Australia Emergency Hotline Numbers and links

ADAVIC - Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria (Inc.) aims to assist people who suffer from Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety and Depression.

Alcoholics Anonymous - this organisation has been in existence for over 70 years and has assisted millions of alcoholics to achieve long-term sobriety. It advocates a 12-step recovery program and works on the principle of one alcoholic sharing with another. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

1. Amile - AMILE Advocacy Service Inc. is a non-profit health promotion charity that provides support, information and advocacy to those affected directly or indirectly by mental illness. This includes carers and family members who have someone who lives with a mental illness. AMILE is an acronym for “advocating mental illness and life experience”

ARAFEMI Victoria Inc. (Association of Relatives And Friends of the Emotionally and Mentally Ill) - provides services to the community of the state of Victoria, for the care and support of families and individuals dealing with an emotional or mental illness.

ARCVic (Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria) is a specialist, state-wide community organisation, providing support, recovery, early intervention and educational services to people and families living with anxiety disorders (for example OCD, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia) and associated depression. Education, training and consultation services are provided to primary care and mental health professionals and agencies.

Aspire - Pathway to Mental Health is a non-government organisation in south west Victoria providing community based support and rehabilitation services for those affected by mental illness.

1. Auseinet - The Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health. The website functions as a clearinghouse for online resources.

Living is For everybody (LiFe) - The LiFe website has been developed by the Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet) as part of its commitment to the Australian Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS). Factsheets, links, policies, projects, a resources data base, reading lists and statistics are some of the high quality resources which are available. Many of them are free and accessible online.

Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN) - the only Australian portal to quality-assured Australia and international drug information, research, education, services and databases.

Better Health Channel - Health information and services.

Beyond Blue - aims to improve community awareness of depression and associated disorders and to promote effective treatment and care for people with these conditions.

Carers Australia - a national organisation for carers of people with a disability, mental illness, chronic condition or who are frail aged.

Carers Victoria - has played a significant role in ensuring that carers are recognised and supported, and that their needs and concerns are considered by Government services and the community.

Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice -The CPNRP is a focal body for psychiatric nursing within Victoria, within all domains including practice, research, education and training.

Commonwealth Aged and Community Care

Community Visitors Programme - Community Visitors are volunteers who are appointed by the Governor in Council to visit psychiatric services to inquire into matters such as the adequacy and standard of services provided, and the care and treatment consumers receive. Community Visitors are independent of the service-providing agency.

1. depressioNet - provides an independent, comprehensive resource for information help and 24 hour support for people living with depression.

Disability Employment Action Centre (DEAC) - Placement service for people with a disability, including people with psychiatric disability. Individual and group advocacy. OHS information, industrial advocacy.

Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre - an integrated and comprehensive psychiatric service aimed at addressing needs of older adolescents and young adults with emerging psychotic disorders.

Employment (Australian Employment Services). A job search can be done -choose "job network" and type in your suburb or postcode. A list of employment services comes up indicating those that are disability specific.

The Geelong Clinic - Eating Disorders Program

1. Grow The primary aim is to help fellow sufferers of mental illness or emotional distress recover their mental health and wellbeing through self-activation and friendly mutual help. Many people who experience depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses, loss, abuse, relationship difficulties or various other misfortunes, often endure their problems with great courage, but do not have the support or knowledge which will enable them to overcome these problems. GROW has found a way based on the lived experience of thousands of individuals who have had a mental illness and have recovered.
2.  - The administrator's function is to legally protect the personal and financial affairs of persons who, because of disability, are unable to make reasonable decisions about their personal or financial affairs and who are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse or neglect.
3. headspace is Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation. The headspace mission is to deliver improvements in the mental health, social wellbeing and economic participation of young Australian's aged 12-25. To this end, headspace aims to be the focal point for youth mental health issues across the country.

Kids Help Line Search for services and agencies who may be able to help you or those you care about.

Media Releases

Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) is the peak, national non-government organisation representing and promoting the interests of the Australian mental health sector, committed to achieving better mental health for all Australians.

Mental Health Foundation - (Victoria) membership encompasses people living with mental illness, family members, carers and friends, professionals from many fields, mental health service providers and the public.

Mental Health Legal Centre - provides legal information, legal advice, legal referral and legal advocacy.

The Mental Health Library - This specialist collection is available as a reference library to members of the public. The collection focuses on psychiatry, psychology and allied health relevant to mental health issues.

