Support services

Organisations to contact if you need help or support.

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Family violence and sexual assault support services

1800 Respect

The national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. They provide support for people experiencing, or at the risk of experiencing, violence and abuse, their friends and family, and professionals. They are a confidential service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Phone: 1800 737 732
Website: www.1800respect.org.au/

GenWest

GenWest is a family violence support service. GenWest also deliver programs that support communities to lead safe and healthy lives. GenWest supports people based in Melbourne’s west. This includes women, LGBTIQA+ folk, First Nations peoples, people with a disability, migrant and refugee communities, children, young people and older people.

Phone: 1800 436 937
Website: genwest.org.au
Location: 317-319 Barkly St, Footscray

inTouch

A state-wide specialist family violence service that works with women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, their families and their communities in Victoria. They provide case management to women, training, conduct research, and run community-based projects in order to address the issue of family violence in the community.

Phone: 1800 755 988

Note: If you are experiencing abuse and need a translator, please call TIS on 131 450 and ask them to call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, or Safe Steps on 1800 015 188. Both services are open 24 hours.
Website: www.intouch.org.au

Safe Steps

Victoria’s 24/7 family violence response centre. They provide specialist support services for anyone in Victoria who is experiencing or afraid of family violence.

Phone: 1800 015 188
Website: www.safesteps.org.au

The Orange Door

The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children.

Website: www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au

WestCASA – Western Region Centre Against Sexual Assault

WestCASA is a community based not-for-profit sexual assault counselling service operating in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne.

WestCASA provides a 24 hour crisis care service in conjunction with the Victorian Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL).

Crisis line: 1800 806 292
Phone: 03 9216 0444
Website: westcasa.org.au

Health and wellbeing, mental health and youth services

Beyond Blue

A service that provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Chat with a trained mental health professional via phone, email or webchat. You can also participate in their online forums.

Phone: 1300 22 4636
Website: www.beyondblue.org.au

Centre for Multicultural Youth

The Centre for Multicultural Youth is a not-for-profit organisation based in Victoria, providing specialist knowledge and support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Website: www.cmy.net.au

Cohealth

Cohealth provides a wide range of community health services. This includes medical and allied health services, and community programs and groups.

Website: www.cohealth.org.au

eHeadspace

A service that provides free online and telephone support and counselling to young people aged 12-25 and their families and friends. If you’re based in Australia and going through a tough time, eheadspace can help.

Website: www.headspace.org.au/eheadspace/

headspace – Sunshine

headspace Sunshine offers free support for young people aged 12 to 25, their families and friends. headspace centres act as a one-stop-shop for young people who need help with mental health, physical health (including sexual health), alcohol and other drugs or work and study support.

Phone: 03 9927 6222
Website: www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/sunshine/

Hillside Healthcare Accessible Sexual Health

A program by Kings Park Medical Centre. Bulk-billed and provides services including STI screening, testing and treatment and sex worker support.

Phone: 03 9217 9400
Website: www.kingsparkmedical.com.au/hillside-healthcare-accessible-sexual-health/
Location: 40 Gourlay Road, Hillside

IPC Health – Women’s Health

IPC Health provide Women’s Health Service to people who live, work or study in Brimbank, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham. A Women’s Health Nurse can help with support and information on sexual and reproductive health. They can provide pap smears, pregnancy testing and advice and referrals to other services. It is a confidential service for women of all ages.

Website: www.ipchealth.com.au/womens-health/

IPC Health – Youth Health

The Youth Health service is a free and confidential service for all young people aged 12 – 25 years, who live, work, study or play in Brimbank, Wyndham and Hobsons Bay and who need support and information about anything to do with their health and wellbeing.

Website: www.ipchealth.com.au/you

Kids Helpline

Australia’s only free, confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.

Phone: 1800 55 1800

Website: www.kidshelpline.com.au/

MacKillop Family Services

Supporting families and children. Programs include out of home care (including foster, kinship and residential care), Disability Services, Youth Support Services, Education Services, Family Services and Support and Heritage and Information Service.

