Alcohol & other drugs services in Victoria
Treatment & support

Support services

DirectLine - 1800 888 236

DirectLine is a 24 hour phone service which provides anyone in the community with access to drug and alcohol counselling, information and referral to services.

Drug & alcohol clinical advisory service - (61 3) 9416 3611 or 1800 812 804

A 24 hour telephone service which provides health professionals with advice on the clinical management of drug and alcohol issues.

Drug Info - 1300 85 85 84

A 24 hour telephone information service targeted to students, parents, friends, relatives and other people interested in obtaining relevant, up-to-date information about alcohol and other drugs. This information covers both the short and long term effects of various drugs, statistical data on use trends and information on the social health issues associated with drug use.

Family Drug Help & Helpline - 1300 660 068

Family Drug Help is a Victorian service for people concerned about a relative or friend using alcohol or other drugs. The service operates 24 hours, seven days a week, and is staffed by volunteers with experience of alcohol and other drug issues within their family.

The Helpline is staffed by volunteers from 9am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday, and professional counsellors at all other times.

Family residential rehabilitation services - 1800 888 236

The family residential rehabilitation program, provided by Odyssey House, is directed to drug-addicted parents and is unique in alcohol and drug rehabilitation in that it features qualified pre-school teachers and a fully operational child care/pre-school centre.

Both custodial and non-custodial parents are assisted, as part of their programs, in parenting and family skills. Although the children are not regarded as clients, they play an integral role in their parents' rehabilitation program.

For information and contact details of all drug treatment services, call the 24 hour telephone service DirectLine on 1800 888 236.

Parent support programs

Parent support programs are short-term therapeutic group programs for families of drug users, which are facilitated by drug and alcohol professionals. These programs provide

• strategies to promote continuing communication between parents and their adolescent children for negotiating and setting guidelines on behaviour
• advice to increase the repertoire of communication and negotiation strategies available within the family
• assistance to deal with the anxiety surrounding the misuse of drugs and
• assistance to develop supportive relationships which are held as a key factor in the remission of substance misuse problems.

The aim of this program is:

• to increase the capacity of the family to respond effectively and consistently to the young person
• to increase the sense of the parents’ competence to cope with the impact of drug use through increased knowledge about drugs and treatment services
• ability to cope with ongoing emotional distress and the sense of isolation, and
• the ability to assist a family member in treatment.

Target group

• Parent (or adult in a parenting role) to a person aged less than 21 years old with problematic substance use.

This person may be part of the immediate and/or extended family, or a concerned carer, and may include parents, stepparents, siblings, stepsiblings, grandparents, neighbours, house parents, and/or friends of people with alcohol and drug problems.

Key service requirements

Key requirements of parent support programs are to:

• deliver the BEST Program (Behavioural Exchange Systems Training) or equivalent in weekly sessions of 2-3 hours for a minimum period of 8 weeks with at least one follow-up session
  
  
• deliver a program that includes information about drugs and their effects, as well as
  • treatment services and services for families and spouse or partners
  • information about adolescent development
  • identifying risks and building protective factors
  • understanding family dynamics
  • communication and negotiation skills
  • development of positive support networks
  • understanding of the treatment system, and
  • developing a positive approach to health
    
    
• improve the confidence of participants in parenting an adolescent with problematic substance use, and to reduce the stress, anxiety and guilt experienced by family members as a result of adolescent substance use
  
  
• increase the repertoire of communication and negotiation strategies available within the family
  
  
• increase awareness of the relationship implications of adolescent development
  
  
• assist participants with problem solving and decision making in relation to crises and ongoing stresses resulting from their family member's problematic substance use, and to increase the capacity of the family to respond effectively and consistently to the young person
  
  
• advise parents, where appropriate, on strategies to encourage the adolescent to maintain or reduce substance use to levels, which reduce harmful consequences
  
  
• ensure that participants have access to a comprehensive list of resources relevant to their needs as parents of an adolescent with problematic substance use
  
  
• identify problems where a referral to another specialist intervention would be appropriate
  
  
• develop linkages with the relevant services including family support services and other drug-related parent support groups
  
  
• deliver the Parent Support Program, which requires two staff members who have undertaken the relevant training offered by Odyssey House Victoria.