Gandangara Community Healing Centre
Introduction to the Gandangara Community Healing Centre (GCHC)
The Gandangara Community Healing Centre (GCHC) is a culturally safe, trauma-informed and best practice service led by Gandangara Health Services (GHS) in partnership with South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) and funded by the NSW Ministry of Health. It is designed to deliver holistic, recovery-oriented alcohol and other drug (AOD) services that are informed by lived experience, cultural competency, and local community connection.
At its core, GCHC integrates clinical excellence with Aboriginal ways of healing, providing person-centred care that responds to the emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs of each individual. Through case management, culturally grounded counselling, peer-led support groups, and family-focused education, the Centre offers pathways to healing and long-term recovery for First Peoples across South Western Sydney.
More than just a service, GCHC is a place of hope, belonging, and transformation — a space where individuals and families are supported with compassion, cultural strength, and respect.
Our Mission
We are committed to empowering the First Peoples in SWS who are navigating the challenges of drug and alcohol-related health conditions. Our approach is holistic and trauma-informed, grounded in strengths-based and culturally informed methodologies that honour each individual's journey towards recovery. We embrace Aboriginal ways of healing in person-centred recovery, and the power of connection to culture, family, community, and Country.
Our services are co-designed with individuals who have lived experience with AOD challenges, ensuring our programs are grounded in real-world perspectives. In partnership with the local community and key stakeholders, we strive to create a supportive ecosystem that fosters recovery, resilience, and empowerment.
Our Goal
The program aims to empower First Peoples with alcohol and other drug (AOD) health-related conditions in South Western Sydney through culturally safe, trauma-informed, and holistic support services. We also aim to raise community awareness and foster a collective approach to addressing and mitigating substance use issues, thereby contributing positively to the overall wellbeing of the community.
Who We Serve
The GCHC is dedicated to serving First Peoples across South Western Sydney — with a particular focus on the Liverpool LGA and surrounding communities — who are impacted by alcohol and drug-related health conditions. Through a culturally safe and responsive Model of Care (MoC), we support individuals in their recovery journey, promoting self-determination, holistic wellbeing, and community connection.
Social and Emotional wellbeing encompasses the total package of social, emotional, physical spiritual and cultural wellbeing of a person. Gumal Mari Dyulu, means “belonging together in friendship”, and has been designed to achieve positive social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for First Peoples.
When talking about wellbeing, rather than only focusing on mental health, First Peoples concepts of social and emotional wellbeing consider a holistic perspective of what makes a person thrive, including how the body, mind and spirit are interconnected, how the connection to Country and culture provides strength and a strong identity, and how the connection to the community is central.
To find out more about our services or book an appointment, please give our friendly team a call today. Please call us on (02) 9601 0700 or email gchc@glalc.org.au
Social and emotional wellbeing is a broad term that covers the facets of needs for a person to thrive and contribute positively to their community.
Following First Peoples traditional healing knowledge, which has been passed down by Elders throughout history to the modern day, while also combining Western therapeutic frameworks, we have developed a host of programs that provide holistic support for your healing and well-being. Come and have a yarn with us and see what might suit you.
Our yarning circles incorporate age-old cultural practices of coming together and sharing our stories, learning from each other and healing together.
Yarning circles are a way for people to come together, connect, share stories in a safe environment, and learn and heal together as a group. We have yarning circles for group healing and cultural leadership, and for health, groups to learn how to better manage your health. This is the First Peoples way of coming together for healing business.
All of our Gandangara team have a foundation of knowledge in Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB). Our specially trained SEWB team is skilled and dedicated, including Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Health Practitioner Trainee's, Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists, Exercise Physiologist, Nurses, and more.
To link in with our Community Healing Centre team, please give our friendly team a call today. Please call us on (02) 9601 0700 or email intakeGCHC@glalc.org.au