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 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.

Health Translations Directory

• Website: www.healthtranslations.vic.gov.au
• This directory links to online multilingual health resources from government departments, peak health bodies, hospitals, community health centres and welfare agencies.

• 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.druginfo.adf.org.au/multicultural
• Drug and alcohol information in a number of languages.

• 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.

Foundation House - Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture

• Phone: 9388 0022
• Website: www.foundationhouse.org.au
• Foundation House aims to meet the needs of individuals and families of refugee background 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 strengthening, group work, schools support, psycho-education, training and professional development 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
  Phone: (03) 9247 6988
• The CHAD Nurses are located in Police stations throughout Victoria. They provide a health service to people held in police custody.  People in custody with a drug problem who may be experiencing drug withdrawal will be offered drug treatment or substitute pharmacotherapy services while they are in detention.

Narcotics Anonymous

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

Youth Substance Abuse Service (YSAS)

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

VIVAIDS – IDU PEER support

• Phone: 9419 3633
• Website: www.vivaids.org.au
• Email: vivaids@vivaids.org.au
• Information and education to current injecting drug users (IDU), ex IDU and carers.

Alcohol Self Help Groups/Volunteer Organisations

Al Anon and AlaTeen

• Phone: (03) 9620 2166
• Website: www.al-anon.alateen.org/australia
• Email: agso@alphalink.com.au
• Al Anon is a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems.
• AlaTeen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.

Alcoholics Anonymous

• Phone: (03) 9429 1833
• Website: www.aavictoria.org.au
• Email: aavictoria@bigpond.com
• 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.

Parentline

• Phone: 13 22 89
• Website: www.parentline.vic.gov.au
• Parentline provides a statewide telephone counselling service to parents and carers of children aged from birth to eighteen years

Family Drug Help

• Phone: 1300 660 068
• Website: www.familydrughelp.org.au
• Email: fdh@sharc.org.au
• 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: 13 78 48
• Website: www.quit.org.au
• Professional advice to help people quit smoking.

Sexual Abuse

Centre Against Sexual Abuse (CASA)

• Phone: 1800 806 292
• 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 858 858
• Website: www.problemgambling.vic.gov.au
• 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

Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) - [Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Citizenship].

• Phone: 131 450
• Website: www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/help-with-english
• The Australian Government, through TIS National, provides free interpreting services to non-English speaking Australian citizens or permanent residents communicating with approved groups and individuals.  See the website for more information.

Language Services Creditline

• Most of the service listed on this webpage can arrange for an interpreter to help you over the phone or at appointments.  Ask when you make your appointment. 

Other agencies are also listed in the Yellow Pages telephone directory under 'Interpreters'. Agencies or individuals requesting a service via these interpretation services may be required to pay for the service.

Blood Borne Viruses/Sexually Transmissible Infections – Information and Support

Hepatitis C Council of Victoria
Hepatitis C Helpline

• Phone: 1800 703 003
• Website: www.hepcvic.org.au
• Information, counselling, referral and support for those affected by hepatitis C.

Connect Line – HIV and Sexual Health

• Phone: 1800 038 125
• The Connect Line provides information, counselling, referral and support for sexual health concerns.

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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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