Support services
Here are some support services in Victoria
If you are in an emergency, call 000.
Medical and Health Information
Nurse on Call
1300 60 60 24
NURSE-ON-CALL is a phone service that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse. The phone service is for non-emergency health advice only.
24/7
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Line
1800 882 436
Call this free phone line to speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance. They can direct you to local support services.
7am-12am, 7 days
Maternal Child Health Line
13 2229
This is a telephone service staffed by qualified maternal and child health nurses, providing support to Victorian families.
24/7
MS Health Nurse After-care Telephone Service
1300 515 883
MS Health provides this phone support service, staffed by nurses specialising in the medication abortion process.
24/7
1300 MEDICINE
1300 633 424
A free service where you can talk to a registered pharmacist about medicine-related questions (including how to take medicines, possible side effects, and taking medicines during pregnancy or breastfeeding).
9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Medicines Information Service – Royal Women’s Hospital
(03) 8345 3190
Talk to an experienced medicines information pharmacist, about medicine use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, women’s health and neonates. Get advice about adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, compatibilities, product information, complementary or herbal medicines use.
9am-4pm, Monday-Friday
Medicines Information Centre – Monash Health
(03) 9594 2361
For advice and assistance on new medicines, adverse effects of medicines and medicine interactions. Specialises in medicines in pregnancy, medicines in breastfeeding, medicines for children and women’s health.
9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
National immunisation hotline
1800 671 811
For general advice and information about immunisation, including national immunisation programs and indiviudal vaccines.
8:30am-5pm, Monday – Friday
PEP Phoneline
1800 889 887
If you have had possible exposure to HIV infection, you can contact the PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) helpline to talk about your risk and if you would be recommended to take PEP. They will also help you find a location where you can get PEP.
9am-5pm, Monday – Friday
Online health information and resources
The Better Health Channel
For health and medical information in Victoria, that is quality-assured and reliable, up-to-date, locally relevant and easy to understand.
Sexual Health Victoria
Find out more about a range of reproductive and sexual health topics.
Royal Women’s Hospital
A wide range of health information to help women of all ages understand their health issues and their treatment options.
Family Violence and Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL)
1800 806 292
After hours phone service for crisis counselling support, information and advocacy for people living in Victoria.
5pm – 9am, 7 days
1800 Respect
1800 737 732
National sexual assault, domestic family violence counselling support service.
Chat online or over the phone.
24/7
Safe Steps
1800 015 188
A family violence response phone line for women and children. You can speak to a family violence support worker toll free.
24/7
inTouch – The Multicultural Centre against Family Violence
1800 755 988
Provides support, advice and advocacy in response to issues of family violence in migrant and refugee communities.
9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday
Djirra
1800 105 303
Provides Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service, prevention of family violence, support services, cultural and wellbeing workshops for Aboriginal women.
9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday
Legal Advice Line for Victim Survivors of Sexual Assault
(03) 8622 0600
Free legal advice and referral service for victim-survivors of sexual assault, who have questions around the legal issues of telling your story or being identified publicly. Staffed by female lawyers specialised in legal issues around violence against women.
9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
LGBTQIA+ services
Switchboard
1800 184 527
Peer-driven support services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people, their families, allies and communities.
Webchat and phone line.
3pm – midnight, 7 days.
Rainbow Door
1800 729 367
Rainbow Door is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls) helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family.
SMS: 0480 017 246
Email: [email protected]
10am – 6pm, 7 days a week.
Queerspace
03 9663 6733
LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service, with a focus on relationships, families, parenting and young people. queerspace services include counselling, case management, advocacy, support and peer support services.
Young People
Kids Helpline
1800 55 1800
Free, confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Lots of resources for mental health, body image, relationships and sex, and life issues.
24/7
Headspace
1800 650 890
Provides 12-25 year old with mental health support. Headspace Centres provide young people support for mental health, physical health including sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, and work and study.
eHeadspace provides free online and telephone counselling.
ReachOut
An online mental health service for young people and their parents
Youth Support and Advocacy Service
Community support for young people under 25, with a focus on alcohol and drug usage, and mental health.
Mental Health
Lifeline Australia
13 11 14
Access to crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Chat online or over the phone
24/7
PANDA
1300 726 306
National Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Helpline.
9am-7:30pm, Monday – Friday
Suicideline
1300 651 251
Telephone, video and online counselling service offering professional support to people at risk of suicide, people concerned about someone else’s risk of suicide, and people bereaved by suicide.
24/7
Beyondblue
1300 22 4636
Get one-on-one counselling, information and support for anxiety and depression from a trained mental health professional, through phone and online.
24/7
Red Nose Grief and Loss Support Line
1300 308 307
Get support from a qualified bereavement counsellor for miscarriage, termination, stillbirth, neonatal death, SIDS and sleeping accidents, and any other sudden death of a child up to 18 years.
24/7
Directline
1800 888 236
Confidential alcohol and drug counselling and referral in Victoria.
24/7
Parenting
Parentline Victoria
13 22 89
Statewide telephone counselling and support service for all Victorian parents and carers of children from 0-18 years. Talk to experienced social workers, psychologists and family therapists, who can give you counselling and information around a wide range of parenting issues.
8am-12am midnight, 7 days
Council of Single Mothers and their Children
1300 552 511
Support, information and referrals, including for emergency relief. Can provide support in advocating for your employment, income security, affordable childcare and housing and respectful treatment from government agencies.
9:30am – 3pm, Monday-Friday
MumSpace
Providing support for the emotional health of new and expecting mums, including information, resources and online programs.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
03 9419 3000
VAHS provides a range of medical, dental and social services for Victorian indigenous communities.
186 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
Provides health advocacy focusing on the specific needs and requirements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Koori Maternity Services
The Koori Maternity Services program offers flexible, inclusive, culturally appropriate pregnancy and postnatal care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Victoria.
Yarning Safe And Strong
1800 959 563
A free and confidential counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, who need to have a yarn with someone about their wellbeing.
Djirra
(03) 9244 3333
Provides both telephone and face-to-face legal and non-legal support to Aboriginal people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
Other Support
Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE)
1300 134 130
Information and support about legal advice, relationships and violence against women, money, housing and employment.
9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday
Resourcing health and Education (RhED) Service
1800 458 752
RhED is a program of Star Health that provides a range of health, safety and legal information for sex workers in Victoria.
9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday
Family Relationships Advice Line
1800 050 321
National telephone service to help families affected by relationship or separation issues, including information on parenting arrangements after separation.
8am-8pm, Monday – Friday; 10am-4pm, Saturday
Health Complaints Commissioner
1300 582 113
Resolve complaints about healthcare and the handling of health information in Victoria.
9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday