Commonwealth-funded residential rehabilitation programs for Indigenous problem drinkers or drug users were established in the 1970s as community controlled organisations that were separate from Aboriginal Medical Services and independent of State drug and alcohol units. Structural and political factors during their development and growth have meant that many such programs are now poorly networked with sources of professional advice and other types of therapeutic community. This paper examines fruitful avenues to pursue in order to improve their knowledge base: perspectives include providing better training for board members as well as facilitating exchanges with other, non-Indigenous therapeutic communities.