Whether you are experiencing financial stress, need support with your relationships, or help with your sleep and eating habits, the resources on this page are here for you.
In an emergency
In an urgent, life threatening or time-critical emergency situation, call Triple zero (000) This is the primary national emergency service phone number to contact the police, fire or ambulance service emergency services (police, fire, ambulance).
Once connected, the operator (call taker) will ask a number of questions to get the right help to you as soon as possible. These questions will not delay getting help to you.
It’s important to:
Stay calm
Speak clearly
Stay on the line
A national charity providing all Australians with 24/7 mental health, crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis telephone service is free.
Contact:
Call 13 11 14 for confidential, crisis support and counselling telephone counselling phone service with a professionally trained Crisis Support worker, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Call 1300 090 995 Victoria Police Wellbeing Services 24-hour support line (for current and veteran Victoria Police employees)
Acacia Connection Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an independent and confidential counselling service available for current and veteran Victoria Police employees and their families to help manage challenges that may affect their well-being. As well as providing support for work-related issues, the EAP is also available for those seeking support for personal issues.
Current and veteran employees can contact Acacia Connection directly to make an appointment without a referral.
Immediate family members (partners and dependent children) can also contact Acacia Connection directly to access the EAP.
A specialised service from TPAV and Phoenix Australia providing expert, trauma-specific mental health assessment and care for current Victoria Police, PSO, and Victorian-based AFP members.
A specialist information and referral service for LGBTIQA+ people of all ages and identities. Help for those experiencing family violence, mental ill-health, suicidal thoughts, or drug and alcohol dependency. They also provide support and resources for family and friends.
Provides 24/7 information, mental health coaching, online forums, current evidence-informed resources, programs and services for individuals seeking mental health and wellbeing support.
Offers leading, research-informed information and education about mental ill-health, suicide prevention, mental health and wellbeing at work, policy and advocacy, professional support services, and current, evidence-based tools and resources.
Recognised as the National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health, Phoenix Australia provides resources, education, clinical services, and programs that promote recovery and positive mental health for Australians affected by trauma-related mental health and wellbeing.
A national mental health charity working to support individuals who are affected by complex mental illness. SANE’s work includes mental health awareness, online peer support and information, stigma reduction, specialist helpline support, research and advocacy.
Peak Fortem, created in partnership with Peak State and Fortem Australia, is an online mental fitness toolkit to equip frontline and first responders with practical tools and information to improve wellbeing and promote mental fitness.
Head to Health is a national, digital, mental health gateway providing easy navigation and tailored information about mental health services and healthcare professionals. Head to Health helps connect people and/or carers with support services (phone, face-to-face, online) based on their needs and preferences.
Kids Helpline is a free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. It offers practical tools and emotional support for topics such as mental health issues and bullying to body image, relationships, and suicide prevention.
ESF is dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of emergency services workers, volunteers, and their families through programs, research, support services, resources, and events.
Police Veterans Victoria Inc. (PVV) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports police veterans and their families through a confidential referral service and peer support program utilising volunteer Veteran Peer Support Officers (VPSOs) with similar shared experiences.
For any former member of Victoria Police (retired or resigned) of good fame and character, whether retired through age, medical discharge or resignation. RPA Victoria offers the opportunity for Victoria Police employees to stay connected to the friends and colleagues met during service once they have left the organisation.
Regular wellbeing check-ins can be helpful for employees who are regularly exposed to traumatic events. Setting up your own appointments lets you make decisions about your health and wellbeing.
“How am I feeling?”
Asking a set of check-in questions to assess your mental health and wellbeing has many benefits, such as:
feeling empowered to take control of your wellbeing opportunity when seeing a clinician
creates a safe enough space to speak honestly and seek early intervention if needed
provides the opportunity to seek help when you first notice a decline in your mental health and wellbeing
promotes a culture of proactive mental health literacy and strategies to combat stigma and mitigate concerns about check-ins being associated with fitness for duty
ensures individuals retain autonomy regarding decision-making about their own health
encourages local managers to be more accountable for healthy workplaces by role modelling taking care of their own wellbeing
individual self-guided check-ins are a positive start to contributing to the early intervention of positive mental health and wellbeing, and having a wider positive impact on environmental factors such morale, mental ill-health stigma, leadership support, and normalising help-seeking behaviours.
Mental health and wellbeing support works best when an individual wants to get help and feels it's the right time for them. Getting help early is an important, proactive approach to positive wellbeing and can help keep employees healthy and safe in the workplace. There are many efforts going into encouraging this, such as more education around mental health literacy and reducing stigma, better access to evidence-based information, and training managers and leaders to have these wellbeing conversations regularly.
Our aim is to continue to reduce mental ill-health stigma and improve help-seeking behaviours to empower the capability of all current and former employees to recognise when they or those around them may need mental health and wellbeing support.
Proactive approach to mental health
Victoria Police provides a range of support and early interventions for individual and workplace factors that impact mental health and wellbeing.
There are a number supports available to employees and their families, some of which are 24/7 for crisis support.
We also encourage employees to:
use the range of monitoring and self-check options available
engage with colleagues, peer support officers, welfare officers and psychologists/social workers as needed
use the tools and resources listed on this website
Equipt wellbeing app
The Equipt wellbeing app aims to further complement Bluespace. Equipt is a free app developed by Victoria Police and The Police Association Victoria (TPAV) for members and their families. Equipt provides self-care tools that can help strengthen physical, social, and emotional health, and offers strategies to manage emotions, stress, healthy sleep patterns, staying active and positive. It can measure and track your wellbeing over time and put you in touch with additional support if and when you need it.
The Equipt app is completely confidential, available anytime, and free to download from the App Store and Google Play
