ABOUT TIME FOR JUSTICE
Counselling & Community Resources Victoria
We've put this list together for you after our recent chat. There are a few different paths to choose from. Some are free, some are private, and some are a mix. You don't have to pick one and stick with it. A lot of people start by ringing a free phone line to talk through what might suit you best.
If you'd rather start with your GP, that works too, a Mental Health Care Plan can give you up to 10 Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions per calendar year.
Drug & Alcohol Counselling
These services can help with cannabis use — whether you'd like to cut down, take a break, stop altogether, or just understand it better. They're all confidential.
DirectLine
1800 888 236
Free, confidential alcohol & drug counselling.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone or online, Victorian service run by Turning Point.
Counselling Online
Online 24/7
Free live online chat with an AOD counsellor.
Great if you'd prefer not to talk on the phone.
Turning Point (TPETS Intake)
1800 778 278Mon–Fri 9am–5pm
Victoria's specialist AOD service: face-to-face, phone or online counselling.
Helps you find detox, rehab, counselling and group programs (including for cannabis).
Walk-in clinic: Ground Floor, 43 Carrington Road, Box Hill.
Cohealth - AOD Counselling
1800 700 514
Free AOD counselling through community health.
Melbourne CBD, inner-north and inner-west.
Specialist counsellors for AOD and co-occurring mental health.
Odyssey House Victoria
(03) 9420 7610
Long-running AOD service: counselling, case management, family support.
Face-to-face, phone or online.
Melbourne metro, Goulburn Valley and Barwon regions.
Your local community health centre
Search via Better Health
Most Victorian community health centres offer free or low-cost AOD counselling.
A great option in regional Victoria — services are local and often have shorter waitlists than private.
Your GP
Local medical centre
A GP can write you a Mental Health Care Plan giving you up to 10 Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions per calendar year.
Many GPs and psychologists bulk-bill - ask when you book.
Connecting with Your Community
Connection is one of the strongest protective factors when you're changing a habit. The options below range from peer-support groups (people who've been where you are) to local community centres and volunteering.
SMART Recovery
Online & in-person
Free weekly 90-minute groups: evidence-based, run by a trained facilitator.
Covers any addictive behaviour, including cannabis.
Plenty of Victorian and online meetings.
Marijuana Anonymous Australia
Online & in-person
Free peer-support meetings specifically for people wanting to change their cannabis use.
12-step style: no fees, no dues, the only requirement is a desire to stop.
SHARC (Self Help Addiction Resource Centre)
(03) 9573 1700
Peer support, education programs and community groups for people changing their AOD use.
Run by people with lived experience.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria
Find a house near you
Around 400 local community centres across Victoria.
Classes, social groups, shared meals, hobbies and volunteering — usually free or very low cost.
An easy, low-pressure way to get involved locally.
Victorian Men's Shed Association
Find a shed
Local sheds where men can drop in for a chat, build something, share a cuppa.
Welcoming, no pressure, good for connection and routine.
Volunteering Victoria / GoVolunteer
Online directory
Search local volunteering by location and interest.
Volunteering is one of the most consistently helpful ways to build community and routine.
FriendLine
1800 424 287
A free chat service if you'd just like someone to talk to a few times a week. social, not clinical.
The Power In You Project
(03) 5292 3000
Victorian-based disability, justice and addiction support.
Useful for wraparound community support if you're juggling a few things at once.
Understanding the Costs
Cost shouldn't be the thing that stops you from getting help. Victoria has a strong public AOD system - most counselling is genuinely free if you have a Medicare card.
Free / publicly funded options
State-funded AOD counselling through services like Turning Point, cohealth, Odyssey House and your local community health centre — free for Medicare card holders.
DirectLine and Counselling Online — phone and online counselling, free, 24/7, no referral needed.
Medicare Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) — see your GP, then access up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year at a Medicare rebate (or fully bulk-billed at some clinics).
Peer support groups — SMART Recovery, Marijuana Anonymous, SHARC. Free, no referral, drop in.
NDIS — if you have an NDIS plan, certain therapeutic supports may be funded. Ask your support coordinator.
Private options (paid)
Private services often have shorter waitlists and more choice of practitioner, but you pay for them. Approximate costs in Victoria:
Private psychologist (without an MHCP): around $200–$300 per session.
Private outpatient AOD counselling: around $60–$180 per hour.
Private residential rehab: around $15,000–$65,000 for a 28-day program.
Private health insurance may cover part of residential rehab if you're on an appropriate hospital cover policy — worth checking with your fund.