by a community โ people like you who believe that those struggling with addiction deserve hope, dignity, and the opportunity for lasting recovery.
Read on page seven of this week's POST: postnewspapers.com.au
Thank you for standing with Fresh Start as we honour this legacy and continue working toward a future where innovative treatment and compassionate care remain available to those who need them most.