Website: www.mackillop.org.au

The drum

The drum delivers youth services in Carlton, Kensington, North Melbourne, the Melbourne CBD, as well as the Richmond and Collingwood public housing estates. They run programs and events made by young people, for young people. Their service inclusive of young people from ALL genders, religions, cultural and identity backgrounds. Check out their website to learn more about what’s on!

Phone: 03 9663 6733
Website: www.thedrum.ds.org.au/

Utopia Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health

A refugee and asylum seeker health service providing primary care (GP services) at no cost to refugees and asylum seekers regardless of their Medicare status.

Phone: 03 8001 3049
Website: www.utopiarefugeehealth.com/
Location: 5 Alexandra Avenue, Hoppers Crossing

WEstjustice

WEstjustice provides free legal help to people in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. They can help with a broad range of everyday problems, including consumer disputes, credit and debt, family law and family violence, fines, motor vehicle accidents, tenancy, youth criminal law and more. They have offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine, as well as a number of outreach services.

Phone: 03 9749 7720
Website: www.westjustice.org.au/

WIRE

A free, Victoria-wide generalist information, support and referral service run by women and non-binary people for women, non-binary and gender-diverse people. WIRE offers you a safe place to share your experience. No matter what the problem is, we are here to listen and support you, and to provide information on services and practitioners that you can connect to. Appointments not needed.

Phone: 1300 134 130
Website: www.wire.org.au/

Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)

The Youth Disability Advocacy Service is an advocacy organisation that works with disabled young people who are aged 12 to 25. They work with disabled young people in Victoria to make sure you can speak up and are being treated fairly.

Website: www.yacvic.org.au/ydas

Youth Law Australia – Your rights at the doctor

What are your rights when you visit the doctor? Youth Law Australia provides free, confidential legal information & help for young people under 25 on a range of topics.

Website: yla.org.au/vic

LGBTIQA+ services

Crystal Queer

Crystal Queer is a social and support group for LGBTQIA+ young people in the Brimbank Area aged 15 – 25 (with consideration made for young people attending under the age of 15). It’s a fun and informative social support group for same-sex attracted, intersex, trans, gender diverse and questioning young people which provides a space to meet like-minded people, learn new event management-related skills, learn about the LGBTQIA+ community and create meaningful events. This program is delivered by Brimbank City Council’s Youth Services. To find out more, email youthsupport2@brimbank.vic.gov.au.

Phone: 03 9249 4000
Website: www.brimbankyouth.com/programs/crystal-queer/

Equinox

A peer-led Trans and Gender Diverse & Non Binary (TGD&NB) Health Service operated by the Thorne Harbour Health. Equinox is a health and well being service for the TGD&NB community. Their goal is to ensure positive health outcomes for all members of the Victorian TGD&NB community. Their services include General Practice healthcare, sexual health, hormone initiation and management, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Osteopathy and Counselling.

Phone: 03 9416 2889
Website: www.equinox.org.au/
Location: 200 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford (Ground floor)

Minus18

Minus18 is Australia’s organisation for LGBTI youth – smashing homophobia and transphobia through events, support, training and campaigns. Minus18 aims to improve the health and wellbeing of, and provide a safe environment for, same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people in Australia, seeking to empower them to feel comfortable and confident in their sense of identity and assisting them to grow as happy, healthy individuals well into the future.

Website: www.minus18.org.au/

QLIFE

QLIFE provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. The QLife family includes hundreds of highly experienced LGBTIQ+ staff and volunteers Australia-wide. You are invited to explore any issue including referrals, community connections, thoughts and feelings around sexual orientation and/or gender identity. All conversations are confidential, anonymous and non-judgmental.

Phone: 1800 184 527 (webchat available on website)
Website: www.switchboard.org.au/qlife

Rainbow Door

Rainbow Door is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls) helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family.