Mental Health Review Board - The Mental Health Review Board is an independent tribunal set up by the Mental Health Act 1986. One of the board’s functions is to review all involuntary patients within 8 weeks of being placed on an involuntary order to decice if they can be discharged from the order. It also hears appeals from patients on involuntary treatment orders or community treatment orders who want to be discharged. All patients are allowed to have an advocate of their choice at the hearing.

Mental Health Research Institute - the only medical research institute in Australia devoted solely to the scientific investigation of the causes of serious psychiatric disorders.

Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service
Mental Health Research Institute
Locked Bag 11
Parkville 3052
Phone: (03) 9389 2920
Fax: (03) 9387 5061

Mental Illness Fellowship (formerly Schizophrenia Fellowship of Victoria). - Victoria's leading membership-based not-for-profit organisation working with people with mental illness, their families and friends to improve their well being.

1. mind - Mind has been operating for more than 30 years and is one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit, non-government providers of mental health services to people recovering from a mental illness. Mind also assists people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to access community services including safe and stable accommodation. Each year Mind helps more than 2,300 people across Victoria and South Australia to rebuild their lives, reconnect with family, friends and the community and rediscover a purpose in life (Formerly The Richmond Fellowship of Victoria)
2.  - centre for training and research in development health
3. Mindlinx - MindlinX is a primary mental health service providing a consultation and liaison service to general practitioners, community health services and primary care providers. MindlinX also provides education and training to primary care providers and crisis prevention support to existing services. Referral is via a GP or other primary carer.

MindMatters - A school-based mental health promotion program funded by the Commonwealth Government.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia - (MMHA) provides national leadership in mental health and suicide prevention for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

The Network for Carers of people with a mental illness - Victoria

Norwood Association - Enhancing mental health in our community

Office of the Health Services Commissioner - The Commissioner is the equivalent of a "health ombudsman". He/she can take any compliant from users of any health service.

Office of the Public Advocate - The Office of the Public Advocate represents the interests of Victorian people with disabilities. Our aim is to promote the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, and to strengthen their position in society.

Psychosurgery Review Board - The Psychosurgery Review Board was established by section 56 of the Mental Health Act 1986. Its function is to determine whether psychosurgery should be performed on any person in Victoria. It is a criminal offence to perform psychosurgery without the consent of the Board. Applications to the Board are made by a psychiatrist who seeks to arrange for a neurosurgeon to perform psychosurgery.

Reach Out - Through the Reach Out service, young people are provided with the skills, tools and connections they need to make positive life choices about their mental health and wellbeing.

SANE Australia - a national charity helping people affected by mental illness.

SuicideLine (VIC) - vic: 1300 651 251 Available throughout Victoria 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the cost of a local call (mobiles extra). Interpreters can be arranged for non-English speaking callers. It provides suicide prevention - counselling & support, crisis intervention and information for people concerned about suicidal risk in others.

Suicide Call Back Service - a national telephone counselling service funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing that provides short to medium term support to people at risk of suicide, their carers, and people bereaved by the suicide of a loved one. 1300 659 467 10.00 am to 8.30 pm (EST) 7days a week.

SUMITT (Substance Use and Mental Illness Treatment Team) - The staff members aim to provide clinical services to individuals who have a 'dual diagnosis', to improve their health outcomes, upgrade the skills of clinicians in both mental health and drug and alcohol services, and to enhance the effectiveness of the service system in the provision of care and treatment to people who have co-existing disorders.

Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre - Turning Point strives to promote and maximise the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities living with and affected by alcohol and other drug-related harms

Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED) - The Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders is a statewide program established to provide consultation (primary, secondary and tertiary) and education and training services to public specialist mental health services, to support local delivery of effective eating disorder treatment and service responses.

Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) - a Victorian Government Statutory Authority which provides effective mental health services in a safe and secure environment to people who have both a mental disorder and a history of criminal offending.

Victorian Interpreting & Translating Service - The Mental Health Interpreting Service (MHIS) is funded through public mental health services to provide free specialist interpreting and translating services in over seventy languages and dialects.

Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) - based in Melbourne VMIAC is a consumer/survivor advocacy organisation for people with mental health problems.

Victorian Ombudsman - The Ombudsman is an independent office of government set up specifically to investigate complaints about government departments and services in the State of Victoria.

Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit - The unit’s function is to contribute to improvement in the quality and accessibility of mental health services available to non-English speaking background communities and to develop innovative models of mental health service delivery. It pursues this goal through an integrated program of work in the areas of education, research and clinical service.

1. VICSERV - the peak body for non-government psychiatric disability support services in Victoria.