Gambler's Help local
Our Gambler’s Help Program includes support to ensure all Victorians who are affected by gambling have access to counselling, resources and wellbeing programs. Gambler’s Help provides therapeutic and financial counselling services and has around 100 locations across metropolitan and regional Victoria. For further information and advice, please contact your local Gambler's Help service (see below).
The funded organisations are:
Gambler’s Help services – Metropolitan
- Northern Melbourne: Banyule Community Health
- Bayside, South Eastern Melbourne, Frankston–Mornington Peninsula: Better Health Network
- Eastern Melbourne, Inner East Melbourne: EACH
- South Western Melbourne: IPC Health
- Inner North Melbourne: The Salvation Army
Gambler’s Help services – Regional
- Barwon, Great South Coast: Meli
- Grampians: Child and Family Services
- Hume: Gateway Health
- Gippsland: Latrobe Community Health Service
- Goulburn Valley: Primary Care Connect
- Loddon Mallee: Anglicare Victoria
The funded organisations deliver services including:
- therapeutic counselling (face-to-face, phone/ video)
- financial counselling
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Therapeutic counselling
Do you have a client that has identified as being affected by gambling?
Gambler's Help therapeutic counselling incorporates a range of face-to-face and telephone services, including:
- assessment
- case planning
- therapeutic interventions
- practical assistance
- crisis management
- case and service management
- advocacy and coordination
- referral
- secondary consultation
Gambler's Help therapeutic counselling is case-planned and tailored to your client's individual needs.
Read more about how to refer patients to Gambler's Help.
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Financial counselling
Do you have a client that has identified as being financially affected by gambling?
Gambler’s Help Financial counselling is a free and confidential service offered to people who are experiencing any of the following money problems due to gambling. Alleviating an immediate financial crisis can be an important step in allowing your client to address their underlying gambling behaviour.
You or your client can also contact the Gamblers Help Line for information and support on 1800 858 858. The help line does not provide financial counselling but can refer your client to their local Gambler's Help financial counselling service. Gambler's Help Line is available 24 hours per day and all services are free and confidential.
What does financial counselling involve?
Gambler's Help financial counsellors can help your client to understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities in relation to:
- debt recovery
- payment of bills, and
- government concessions and entitlements.
Read more about how to refer patients to Gambler's Help.
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Recovery Assistance Program
Gambling related harm often has a significant impact on the financial stability of the person gambling and their families.
Gambler's Help can provide limited material and financial assistance to individuals and families for essential living needs when problem gambling has resulted in financial crisis. The objectives of the Recovery Assistance Program are to provide assistance:
- in a way that does not facilitate or subsidise gambling behaviour
- where gamblers and their families are assessed as being in genuine need
- that will contribute to essential living needs, and
- to support individuals and families to recover from the impact of problem gambling.
Only registered Gambler's Help clients are eligible for the Recovery Assistance Program.
Gambler's Help catchment maps
These maps show the catchment areas for Gambler's Help services in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, and the local government areas the catchments encompass.
Download the map of Gambler's Help catchment areas in regional Victoria. (Right click, save as.)
Download the map of Gambler's Help catchment areas in metropolitan Melbourne. (Right click, save as.)
For further information and enquiries, please contact gamblershelp@health.vic.gov.au