Family violence and child safety project

We are training our staff in how to best respond to disclosures of family violence. Hospitals are well placed to identify family violence before it gets to crisis stage where police and other authorities are involved and can therefore provide a gateway to specialist support services, located either internally or externally through family violence agencies. 

Family violence is a serious health issue which has profound physical and psychological impacts. An early intervention response can prevent serious harm and death to those vulnerable or at risk It is also an efficient way to manage because providing early intervention means less hospital presentations.

Family violence includes any of the following:

• is physical or sexual abusive
• is emotional or psychological abusive
• is economical abusive
• is threatening or coercive or dominating behaviour
• causes fear

This definition also includes behaviour that causes a child to witness or hear or otherwise be exposed to the effects of family violence. If you think you fall into any of these categories, we can offer you guidance to assist you in contacting the appropriate services.

The position of this Health Service is that family violence in any form is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

• Vic Police

Phone: 000 

VicPolice website 

• Local Assistance - Melton

Melton: Women's Health West Family Violence Support 

Phone (business hours): 9689 9588

• Local Assistance - Moorabool

Moorabool: WRISC Family Violence Support 

Phone (business hours): 5333 3666

• Local Assistance - Ballarat

Ballarat: CAFS Child and Family Support Services 

Offers general counselling services and men's behavioural change programs for residents of Moorabool.

Phone: 5337 3333 

Centre against sexual assault (CASA)

For crisis care support following a sexual assault in the last two weeks.

• West (Melton patient/clients) 

Phone: 1800 806 292 

Phone business hours: 9687 5811

• Ballarat CASA (Moorabool patient/clients) 

Phone: 1800 806 292 

Phone business hours: 5320 3933

Other contacts

• 1800 RESPECT

Phone: 1800 737 732

• Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service Victoria (FVPLS)

Provides legal advice, counselling, information, referral and support for ATSI people their spouses and parents/carers

Phone: 1800 105 303

• Elizabeth Morgan House (EMH) 

Provides crisis and recovery programs

Phone: 9482 5744 

• Federation of Community Legal Centres 

Visit the Federation website to find a local community legal centre.

• Hearing or Speech Impairment

Offers a range of services to support senior persons experiencing family violence

Phone: TTY/Voice Calls: 133 677 Internet relay – and ask for Triple Zero (000) / Captioned relay – and ask for Triple Zero (000) / SMS relay – text 0423 677 767 / Video relay – login to Skype and contact one of the National Relay Service (NRS) contact names.

Ordinary phone speak and listen

Phone: 1300 555 727

• InTouch

InTouch is a free and confidential advice for women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The service has a pool of bi-lingual and bi-cultural workers.

Phone: 1800 755 988 or 9413 6500

• Mercy Grief 

Phone (business hours): 9364 9838

• Safe Steps

Safe Steps provides referrals to family violence outreach services throughout Victoria 24/7. 

Crisis telephone support available 24/7

Phone: 1800 015 188 

Email: safesteps@safesteps.org.au

• Sexual Assault Crisis Line Victoria (SACL) 

An after-hours secondary consultation and confidential telephone crisis counselling service for victim/survivors of both past and recent sexual assault

Phone: 1800 806 292 

• Victims of Crime

Phone: 1800 819 817

• Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal 

Phone: 1300 018 228

• WIRE Women's support Line

A free confidential information and referral service. 

Phone: 1300 134 130 

• Women's Legal Service Victoria 

Provides free and confidential legal information and specialise in issues arising from relationship breakdown and violence against women

Phone: 1800 133 302 

Child and youth support

• Child Mental Health (up to 15 years)

Offered by the Royal Children's Hospital for Melton and Moorabool Children. 

Phone: 1800 445 511 

• Gatehouse

Gatehouse is a department of the Royal Children's Hospital. It is a Centre Against Sexual Assault that provides assessment, treatment and advocacy services for children and young people in its catchment areas. It also provides consultation services for other health professionals.

Phone: 9345 6391 

Phone (after hours): 9345 5522 and ask to speak with a Gatehouse Worker

• Kids Help Line 

The help line provides free and confidential phone counselling for children and young people between the ages 5 – 25.

Phone: 1800 551 800 

• Melton Young Adults (up to 24 years) - Orygen Youth 

Phone: 1800 888 320 or 

Phone (business hours): 9483 4556 pager service, ask for youth health triage.

• Moorabool Young Adults (up to 24 years) - Ballarat Mental Health Service 

Phone: 1300 661 323

• Support for Children

Child FIRST provides a central referral point to a range of community based family services and other supports.

Melton: 1300 138 180

Moorabool: 1300 783 341

• Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service (VFPMS) 

A state-wide service providing assessments for children and young people, under 18 years of age, who might have been abused, neglected or assaulted. VFPMS works collaboratively with health professionals, police and child protection. 

Phone: 1300 66 1142 

• Victorian Child Protection Service 

The service is specifically targeted to those children and young people at risk of harm or where families are unable or unwilling to protect them:

Phone (hospital priority line): 9843 5422 

Phone (general out of hours line): 131 278 

Refer to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) website for regional in hours numbers.

Elder support

• Elder Abuse consultation 

Email: ElderAbuseEnquiries@wh.org.au

• Support for Elders

Seniors Rights Victoria offers a range of advice and services to support people 65+ experiencing family violence.

Phone: 1300 368 821 

Western Health has agreed to provide secondary consultations and advice to Western Health (as part of the SHRFV project) 

Name/ Role Elder Abuse Social Worker/ Liaison/ Project Officer: Warren Fuge 

Phone: 0423 842 103 

Email: warren.fuge@wh.org.au

LGBTQI community support

• Drummond Street Service Queerspace 

Phone: 9633 6733

• KARA House 

KARA House is a lesbian domestic violence outreach service.

Phone (business hours): 1800 900 520 

• Switchboard/ QLife 

The switchboard is staffed by volunteer counsellors and peers who can direct callers to the right supports.

Phone: 1800 184 527 also offers Webchat 3PM-12AM every day. 

• Transgender Victoria

Provices information on how to connect with appropriate supports for the trans and gender diverse communities 

Phone: 90204642 

• Victorian AIDS Council 

Phone: 9865 6700

Magistrates Courts

• Melbourne

Phone: 9628 7777

• Sunshine

Phone: 9300 6200

• Werribee

Phone: 9974 9300

Social work referrals

Social Work Referrals are as follows:

• Maternity Services Social Worker 

Phone: 5367 7644

• Community Palliative Social Worker

Phone: 9747 9647

• Manager Counselling Team

Phone: 9474 9347

• Senior Clinician Counselling

Phone: 9747 9371

• Family Violence Counselling

Phone: 9747 7609

Support for Men

• Men's Referral Service 

The service offers anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to help men stop using violent and controlling behaviour, and can refer a man to the closest/preferred Mens Behaviour Change Program

Phone: 1300 766 491 

• Mensline

Offers support for male victims of violence.

Phone: 1300 78 99 78