If you are an gambling worker and a client discloses that they are experiencing family violence (FV) or you believe FV is an issue, you need to be able to respond appropriately – visit our Understanding Family Violence page to learn about:

• what FV is
• how to identify FV
• how to respond within Victoria’s MARAM Framework
• understanding information sharing legislation

If you need advice or support for your client you can access secondary consultations through:

• Gambling Minds – Secondary consultation service to all providers working in the area of mental health and gambling harm. All discussions are confidential and you can choose the format.
• The Alfred Mental Health and Gambling Harm Program is a state-wide multidisciplinary service that provides support to front-line problem gambling services in their work with clients that are experiencing mental health as well as gambling difficulties.
• Turning Point – Provides a range of addiction treatment, consultation and workforce development programs, for health and welfare professionals working with Victorians with substance use and gambling problems.

Various gambling services are available in Bayside Peninsula and across Victoria that you can refer a client to:

• Connect Health  for the Bayside, South Eastern Melbourne, Frankston–Mornington Peninsula areas
• Aboriginal Health Service  for support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients
• Gamblers Help Southern

• For information and resources about problem gambling visit Gamblers Help.
• Understanding the Link between Family Violence and Gambling   Aimed at local governments this paper explains the link between family violence and gambling. (Women’s Health In the North)
• The Relationship between Gambling and Domestic Violence Against Women  This qualitative study investigated the relationship between gambling and violence by men against their female intimate partners. (ANROWS)
• Increasing the Odds for Safety and Respect The Increasing the Odds for Safety and Respect project is a Women’s Health In the North and Women’s Health East project working with family violence and problem gambling service providers across the northern and eastern metropolitan regions of Melbourne to share knowledge.
• Prevention project focused on the co-occurrence of family violence and problem gambling (NIVFS)
• Problem Gambling and Family Violence Research Update (Associate Professor Nicki Dowling)
• The Dangerous Combination of Gambling and Family Violence A practice guide for gambling counsellors, financial counsellors and domestic and family violence workers

For information and resources about Alcohol and Other Drugs (AoD), visit the website of Victoria’s peak body representing AOD services, VAADA – Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association.

Other general information on AOD:

• The Alcohol & Drug Foundation (ADF)
• Youth Drugs & Alcohol Advice (YoDAA)
• Navigating Alcohol and Other Drug Services For providers in the Bayside Peninsula Area 2023

If you need advice or support for your client you can access secondary consultations through:

• Drug and alcohol clinical advisory service (DACAS) – a specialist 24-hour telephone consultancy service that assists health and welfare professionals throughout Victoria to respond effectively to individuals with alcohol or other drug use problems.  All calls are answered by experienced DirectLine clinicians.
• The Victorian neuropsychology service, delivered by Turning Point, offers secondary consultations to alcohol and other drug workers and corrections workers to assist in supporting clients with suspected or diagnosed brain injury, who also have co-occurring alcohol and other drug use disorders.
• The Royal Women’s Hospital’s Women’s alcohol and drug service (WADS) provides specialist clinical services to pregnant women and their infants.  The service offers secondary consultations to health professionals in acute and primary health services and the community sector. This includes a 24-hour on-call medical service.

Various AOD services are available in Bayside Peninsula and across Victoria that you can refer a client to:

• AOD intake services through BaysideAOD
• Specialist alcohol consultancy service (SACS) provides a specialist alcohol clinic for community medical practitioners across Victoria. Delivered by Turning Point, it is a medical clinic model with psychological, nursing and other clinician support, and builds on the infrastructure and resources of DACAS.
• The Royal Women’s Hospital’s Women’s alcohol and drug service (WADS) provides specialist clinical services to pregnant women and their infants. Referral is through a general practitioner or other health provider, or by self-referral.

If you are an AOD worker and a client discloses that they are experiencing family violence (FV) or you believe FV is an issue, you need to be able to respond appropriately – visit Safe and Equal’s Understanding Family Violence 

Learn:

• What is family violence
• Impacts of family violence
• Who experiences family violence
• Forms of family violence
• Preventing and responding to family violence

This page also offers help and support:

• If you are experiencing family violence
• Advice for family and friends

• For information on FV and AOD, visit the website of VAADA
• NCETA is an internationally recognised research centre that works as a catalyst for change in the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) field.  Resources are available on their website.
• Odyssey House Victoria is a state-wide, specialist treatment organisation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who experience significant or long-term problems from alcohol and other drug use.
• The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education framework proposes policies and programs that Australian governments can implement which will have an impact on preventing and reducing alcohol-related family violence.
• This ANROWS report investigates the relationship between alcohol and violence against women and provides recommendations for policies, programs and practice.
• For Vic Gov information and data on AoD, visit their website.  The Australian Government has national information and data on their website
• Specialist Family Violence Advisors embed family violence expertise within the AOD and mental health sectors, supporting continuous improvement, lead system and practice change, and build sector capacity and capability to identify, assess, and respond to family violence. Victorian Specialist Family Violence Advisors – Vaada