The Challenge
Mental health and addiction often overlap, yet siloed systems mean people with co-occurring needs struggle to access consistent, coordinated care.
Our Impact
We promote holistic, integrated care by connecting services and supporting workers to meet the needs of people with both mental health and addiction challenges.
3000+
people supported by the Hamilton Centre since 2022
300+
women engaged in Australia' s first trauma-addiction therapy program (COPE)
1000+
enrolments in Hamilton Centre online training modules
8x
higher gambling rates identified among people with complex mental illness
Major Milestones
The links between gambling and mental health
Even though one in two people accessing addiction treatment experience trauma-related mental health symptoms, access to evidence-based care for both PTSD and addiction remains limited. To address this gap, Turning Point established the COPE Clinic in 2020, the first service in Australia to deliver integrated psychotherapy for PTSD and addiction in a routine care setting.
The program is specifically designed for women aged over 25 and is the only publicly funded trauma-focused treatment of its kind in Victoria. Since launch, the clinic has received more than 400 referrals, screened over 190 women for treatment, and provided 350 secondary consultations to support care planning. COPE is breaking new ground in trauma-informed treatment, offering a model of integrated care that transforms recovery pathways.
The Hamilton Centre
Launched in 2022, the Hamilton Centre is Victoria’s statewide specialist service for co-occurring addiction and mental health. Established in response to the 2021 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, it integrates clinical care with training, research, workforce development, and system leadership to drive a more coordinated and effective response.
The Centre also plays a key role in reshaping how integrated care is delivered across the state, supporting both individuals and the health professionals who care for them. In 2024, its dedicated website, developed in collaboration with Monash Art, Design and Architecture, was launched, receiving more than 100,000 views and winning the Victorian Premier’s Award for Service Design.
More info on the Hamilton Centre is available in the Impact Story below.
Driving integrated care through online learning
In just two years, more than 1,000 clinicians and workers have enrolled in the Hamilton Centre’s online learning modules, building skills in treating co-occurring addiction and mental health, opioid pharmacotherapy, addressing stigma, and more.
Designed to strengthen workforce capability across Victoria, these evidence-based modules provide practical tools that can be applied directly in clinical care.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with 91% of participants recommending the training to others. The program is helping create a more confident, skilled, and stigma-aware workforce to better support people with complex needs.
Case Study
Opening Victoria’s statewide specialist centre for integrated care
We're focused on improving how services and systems work so people can access the care they need, wherever they are accessing treatment. By strengthening clinical support, expanding training opportunities and advancing research, we’re driving sustainable system change.
A/Prof. Shalini Arunogiri
Access to integrated care can be life-changing for people with co-occurring mental illness and addiction. Yet in 2021, the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System found that too often people were unable to access the holistic support they needed.
In response, Turning Point was appointed in March 2022 to establish the Hamilton Centre, named in honour of Professor Margaret Hamilton AO, our founding director and a pioneer of Australian public health.
Since its inception, the Hamilton Centre has worked with clinical partners across the state to transform dual diagnosis care. Already, it has received more than 3,000 referrals, delivering primary and secondary consultations and equipping clinicians with the skills and knowledge to provide integrated support.
The Centre is also leading workforce development, presenting to over 300 participants across 12 workshops held online, in Melbourne, and in regional Victoria. Combined with online modules and webinars, more than 2,200 healthcare workers have been reached.
By combining clinical care, consultation, training, and research, the Hamilton Centre is driving systemic change, ensuring Victorians with both mental illness and addiction receive the comprehensive, integrated support they deserve.
Read more about the story: Turning Point internship leads to new research roles
Explore the program: Learn more about Turning Point's internship opportunities
Links: Open minds. Open doors.
Download a Poster of this impact area
