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Urgent Help

Emergency?
Need police or ambulance now?
Call 000
Available 24/7
Seeking refuge accommodation?
Dial Safe Steps
1800 015 188
Available 24/7

Emergency?

Call 000 – If you or are experiencing family violence or are concerned for someone’s safety, call 000 for immediate assistance.

Seeking refuge accommodation?

If you need support or information, call the Safe Steps 24/7 crisis line 1800 015 188. If you don’t feel safe to use the telephone or prefer texting, Safe Steps offers WebChat from 9am – midnight, Monday to Friday.

Contact Information:

For general information and enquiries phone 03 9877 0311

Office hours: 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

P.O. Box 12
Ringwood, Victoria 3134

Refuge to Recovery

We recognise that people who are LGBTIQA+ experience specific forms of family violence that are different from cis-gendered, heterosexual people – including abuse that targets sexuality, gender identity, expression, or intersex status. As a result, many LGBTIQA+ people face barriers accessing maintstream support services due to unconscious bias, or lack of skill in identifying and managing their specific needs.

Understanding the challenges and exclusions LGBTIQA+ people have faced in accessing help, we partnered with LGBTIQA+ community-controlled organiations, including Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard Victoria, and Family Access Netowork, to develop this program.

Refuge to Recovery is an extension of Refuge Victoria’s well-established refuge services for people escaping family violence and is the first specialised refuge support program for LGBTIQ+ people impacted by family violence in Victoria.

Referrals are facilitated through Safe Steps, as with all of our referrals.

Once in refuge, clients are supported by a specialist LGBTIQ+ Case Manager (who is a member of the LGBTIQ+ community) and have priority access to a THH Family Violence and Sexual Violence counsellor. Clients of the program are accommodated in Refuge Victoria properties and receive all the flexible funding and services available to every refuge client.