Victoria

This directory is designed for information purposes only. The BluePages team is not responsible for, and does not necessarily endorse or recommend the practitioners and services listed here (see Disclaimer). Although we strive to keep the directory up to date, no guarantee is given about the relevance and accuracy of the directory listings provided.

Directory last reviewed: 16 June 2020

Please contact your General Practitioner or Primary Care Health Provider in the first instance.

Emergency help

If you are feeling suicidal or need urgent help call one of the following:

  • Emergency: 000
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Kids HelpLine: 1800 55 1800
  • Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

If you are using a mobile phone and 000 doesn't work, you can call 112 to access the Emergency Call Service. If you have a hearing or speech impairment and can access a TTY (teletypewriter), call 106 for the text-based Emergency Call Service.

Mental health services

Government mental health services in Victoria are located in hospitals. These services are called Community Mental Health Service or Continuing Care, Clinical and Consultancy Service (CCCCS). These groups can provide an initial assessment and help for your problem or can refer you on to other services.

Search for the Community Mental Health Service (or CCCCS) in your area at at http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/index.htm

Lifeline Service Finder

  • Website: lifeline.serviceseeker.com.au/
  • The Lifeline Service Finder is a directory of free or low cost health and community services available in Australia. It includes accommodation, domestic violence, family and children's services, financial assistance and mental health services.

Living Is For Everyone

  • Website: www.livingisforeveryone.com.au
  • The Commonwealth government's Living Is For Everyone (LIFE) website is a world-class suicide and self-harm prevention resource. Dedicated to providing the best available evidence and resources to guide activities aimed at reducing the rate at which people take their lives in Australia, the LIFE website is designed for people across the community who are involved in suicide and self-harm prevention activities.

Psychologists & mental health practitioners

The Australian Clinical Psychology Association locator

  • Website: www.acpa.org.au/find-a-clinical-psychologist/index.php
  • The Australian Clinical Psychology Association offers an online search tool to help you find a local Clinical Psychologist who offers the services you want (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy or interpersonal therapy for depression).

The Australian Psychological Society referral service

  • Free call: 1800 333 497 (outside Melbourne)
  • Email: referral@psychology.org.au
  • Website: www.psychology.org.au/FindaPsychologist/Default.aspx?#About
  • The Australian Psychological Society offers a referral service. They will provide the names of private psychologists in the ACT who offer the services you want (eg, cognitive behavioural therapy or interpersonal therapy for depression). Alternatively, use the online search on the website to find a practitioner in your area.

beyondblue Directory of Mental Health Practitioners

  • Phone: 1300 22 4636 (Info Line)
  • Website: www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/find-a-professional
  • For the cost of a local call, the beyondblue info line provides callers with access to information and referral to relevant services for depression and anxiety related matters. Visit the above website to find the relevant Mental Health Practitioner in your area.

Better Health Channel

  • Website: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
  • Visit this website to search for a health professional in Victoria. More than 38 000 health professionals are listed on this database. To find help, click on "Health services" in the left menu.

Telephone counselling & helplines

beyondblue Info Line

  • Phone: 1300 22 4636 (24 hour service)
  • For the cost of a local call, the beyondblue info line provides callers with access to information and referral to relevant services for depression and anxiety related matters (not a counselling service).

Kids Helpline

  • Phone: 1800 55 1800 (24 hour service)
  • Website: www.kidshelp.com.au
  • Provides specialised help for young people aged 5 to 25 years, and is staffed by professional counsellors. Daily web-counselling available (see website for current times) and email counselling (not for crisis).

Lifeline

  • Phone: 13 11 14 (24 hour service)
  • Website: www.lifeline.org.au
  • Volunteers with professional support, trained in responding to callers concerned about suicide. Provides general counselling and referrals to services in caller's local community. Calls to Lifeline from a landline are usually the cost of a local call, and calls from mobile phones are free of charge.

MensLine

  • Phone: 1300 78 99 78 (24 hour service)
  • Website: www.mensline.org.au/
  • Provided by professional staff. The website also includes moderated forums with specific spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Vietnamese and Arabic men, rural men, partners/children.

PANDA. Post and Antenatal Depression Association Inc

  • Phone: 1300 726 306
  • Email: info@panda.org.au
  • Website: www.panda.org.au
  • Provides support and information to women and families affected by post and antenatal depression.

SANE Mental Illness Helpline

  • Phone: 1800 18 SANE (1800 18 7263)
  • Website: www.sane.org/get-help
  • Provides information and referral for callers concerned about mental illness anywhere in Australia (not a counselling service).

Suicide Call Back Service

  • Phone: 1300 659 467 (24 hour service)
  • Website: www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
  • The Suicide Call Back Service provides crisis counselling to people at risk of suicide, carers for someone who is suicidal and those bereaved by suicide, 24 hours per day 7 days a week across Australia. People who are not linked in with current professional support can also access up to six sessions of ongoing counselling with the same counsellor at times scheduled to suit you.

Open Arms - Veterans and Family Counselling

  • Phone: 1800 011 046
  • Website: www.openarms.gov.au
  • Open Arms provides counselling and group programs to Australian veterans and peacekeepers and their families and is run by qualified psychologists or social workers. Visit the website for more information about mental health and online resources.

SuicideLine

  • Phone: 1300 651 251 (24 hour service)
  • Website: www.suicideline.org.au
  • Provides crisis counselling, support, information, and referral.

