Advocacy & Support for
Borderline Personality Disorder
& Complex Trauma
Victorian Directory
Emergency Help:
Call 000 (or if you are on a mobile and 000 doesn't work, call 112)
Go to the emergency department of your local hospital.
Public Emergency Mental Health Services: Victoria
Click here for a listing of public emergency mental health service in Victoria.
Victoria's Public Mental Health Services
Click here to search for information about Victoria's public mental health services for your Mental Health Service Area
Crisis Services: Helplines 24/7
Crisis support services are free, anonymous and most offer 24/7 support. They provide immediate help and support and can help people work out how best to support themselves or someone you are concerned about.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 and online ‘crisis support chat’ provides short- term support for people who are overwhelmed, are finding it difficult to stay safe. Available 24/7 365 days/year. Calls to Lifeline are free from mobile phones, including pre-paid and post-paid phones
Suicide call-back service: Free Counselling 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Tel: 1300 659 467 - also has online crisis counselling via video or online chat.
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 - also has online chat and email counselling (for kids and teens aged 5–25 years)
13YARN 13 9276 First Nations crisis support line
Mensline: 1300 789 978
Parentline Victoria Call 13 22 89 8am to midnight, 7 days a week
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) 24/7 Counselling for people impacted by sexual assault or family violence
Poison Information Centre 13 11 26 They provide: 24/7 telephone assessment and advice on first aid for poisoning, with or without referral to a doctor or hospital
DirectLine alcohol and drug counselling and referral in Victoria 1800 888 236
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015
Ice Help Line 1800 423 238 (1800 ICE ADVICE)
Family Drug Support Helpline 1300 368 186
Helplines - limited hours
SANE Australia - 1800 187 263 Mon - Fri 10am-10pm AEST/AEDT. Chatline Mon-Fri 10am-10pm AEST/AEDT
Blue Knot Helpline - 1300 657 380. Mon-Sun 9am-5pm AEST/AEDT email
QLife - 1800 184 527 Mon-Sun 3pm-12am AEDT Webchat
Eating Disorders Helpline - 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) Mon-Fri 8am-12am AEST/AEDT (except public holidays)
Local adult and older adult mental health and wellbeing services
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals call 1300 375 330
COMPLAINTS:
Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Call 1800 246 054
The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is an independent statutory authority that holds government to account for the performance, quality and safety of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system. It has replaced the Mental Health Complaints Commission.
Phone 1800 246 054 (free call) or email or go to the complaints page.
For clinicians:
Victorian Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Mental Health Professionals’ Network. For more information and to register your interest Click here
For carers:
Mental Health & Wellbeing Connect Centres
As a recommendation following the Victorian Mental Health Royal Commission 8 Centres are being developed in Victoria
The Connect centres aim to provide families, carers and supporters of all ages with the vital networks they need to keep caring for their loved one while still looking after their own wellbeing.
Support is free, and no referral is needed to access a Connect centre. They can be accessed in-person without an appointment or via phone or online booking.
Centres at:
- Gippsland
- Grampians
- Hume
- Loddon Mallee
- South West
- Southeast (metro)
- Northeast (metro) Download pdf
- Western (Metro)
Working together with families and carers
This Guideline from the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist provides specialist advice about involving family and carers in the treatment and care of individual consumers. Individual consumers include children and young people, adults and ageing consumers.
Learning more about BPD: for families and friends is run throughout the year by Spectrum: specialising in personality disorder and complex trauma. Contact email or ring (03) 8413 8750 for more information
Family Connections (NEABPD Australia) This is a free, 12-week course that meets weekly for two hours to provide education, skills training, and support for people who are in a relationship with someone who has BPD. Available in a variety of locations. Expression of Interest via link above. (no telephone contact available)
Mind Australia - Mental Health Carer Helpline Telephone: 1300 554 660.
Fostering Realistic Hope for Carer families living or supporting someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Contact (03) 93855100 or click here for more information
Tandem: representing Victorian mental health carers. Tandem is the peak body for families and carers of people in Victoria experiencing mental ill health.
Carer Gateway 1800 422 737
Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative to help carers connect to services in their local area. It provides a single point of entry to have their needs assessed and be referred to supports in their region such as in-person counselling, coaching and peer support.
Kinship Carers Victoria - advocating and supporting grandparents, siblings, other relatives and family friends caring for children
Relationships Australia Victoria - offer relationship support services for partners and families
Siblings Australia - dedicated to improving the support available for siblings of children and adults with chronic conditions including disability, chronic illness and mental health issues.
Alfred Health Carer Services: Mental Health Resources
Resources specific to local government areas: Bayside, Glen Eira, Kingston, Port Phillip and Stonnington, Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia, Frankston, Mornington Peninsula
Call on 1800 51 21 21, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm OR for an interpreter, call Telephone Interpreter Service on 131 450 to arrange a call to speak with them
For young people:
HYPE Clinic (Helping Young People Early)
for youth (15 to 24yo) in the Orygen Youth Health Catchment area.
FaPMI (Families where a parent has a mental illness)
Parents with a mental illness can feel isolated and unsupported. The FaPMI Strategy encourages family focused practice through workforce training and networking to ensure timely identification and appropriate referrals to supportive services and so reduce the possible impact of parental mental illness on the family.
the national youth mental health foundation dedicated to improving the wellbeing of young Australians (12 to 25yo). May provide assessment and/or treatment.
Includes eheadspace - an online and telephone service that supports young people and their families going through a tough time.
Private Hospital Therapy programs:
Most private psychiatry hospitals run day programs for various mental health conditions, including BPD. This facility is relatively easy to access for those patients who have private health insurance with inpatient psychiatry covers. Private hospitals generally require patients to be assessed and referred to the day programs by psychiatrists accredited to practice at those clinics.
Albert Road Clinic (03) 9256 8311
Delmont Hospital (03) 9805 7370
Epworth Hospital (03) 9426 6666
Geelong Clinic (03) 5240 0700
Melbourne Clinic (03) 9429 4688
Mitcham Private Hospital (03) 9210 3155:
Northpark Private Hospital (03) 9468 0100
St John of God Langmore Centre (03) 9773 7000
Victoria Clinic (03) 9526 0200
Wyndham Clinic (03) 9731 6646
Independent Private Programs:
A number of other private psychology clinics provide DBT and other treatments for Borderline Personality.
To help you search for a private psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professionals with a special interest in treating personality disorders the following websites include a search function:
Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists website
Australian Psychological Society website
Australian Clinical Psychology Association website
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia Register
Safe + Equal
(03) 8346 5200 Mon to Fri: 9am – 5pm
DV Vic (Domestic Violence Victoria) and DVRCV (Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria) have united to form Safe and Equal, combining over thirty years of experience in advocacy and innovation for change in the family violence sector. Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victoria’s specialist family violence services supporting victim survivors. The Safe+Equal website can help you to: understand family violence, find a service, use their large Resource Library, provide information on working in the family violence sector, provide training and professional development to workers in the family violence sector, and research policy and advocacy.
Mental Health Victoria Ltd (MHVic)
........ is a membership-based organisation and the peak body representing community managed mental health services in Victoria
INTERSECT (Vic only)
provides resources for people within the LGBTIQA+ community who are religious and from cultures that are diverse or minorities
A place where people come together, learn, share experiences and reach new understanding of mental health. Courses are co-produced and co-facilitated. (Not BPD specific) Located in Moorabbin, Frankston, Hastings, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Melbourne.