Rainbow Door supports people of all ages and identities with issues that may include suicidal thoughts, family and intimate partner violence (including elder abuse), alcohol and other drugs, relationship issues, sexual assault, social isolation, mental health and wellbeing.

Phone: 1800 729 367
Website: www.rainbowdoor.org.au/

The Space

The Space is a social support group for same sex attracted, transgender, gender diverse and intersex young people who live, work, study or play in the Melton region. The Space is a safe place to meet like-minded young people and hang out, share stories and support one another. This program is an initiative of Melton City Council’s Young Communities. To join, contact Jaime on 9747 5382 or email jaimev@melton.vic.gov.au.

Phone: 03 9747 5382
Website: www.melton.vic.gov.au/Services/People/Youth/Get-support/The-Space

Thorne Harbour Health

Thorne Harbour provides STI testing, GP and sexual health clinics and the provision of safe sex products. They also have LGBTIQA+ peer support groups.

Phone: 03 9865 6700
Website: www.thorneharbour.org/
Location: 200 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford

Transgender Victoria

TGV is Victoria’s leading body for trans and gender diverse advocacy. Their website has resources for both trans people and their friends & families.

Website: www.tgv.org.au/

Sexual and reproductive health services

1800 My Options

A confidential and free phone line and online service, giving you information about contraception, pregnancy options (including abortion) and sexual health, with links to relevant services that can meet your needs in Victoria. They’re proudly pro-choice, non-judgmental, woman-centred and independent. They work alongside hundreds of healthcare providers, to link you to the services that best suit your needs. 1800 My Options does not provide medical, legal or financial advice or counselling.

Phone: 1800 696 784

Website: www.1800myoptions.org.au/

cohealth

Confidential, caring and non-judgemental access to sexual health services. Highly trained general practitioners, sexual and reproductive health nurses and a sexual health physician. They can help with: unplanned pregnancy, medical abortion, sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and information, contraception advice, intrauterine device (IUD) and contraceptive implant insertion and removal, fertility awareness and family planning, cervical screening (previously called ‘pap test’ or ‘pap smear’), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis.

Phone: 9448 5502 (Footscray) 9448 5534 (Laverton)
Website: www.cohealth.org.au/service/sexual-and-reproductive-health/

Laverton Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub

The Laverton Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub provides services that assist in managing all matters related to women’s sexual and reproductive health. With a team of highly trained general practitioners, a sexual health physician and a sexual and reproductive health nurse, they can help with providing information relating to sexual and reproductive health, unplanned pregnancy, STI screening and education, contraception advice, IUD and contraceptive implant insertion and removal, fertility awareness and family planning, cervical screening, management of PCOS, endometriosis and menopause, etc.

Phone: 03 9448 5534
Website: www.cohealth.org.au/health-services/womens-health-services/laverton-sexual-and-reproductive-health-hub/
Location: 95-105 Railway Avenue, Laverton

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) provides free sexual healthcare to both Medicare and non-Medicare card holders.

Their clinical services include:

  • STI screening
  • counselling
  • pathology
  • HIV treatment & prevention programs, and more.

MSHC can help link you to healthcare services that are most suitable for you, and they offer a free over-the-phone counselling service with nurses who can answer concerns.

Phone: 03 9341 6200
Website: www.mshc.org.au/default.aspx
Location: 580 Swanston Street, Carlton

Sexual Health Victoria (formerly Family Planning Victoria)

A service that promotes reproductive and sexual health for all Victorians by providing reproductive and sexual health care and training clinics, education and health care resources, research and advocacy and more.

Phone: 03 9257 0100 or
Freecall 1800 013 952
Website: www.shvic.org.au/our-reproductive-and-sexual-health-clinics#clinic-locations

Interpreting services

Translating and interpreting service (TIS)

Who do I contact when I need an interpreter? The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) has produced some Frequently Asked Questions for non-english speakers designed to answer some common questions.

Website: www.tisnational.gov.au