Where to find help
IF YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY IS IN DANGER, YOU SHOULD CALL THE POLICE ON 000
A helpline or support service will listen to you, help you understand what’s happening, and help you know what to do. Calling a helpline is a great thing to do for lots of reasons:
01
You don’t have to give them your name.
02
They are experts in helping young people, and they will have spoken to lots of others dealing with abuse and violence.
03
They won’t judge you or think anything bad about you
04
They’ll trust and believe you
05
They’ll know how to give you advice and guidance
06
Some services have email or web-chat, which might make it easier
07
They have translation services for people who speak different languages
Important contacts
Add these contact to you phone / computer or diary today!
Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential, phone counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25 years old.
1800 55 1800
1800 RESPECT
You can call 1800 Respect any time day or night – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they can give you counselling, information, answer questions, refer you to a local organization who can give your family more help. They are professionals who can help you with safety planning, finding local support and tell you how to help a friend.
1800 737 732
Lifeline
You can call Lifeline any time day or night – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they can give you counselling and help you manage your feelings, and they have experts who are trained to talk to you about family violence.
13 11 14
safe steps (Victoria)
This service can help you if you’re worried about violence in your family (i.e. one parent abusing another). They can provide support and ideas, info about how the law can help protect you, and they can tell you about places to stay to get away from violence.
1800 015 188
Child Protection (Victoria)
The Child Protection Service is for children and young people at risk of significant harm.
13 12 78
Ask Izzy
Ask Izzy helps people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to find the services they need, right now and nearby. This site can help you find the right services if you cannot be safe at home.
1800 55 1800
beyondblue
You can call beyondblue any time day or night – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they can give you counselling to help you with how you’re feeling. You can also email them, chat via their website or discuss issues in the forum.
1300 22 46 36
ConnectEDspace
ConnectEDspace helps young people manage problems like bullying, relationships, stress and mental health, and conflict with parents.
ReachOut
This website can help young people get through tough times. It provides information, stories from other young people and helpful interactive features.
TO FIND OUT ABOUT MONEY, LAW OR SERVICES
Centerlink (Government Welfare Payments)
Contact Centrelink to find out about getting a payment, like Youth Allowance, Job Start or something else. In some situations, Centrelink can provide an ’emergency’ payment. To find out about Youth Allowance, phone 13 24 90, or to make an appointment with Centrelink.
13 10 21
Welfare Rights
Contact the Welfare Rights Network to find out about government welfare payments, or if you aren’t happy with how you were treated by a social security service, like Centrelink.
Lawstuff
Lawstuff is an easy website that explains the law in Australia to children and young people. It explains what will happen if you call the police, child protection and you can use their online form to ask them more questions about the law in your situation and what might happen.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman
Contact the ombudsman if you want to make a complaint about the way a Commonwealth government department, like Centrelink or the Federal Police treated you.
1300 362 072
Victoria only
Add these contact to your phone, computer or diary today!
Australian Childhood Foundation
Provides specialist counselling services for children and young people affected by abuse and for their families. See the website ‘Stop Child Abuse’ for info for young people.
(03) 9874 3922
Action Center
General and sexual assault counselling, referrals and medical services for young people. More info about their service is on their website
1800 013 952
Melbourne Youth Support Services (MYSS)
Melbourne Youth Support Service provides a statewide telephone information and referral service for young people aged from 16 to 24, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.They can help with a whole range of issues like accommodation, health and well-being, drug and alcohol info, mental health referrals and general information. They are open 7 days a week from 9am-8pm weekdays, 10am-6pm weekends
(03) 9614-3688
Frontyard Youth Services
Frontyard Youth Services provides support for young people in Melbourne aged between 12 and 25 years who are homeless or not in safe accommodation. They are based in the city. Their youth workers can provide support and information for a while range of issues, including organising a safe place to stay, supporting young people to reconnect with family members, and help with sorting out legal or financial issues. They also provide practical things like food, showers, laundry and toiletries for young homeless people. They are open 7 days a week from 9am-8pm weekdays, 10am-6pm weekends
03 9611 2411
Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASA)
These services can provide support and info if you’ve been sexually abused, and can tell you about how the law can protect you. To find the sexual assault centre nearest you.
1800 806 292
Reconnect
Reconnect is a service that can help you to work things out at home (e.g. problems with your family). They can also help with health issues, income, accommodation, training, education and employment options.
(03) 9611 2411
Wire Women’s Information
WIRE is a service just for girls and women, which provides support and information. You can also visit the Women’s Information Centre at 210 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne (in between Swanston St and Russell St, city) and talk to one of our staff face-to-face. No need to make an appointment, you can just drop in anytime 9am-5pm Mon-Fri.
1300 134 130
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA)
Provides family support and family violence programs to the Aboriginal community
8388 1855
FIND ANOTHER CONTACT NUMBER
For full list of organisations and their contact details, contact the Domestic Violence Resource Centre to find who you are looking for.
Phone: 03 9486 9866
Website