How to get help

If you think you have a problem with drugs or know someone that you think may have a problem, the first step to getting help is talking to a counsellor/health professional or someone else you can trust and chat with, such as a friend or family member.

Counsellors and health professionals can provide you with confidential advice and refer you to a drug service that is right for you.

You can take this first step by:

• phoning Directline on 1800 888 236, which is a 24 hour telephone counselling, information and referral service.
• contacting a drug referral and counselling service in your area - Directory of Drug Services
• visiting a doctor or local health service.

The Next Step

Counsellors, doctors and health professionals are able to help you if you have a problem with drugs. They have worked with lots of young people and can be trusted to be completely confidential.

To begin with they will do an initial assessment of your drug problem and then refer you to a service where you can get the help you need.

If you have a friend or family member who has a problem with drugs, counsellors, doctors and health professionals are also able to provide you with advice on how to help the person in need. Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone who doesn’t know the person directly.

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Drug Information Services

Information about legal and illegal drugs is available through telephone services and Websites. The services listed below give you information on drugs, their effects and specific drug problems.

Directline

• Phone: 1800 888 236
• Directline is a 24 hour telephone counselling, information and referral for people wanting to discuss any alcohol or other drug related services.

• Phone: 1300 858 584
• Website: www.druginfo.adf.org.au
• Email: druginfo@adf.org.au
• Reference library for information on drugs and alcohol.
• Help for young people, parents and teachers.
• Publications and other resource material available.

• Phone: 1800 126 637
• Website: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
• Email: betterhealthchannel@dhs.vic.gov.au
• Service directory for drug and alcohol treatment.

• Phone: 1800 123 234
• Website: www.drugs.vic.gov.au
• Fact sheets in a number of languages providing information about drugs, including prevention and services.
• These are also available from your local community centre.

• Website: www.adin.com.au
• This is a central point of access to quality internet-based alcohol and drug information provided by prominent Australian and International organizations.

• Phone: 1800 552 355
• Provides information on needle and syringe programs throughout Victoria.
• Provides assistance with the discovery of used syringes.

Other Referral and Counselling Services

Sometimes people who have a problem with drugs also need assistance with other issues. Here are some places people can go for support:

LifeLine

• Phone: 13 11 14
• Websites: www.lifeline.org.au and the Just Look database of where to get help at www.justlook.org.au
• Counselling for anyone who requires help to cope with life.

• Phone: 13 61 69
• Website: www.carering.org.au
• Care Ring is a 24-hour telephone counselling service aimed at helping people in Victoria. Care Ring provides compassionate and responsive telephone counselling to all people in personal crisis, with information and referral to relevant services.

• Phone: 9388 0022
• The Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture aims to meet the needs of people in Victoria who were subject to trauma or torture in their country of origin.
• The Foundation provides direct care in the form of counselling and support, advocacy, family support, group work, psycho-education, information sessions and natural therapies.

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Alcohol and Drug Services

Custodial Health and Alcohol and Drug Nurses Project (CHAD) - Statewide program

• Victoria Police, Custodial Medicine Unit
  637 Flinders Street
  MELBOURNE 3005
  Phone: (03) 9247 6988
• Nurse positions funded by the Department of Human Services to work in the Custodial Medicine Unit of Victoria Police. The CHAD Nurses are located in Police stations throughout Victoria. Their role includes the provision of a timely and accessible health service to people held in police custody by undertaking health assessment of detainees within one working day of incarceration. Detainees with demonstrable drug problem and who may be experiencing drug withdrawal will be offered drug treatment or substitute pharmacotherapy services while they are in detention.

• Phone: (03) 9525 2833
• Website: www.vicnet.net.au/~navic/
• Email: navic@vicnet.net.au
• Drug self help.

• Phone: 1800 014 446
• Website: www.ysas.org.au
• Email: navic@vicnet.net.au
• Drug and alcohol services for people aged between 12 and 21 who are experiencing significant problems related to their drug use.

• Phone: 9419 3633
• Information and education to current injecting drug users (IDU), ex Ids and carers.

Alcohol Self Help Groups/Volunteer Organisations

Al Anon

• Phone: (03) 9642 3330
• Website: www.al-anon.org
• Email: navic@vicnet.net.au
• A fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems.

• Phone: (03) 9642 3330
• Website: www.al-anon.org
• A fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.

• Phone: (03) 9429 1833
• Support for people with drinking problems.

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Services for Families

Kids Help Line

• Phone: 1800 551 800
• Website: www.kidshelp.com.au
• A 24-hour telephone counselling service for children and young people.

• Phone: 13 22 89
• Parents and carers who are concerned about their child or teenager can obtain information, advice and referral by contacting Parentline.

• For family drug help, contact 1300 660 068
• There are many self-help groups for family members of drug users across the State. These groups provide a regular newsletter, support, information and advice for families.

• For referral contact Parentline on 13 22 89
• This is a state-wide parent drug education program targeted to parents of young people in years 7 and 8.

Smoking

Quitline

• Phone: 131848
• Website: www.quit.org.au
• Professional advice to help people quit smoking.

Sexual Abuse

Centre Against Sexual Abuse (CASA)

• Phone: (03) 9344 2210
• Website: www.casahouse.casa.org.au
• CASA's Crisis Care service provides counselling, support, information and advocacy related to medical and legal options to adult victims of sexual assault.

Gambling

Gambler’s Help

• Phone: 1800 156 789
• Website: Gambler’s Help
• Telephone crisis counselling and referral service for problem gamblers and anyone affected by their behaviour.

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Legal

Victoria Legal Aid

• Phone: 9269 0120 (Metro)
  1800 677 402 (Country)
• Website: www.legalaid.vic.gov.au
• Victoria Legal Aid makes legal aid available at a reasonable cost to the community throughout Victoria.

Interpreting Services – 24 Hour Service

Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) - [Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA)]

• Phone: 131 450

• Phone: (03) 9280 1955

• Phone: (03) 1300 655 150
• The listings above are for 3 of the major suppliers of language services in Victoria to the public sector which have a telephone interpreting capacity.

Blood Borne Viruses/Sexually Transmissible Infections – Information and Support

Hepatitis C Council of Victoria
Hepatitis C Helpline

• Phone: 1800 800 241
• Information, counselling, referral and support for those affected by hepatitis C.

• Phone: 9347 6133
• Telephone counselling and support for people with HIV and/or sexually transmissible infections.

• Phone: 9685 6700
• The VAC provides HIV/AIDS education services, Home Care, the Positive Living Centre and the David Williams Fund, which helps financially disadvantaged HIV-positive Victorians.

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Telephone Referral and Counselling Services

Telephone referral and counselling services provide information, help and referral to drug treatment services. Counselling is provided by trained professionals who understand drug problems and can provide confidential advice. If you require further assistance, the counsellor will refer you to a service for ongoing treatment and support.

Other Ways To Get Help

The telephone referral services listed in this website give you direct access to alcohol and drug counselling and treatment services.

You can also access these services through your local health and welfare services. Counsellors, doctors and health professionals at these services will be able to discuss your problem and provide you with advice on what to do. They can also refer you to a drug treatment service.

Emergency Services

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