University counselling services (for students)

Federation University

Deakin University

LaTrobe University

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

University of Melbourne

Monash University

Swinburne University of Technology

  • Phone: (03) 9726 1710 – Croydon campus
  • Phone: (03) 9214 8025 – Hawthorn campus
  • Phone: (03) 9214 8025 – Prahran campus
  • Phone: (03) 9210 1293 – Wantirna campus
  • Website: www.swin.edu.au/stuserv/counselling/

Victoria University of Technology

Public service providers

Monash FEAR Clinic

  • Phone: (03) 9902 4480
  • Website: www.monash.edu/turner-institute/turner-clinics/fear-clinic
  • The Monash FEAR Clinic is a specialty treatment and research clinic housed within the Monash Psychology Centre. The FEAR Clinic undertakes research and training, and provides treatment options for people suffering from panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, excessive or uncontrollable worry, obsessive-compulsive problems, post-traumatic stress and depression.

Federation University Psychology Clinic

  • Phone: (03) 5327 8483
  • Website: federation.edu.au/schools/school-of-health-and-life-sciences/clinics/psychology-clinic
  • Federation University Australia's Psychology Clinic provides psychological services to members of community within Ballarat and surrounding districts. In most instances psychological services will be provided by provisionally registered psychologists, who are currently undertaking advanced training in the Master of Psychology (Clinical) program. All services provided are closely supervised by a team of highly experienced registered psychologists, all of whom hold both endorsement in clinical psychology and registration as clinical supervisors with the Psychology Board of Australia in APHRA.

LaTrobe University Psychology Clinic

  • Phone: (03) 9479 2150
  • Website: www.latrobe.edu.au/psychology-clinic
  • The Psychology Clinic operates as part of the advanced professional training program for Masters and Doctoral students in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. Therapy is carried out by Master of Psychology and Doctoral provisional psychologists who are supervised by experienced registered psychologists.

RMIT Psychology Clinic

Self-help, resources and consumer organisations

Beacon

  • Website: beacon.anu.edu.au
  • Provides consumers and professionals with information about e-health online applications for mental health and physical health disorders. Websites throughout the world are reviewed and ranked by a panel of health experts. Consumers can also submit rankings and comments. Beacon is developed and delivered by the ANU Centre for Mental Health Research.

e-couch Personal Self Help

  • Website: ecouch.anu.edu.au
  • An interactive, evidence-based, self help program that includes modules for depression, social anxiety and generalised anxiety, divorce and relationship breakdown, and bereavement and loss. It provides self help interventions drawn from cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies as well as relaxation and physical activity. e-couch was developed by researchers at the Australian National University.

JobAccess

  • Phone: 1800 464 800
  • Website: www.jobaccess.gov.au
  • Provides advice on matters relating to the employment of people with a disability, including those with mental health conditions. The website includes information on practical workplace solutions to overcome barriers in the workplace as well as access to the Australian Government funding via the Workplace Modification Scheme.

Mind

  • Phone: 1300 554 660 (Carer Helpline)
  • Phone: 1300 286 463 (1300 AT MIND) (Service information and referral)
  • Website: www.mindaustralia.org.au/
  • Mind provides support to people who are living with a mental illness.

moodgym Training Program

  • Website: moodgym.com.au
  • An interactive, evidence-based program for depression which incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy. Research has found moodgym to be helpful in reducing symptoms of depression in users (See Online prevention). moodgym was developed by researchers at the Australian National University.

Suicide Prevention Australia

  • Website: suicidepreventionaust.org
  • SPA is a non-profit, non-government organisation working as a public health advocate in suicide prevention. The website provides information and resources for people who are feeling suicidal, helping someone at risk of suicide, people moving forward after a suicide attempt, and bereavement support for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. SPA has also produced a DVD to help men living in rural Australia.

Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria, Inc

  • Website: www.adavic.org.au/
  • Provides support, information and resources to individuals suffering from or affected by anxiety, depression, and related issues.

Carer organisations & services

Commonwealth Carer Gateway

  • Website: www.carergateway.gov.au/
  • Provides phone counselling, coaching, and free and confidential information about respite and support services available anywhere within Australia.

Carers Victoria

  • Free call: 1800 242 636 (National Carer Advisory & Counselling Service)
  • Website: www.carersvictoria.org.au/
  • Offers carer information, support, and counselling.

Community courses

Mental Health First Aid

  • Website: www.mhfa.com.au
  • Provides first aid courses focusing on mental health issues, including depression and suicide intervention training. Visit the website for first aid strategies for helping someone going through a mental health crisis.

Support groups

The Black Dog Institute maintains a list of organisations that run or coordinate mental health support groups in Victoria, available at: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/support-groups/

You can also contact the Collective of Self Help Groups on (03) 9650 2005 or by email at info@cohg.org.au for information about self help and support groups available in Victoria. For more information, visit their website at www.coshg.org.au

GROW

  • Phone: (03) 9528 2977 | Free call: 1800 558 268
  • Email: vic@grow.org.au
  • Website: www.grow.org.au
  • A self help organisation for people who suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. GROW is based on a 12 step self-help program. Members meet weekly.

eGrow

  • Phone: Free call: 1800 558 268
  • Email: vic@grow.org.au
  • Website: www.grow.org.au/egrow
  • eGrow is a virtual Grow meeting for Victorians who aren't able to attend a physical Grow group due to geographic limitations. This online support group uses internet-based video conferencing.

Alcoholics Anonymous Australia

  • Website: www.aa.org.au
  • A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.