Support services for victims

Lifeline

24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

Open: 24 hours, every day
Call: 13 11 14
Website: lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT

The national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service offering a phone and online chat service.

Open: 24 hours, every day
Call: 1800 737 732
Website: 1800respect.org.au

Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE)

Free support, referral and information for all Victorian women, nonbinary and gender-diverse people on any issue.

Open: 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 1300 134 130
Website: wire.org.au

Mensline Australia

Telephone and online counselling service for men with family and relationship concerns.

Open: 24 hours, every day
Call: 1300 789 978
Website: mensline.org.au

Kids Helpline

24-hour phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Open: 24 hours, every day
Call: 1800 55 1800
Website: kidshelpline.com.au

Switchboard

Switchboard is a volunteer organisation which provides a free, confidential and anonymous telephone counselling, referral and information service for Victorian bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people and their supporters.

Switchboard partners with QLife to provide a phone and webchat service.

Open: 3pm–midnight, every day
Call: 1800 184 527
Website: switchboard.org.au or qlife.org.au

FAS Marra Yattakunar Pathway

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims will be able to choose whether to use the Marra Yattakunar Pathway or the general pathway when applying to FAS. This includes a choice of whether to contact the dedicated Marra Yattakunar Team at FAS or the general FAS contact centre.

See Marra Yattakunar Pathway for further information.

Open: 8:30am–5:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)
Call: 1800 849 778

Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women's Service

Elizabeth Morgan House provides a range of support to Aboriginal women and children experiencing family violence from crisis through to recovery program.

Open:
9am–5pm, Monday to Thursday
9am–4pm, Friday
Call: (03) 9482 5744
Website: emhaws.org.au

VACCA – Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

An Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation that services children, young people and families with a range of services including family violence, children’s services, housing and homelessness.

Call: (03) 9287 8800
Website: vacca.org

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

Legal advice and representation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.

Call: 1800 064 865
Website: vals.org.au

Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service (Djirra)

A legal service that supports Aboriginal people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence (women and men). They can also assist non-Aboriginal people experiencing family violence who are parents of Aboriginal children.

Open: 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 1800 105 303
Website: djirra.org.au

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)

Provides a comprehensive range of medical, dental and social services as well as community programs for Victorian indigenous communities.

Open:
9am–5pm, Monday to Thursday
9am–4pm, Friday
Call:
03 9419 3000 (VAHS Fitzroy)
03 9403 3300 (VAHS Preston)
03 8592 3920 (VAHS Epping)
Website: vahs.org.au

Victoria Police – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Liaison Officers (known as LLOs)

LLOs provide discrete, non-judgmental advice and assistance about reporting a crime as well as information about support services for LGBTIQ+ people.

You can report a crime to any police officer in Victoria Police by contacting your local police station but, if the matter is not urgent, you can choose to speak to an LLO.

Call: (03) 9247 6944 during business hours
Email: Melbourne.gllo@police.vic.gov.au

You can also visit the Victoria Police website to find out more about LLOs and find contact details for officers in your area.

Rainbow Door

Rainbow Door is a free specialist helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQ+ Victorians, their friends and family.

Open: every day 10am to 5pm

Call: 1800 729 367
Text: 0408 017 246
Email: support@rainbowdoor.org.au
Website: rainbowdoor.org.au

Switchboard

Switchboard is a volunteer organisation which provides a free, confidential and anonymous telephone counselling, referral and information service for Victorian bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQ+) people and their supporters.

Switchboard partners with QLife to provide a phone and webchat service.

Open: 3pm–midnight, every day
Call: 1800 184 527
Website: switchboard.org.au or qlife.org.au

Thorne Harbour Health

A community-controlled organisation providing health services for LGBTIQ+ people, including relationship counselling.

Open:
9am–7pm, Monday
9am–9pm Tuesday to Thursday
9am–5pm Friday
Call: 1800 134 835
Website: thorneharbour.org

w/respect

A specialist LGBTIQ+ family violence service to support LGBTIQ+ people and their families affected by family violence.

w/respect is a partnership of four LGBTIQ+ specialist organisations; queerspace (supported by drummond street services), Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard and Transgender Victoria.

Open:
9am–5pm Monday to Friday
After hours counselling 5pm–11pm Wednesday and 10am–10pm Saturday and Sunday
Call: 1800 LGBTIQ
Website: withrespect.org.au

queerspace (supported by drummond street services)

queerspace provides a safe and supportive space to obtain information and access services aimed at improving the health and well-being of LGBTIQ+ people.

Open:
9am–5pm Monday to Friday
After hours counselling 5pm–11pm Wednesday, 10am–10pm Saturday and Sunday
Call: (03) 9663 6733

Transgender Victoria (TGV)

TGV is Victoria’s leading body for trans and gender diverse advocacy. Provides service and referrals for trans and gender diverse people, their partners, families and friends.

Call: (03) 9020 43642
Website: tgv.org.au

InTouch – Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence

A specialist family violence service that works with multicultural women, their families and their communities.

Open: 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 1800 755 988
Website: intouch.org.au

Islamophobia Support

Islamophobia Support provides free information, advice, referrals and ongoing care to individuals and communities across Victoria.

Open: 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 03 9328 2067 or 0481 311 518
Website: islamophobiasupport.icv.org.au

Office of the Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocate (OPA) works to safeguard the rights and interests of people with disability.

It provides:

• an advice service for people with disability and their family, carers and friends
• the Community Visitor program who can visit disability accommodation services, supported residential services and mental health facilities to ensure residents and patients are being cared for appropriately.

Open: 9am–4.45pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 1300 309 337
Website: publicadvocate.vic.gov.au

Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Centre

Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service is a free, Victoria-wide community legal centre that works exclusively with disability related legal issues. The service has a particular focus on issues which affect people with an intellectual disability.

Call: 03 5227 338 (general calls) or 1800 014 111 (telephone advice service)
Website: villamanta.org.au

Mental Health Legal Centre

The 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.

Legal advice telephone line
Open: 6pm–8pm, Tuesday and Thursday evenings
Call: (03) 9629 4422 (metropolitan callers) or 1800 555 887 (free call from rural Victoria)
Website: mhlc.org.au

Seniors Rights Victoria

Seniors Rights Victoria provides information, support, advice and education to help prevent elder abuse and safeguard the rights, dignity and independence of older people.

Call: 1300 368 821
Website: seniorsrights.org.au