The Challenge
Stigma and systemic barriers mean people wait years or decades before seeking help - yet treatment saves lives when offered earlier.
Our Impact
We provide digital tools and online and in-person services that remove barriers and reduce stigma, so people can get timely access to the support they need.
1.8M
helpline calls
1M+
website visitors annually
300,000+
live chats/emails
500
walk-in clients annually
Major Milestones
DirectLine
Since 1995, Turning Point has operated Directline, Victoria’s 24/7 alcohol and drug telephone counselling service. Providing information, counselling, and referrals, DirectLine offers a simple and stigma-free way for people to get help and navigate a complex system. An online portal, launched in 2018, further expanded access, ensuring support is only ever a click or call away.
Counselling Online
Since 2006, this national counselling service has provided free, confidential 24/7 online support for Australians experiencing alcohol and drug-related harm. By removing barriers such as stigma, distance, and cost, the service ensures help is available anytime, anywhere. In addition, its online forums create a safe space where people can connect and share their lived experience. Each year, Counselling Online supports more than 80,000 unique users through its website.
Walk-in assessments
Since 2008, our service at Carrington Road in Box Hill, has supported people arriving without an appointment, offering immediate access to care. Clients are seen by an intake clinician for a holistic assessment, which guides referrals to the most appropriate supports and encourages ongoing help-seeking. For many, this is their very first contact with an AOD service.
Find out more in the Impact Story below.
Gambling Help Online
Launched in 2009, Gambling Help Online is Australia’s first national online gambling support service. Providing free and confidential 24/7 online counselling, it creates a vital entry point into the treatment system for people experiencing gambling harm. The website also offers practical tools and resources to help people understand and address their gambling. Each year, more than half a million unique users visit the site
Service Navigation and Bed Coordination
Commencing in 2019, the AOD Pathways and Bed Coordination program helps people from across Victoria overcome barriers to accessing AOD treatment. The team supports clients with service navigation, linking them to counselling, care and recovery support. It also co-ordinates Victorian AOD residential withdrawal care, offering unique insights into system-level barriers and enablers.
IMPACT STORY
Date: 2008 - Present
Walk-in assessments at our Carrington Road site
"We are proud to be a welcoming and safe alcohol and other drug service, meeting people where they are and working alongside them. Our goal is to offer real choices and support their recovery journey through evidence-based care.”
- Turning Point intake clinician & team leader.
Since 2008, our Carrington Road site has offered a unique and highly valued walk-in service for people seeking alcohol and other drug support without an appointment. For many clients, this is their very first contact with an AOD service, which makes providing a warm, welcoming, and non-judgemental experience our top priority. On arrival, each person is seen by an intake clinician who takes time to listen, capture a brief overview of their circumstances, and empower them to take the next steps in their recovery journey.
Following this initial assessment, we work collaboratively with the client to identify the most appropriate treatment pathway, which may include referral to counselling, care and recovery services, or one of our residential withdrawal programs. In 2024 alone, nearly 500 people accessed this service face-to-face. Like our telephone and online supports, Carrington Road ensures help is available where and when people need it most, while easing pressure on other parts of the health system.
Read more about the story: Turning Point internship leads to new research roles
Explore the program: Learn more about Turning Point's internship opportunities