External support services

Recommended external services for mental health support, including suicide and crisis support.

Suicide and crisis support

  • Lifeline Australia provides people in Australia access to crisis support and suicide prevention services. Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • The Suicide Call Back Service provides free counselling for anyone affected by suicide. Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Suicideline (Victoria) provides free, professional, anonymous support for people in Victoria at risk of suicide, concerned about someone else’s risk of suicide, and bereaved by suicide. Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Kids Helpline provides free phone and online counselling for young people aged 5 – 25 years. Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • 13YARN is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. 13YARN offers a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    • Phone: 13 92 76

Counselling and mental health support

  • Beyond Blue provides information and support to help Australians achieve their best possible mental health, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • MensLine Australia provides professional telephone and online support and information for Australian men, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • eheadspace provides a confidential, free, and secure space for young people (12 – 25 years) or their family. You can chat, email, or speak on the phone with a qualified youth mental health professional.

  • Care in Mind provides free online and phone counselling for people living, working, or studying in Melbourne's northern, central, and western suburbs (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

  • Yarning SafeNStrong is a free and confidential counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their families. You can have a yarn with culturally suitable counsellors about social and emotional wellbeing and other supports.

    Phone: 1800 959 563 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Sexual assault, family and relationship violence

  • 1800Respect is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service.

  • The Sexual Assault Crisis Line provides state-wide, after-hours, confidential, telephone crisis counselling for people who have experienced both past and recent sexual assault.

    Phone: 1800 806 292 (5pm – 9am)

  • The Royal Women’s Hospital Sexual Assault Crisis Line provides a 24 hour, 7 day a week service to survivors of past and recent sexual assault through the Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA House) during business hours and after hours via the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL).

    Phone: 03 9635 3610 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

  • Women's Emergency Care at the Royal Women's Hospital provide a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week response to recent sexual assaults for women and men:

    Address:
    Women’s Emergency Care
    Lower Ground Floor
    20 Flemington Road
    Parkville Victoria

  • The Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre is Victoria's 24/7 family and domestic violence crisis support service.

    Phone: 1800 015 188 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

  • inTouch provides free and confidential family violence support services for migrant and refugee women.

    Phone: 1800 755 988 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

  • The Orange Door provides family violence support to women and families who are victim survivors, and perpetrators. It is a free service and operates during business hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). Contact can be made by phone, email, or in person. Statewide after-hours services are also available.

  • Child Protection supports children and young people whose safety is at risk.

    Phone: 13 12 78 (5pm to 9am, Monday to Friday, 24 hours on weekends and public holidays.

  • Men’s Referral Service is the national counselling, information and referral service for men who use violence and abuse to change their behaviour,

    Phone: 1300 766 491 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

  • Victims of Crime Helpline provides free information and support for people affected by crime.

    Phone: 1800 819 817 or Text: 0427 767 891 (8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday; 8am to 5pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays)

  • The Brother to Brother crisis line provides phone support for Aboriginal men who need someone to talk to about relationship issues, family violence, parenting, drug and alcohol issues or who are struggling to cope for other reasons. The line is staffed by Aboriginal men, including Elders, who have a lived experience in the issues that the line offers support for.

    Phone: 1800 435 799 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

LGBTIQA+

  • Rainbow Door (10am-5pm, every day) is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family.

    Phone: 1800 729 367
    Text: 0480 017 246

  • Qlife (3pm - midnight, every day) provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationship.

    Phone: 1800 184 527
    Webchat with Qlife

Drugs, Alcohol, and Gambling

Grief and loss

  • Compassionate Friends Victoria provide grief support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    Phone: 03 9888 4944  or 1300 064 068

  • GriefLine provide anonymous support and specialist grief counselling to individuals and families.

    Phone: 03 9935 7400 (12pm – 3am, 7 days a week)