Other services that can help

Mental health services

The Department of Health is responsible for publicly funded mental health services. You can search the Victorian Victorian Agency for Health Information Mental health service directory for a service close to you.

Other services that may be able to help are:

• Mind Australia: provides a range of referral, community and residential services. Visit their website or call 1300 286 463 for assistance.
• Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC): the peak Victorian non-government organisation for people with lived experience of mental health or emotional issues. Visit their website to find out more.
• National Disability Insurance Agency: the NDIA is an Australia Government initiative that manages the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Visit their website to find out more or contact your local area coordinator.

First Nations support

• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation: provides support for Indigenous people.
• More Family violence support services can be found on the Victoria Government website.

Counselling and call lines

• Kids Helpline: a free, 24-hour counselling service for young people aged 5-25 years. Counselling is offered by phone, email and over the web.
• Lifeline: a 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14 or visit their website.
• Mensline: a national telephone and online support, information and referral service, 24 hours a day, for men with family and relationship concerns. Call 1300 78 99 78 or visit their website.

Mental illness research groups and programs

• Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness (FaPMI): a program run by LaTrobe University. It aims to reduce the impact of parental mental illness on all family members. It does this through timely, coordinated, preventative and supportive action within adult mental health services. A FaPMI Statewide Map and Directory is available through a PDF on the LaTrobe website.
• Healthtalk Australia: a collaborative research group focused on experiences of health and illness. Their Mental Health and Supported Decision-Making digital resource contains stories on film and video from 29 people about their experiences.

Family violence and sexual assault

• 1800RESPECT – National Domestic Family and sexual violence counselling service: a call line for 24 hour information and support, call 1800 737 732.
• Sexual Assault Crisis Line Victoria: a state-wide, after-hours, confidential, telephone crisis counselling service. Call 1800 806 292 between 5pm and 9 pm weeknights.
• Sexual Assault Services Victoria (formerly Centres Against Sexual Assault – CASA): provides support and information, call 1800 806 292 and find your local support services.
• Safe and Equal (formerly Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria): An independent non-government organisation for specialist family violence services. The their website includes resources, training and education.
• inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence: provides support for migrant and refugee women and their communities including service providers.
• Safe steps – Family Violence Response Centre: Call 1800 015 188, use the web chat or email the team. Visit their website.
• Victims of Crime: The Victorian Government service Victims of Crime provides information on attending court, victim impact statements, intervention orders.
• Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE): a free referrals and information service for women and gender diverse people in Victoria. Find out more.
• Mensline Australia: a free call line and online counselling service offering support for Australian men. Includes support for gender based violence including prevention programs.

Support with drug and alcohol addiction

• Directline: a 24 hour telephone counselling, information and referral service for alcohol or other drug related support. Call 1800 888 236.
• YSAS Youth Support and Advocacy Service: Call 1800 458 685 for free confidential help.
• Family Drug and Gambling Help: a 24-hour confidential telephone and counselling service developed for families. Call 1300 660 068 for information, support, strategies and referrals.
• The Department of Health have a list of alcohol and drug addition services on their website.

Complaints about your mental health treatment

Our service can support you to have more say over your treatment, but other services can assist you to make a complaint about your mental health treatment:

• Mental Health Complaints Commissioner: a dedicated specialist complaints body which investigates and endeavours to resolve complaints about publicly funded mental health service providers.
• Health Complaints Commissioner: helps people with concerns about their health service providers, including privacy of health information.
• Victorian Ombudsman: enquires into or investigates administrative actions taken by a government department, public statutory authority, or staff of a municipal council.
• Community Visitors: are volunteers who monitor and report on the adequacy of mental health services.

If you have not been treated fairly by the police you can make a complaint about police.

You can also make a complaint about harassment or discrimination, if this has happened to you.

Legal services

• Victoria Legal Aid: has free information about the law and legal problems. Victoria Legal Aid lawyers may be able to provide representation.
• Mental Health Legal Centre: provides a free and confidential legal service to anyone who has experienced mental illness in Victoria where their legal problem relates to their mental illness.
• Local community legal centre: can give you legal information and advice. Most services are free.
• Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral Service: All law firms included in the Legal Referral Service provide a free 30-minute interview. If you book an interview, write your questions down beforehand, so you get as much out of the free 30 minutes as possible. If you discuss getting further help from the lawyer, make sure you know how much it will cost.

Guardianship and administration orders

• Office of the Public Advocate: an independent statutory office, working to promote the rights, interests and dignity of Victorians with a disability. It provides advice about advocacy, guardianship, powers of attorney, and consent to medical and dental treatment.
• Victoria Legal Aid: further information about Guardianship and administration matters.