Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC)
Head office: 175 Plenty Road, Preston Vic 3072
Tel: 9480 7000
Email: info@adec.org.au
Web: www.adec.org.au
ADEC strives to empower people with a disability from non-English speaking backgrounds, their carers and families to fully participate in the community.
Association of Employees with a Disability (AED) Legal Centre
Suite 4, Level 9, 276 Flinders Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9639 4333
Email: noni.lord@aed.org.au
Web: www.aed.org.au
AED provides assistance for people with a disability who have employment and education-related legal problems.
Action for More Independence and Dignity in Accommodation (AMIDA)
247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9650 2722
Email: amida@amida.org.au
Web: www.amida.org.au
AMIDA advocates for good housing for people with a disability.
Association for Children with a Disability (ACD)
Suite 1, 587 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills Vic 3127
Tel: 9880 7000; 1800 654 013
Email: mail@acd.org.au
Web: http://acd.org.au
ACD helps families and carers of children with a disability, and relevant professionals, by providing free information and support over the phone, training and advocacy.
Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Tel (admin): (02) 9284 9600
Tel (national information service): 1300 656 419
Email: infoservice@humanrights.gov.au
The AHRC hears and resolves complaints of discrimination or breaches of human rights under federal laws.
Chief Psychiatrist
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9096 7571
Email: ocp@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Web: www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/key-staff/chief-psychiatrist
Among other functions, the Chief Psychiatrist monitors mental health services, advises the minister about the provision of mental health services, and develops standards, guidelines and practice directions for mental health services.
Communication Rights Australia
Unit 4, 3 Tuck Street, Moorabbin Vic 3189
Tel: 1300 666 604; 9555 8552
Email: info@communicationrights.org.au
Web: www.communicationrights.org.au
This organisation provides specialist information and advocates for people whose human rights have been infringed, giving priority to those with little or no speech.
Community Visitors
Tel: 1300 309 337
Web: www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au/our-services/community-visitors
Community Visitors visit Victorian disability accommodation services, supported residential services and mental health facilities to ensure residents and patients are being cared for and supported with dignity and respect.
Disability Advocacy Resource Unit (DARU)
Level 8, 128 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9639 5807
Email: admin@daru.org.au
Web: www.daru.org.au
DARU provides training for disability advocates to ensure they are informed and up-to-date about issues affecting people with a disability in Victoria.
Disability Advocacy Victoria (DAV)
Unit 4, 3 Tuck Street, Moorabbin Vic 3189
Web: www.disabilityadvocacyvic.org.au
DAV is the peak body for Victorian independent disability advocacy services. DAV does not provide services to the public or take complaints from the public.
Disability Discrimination Legal Service (DDLS)
Ross House, Second floor,
247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9654 8644; 1300 882 872
Email: info@ddls.org.au
Web: www.ddls.org.au
The DDLS is a community legal centre that specialises in disability discrimination legal matters.
Disability Justice Advocacy (DJA)
Unit 2, 28A Albert Street, Preston Vic 3072
Tel: 9474 0077; 1800 808 126
Email: info@justadvocacy.com
Web: www.justadvocacy.com
DJS work with people with disability to support their needs, rights and interests.
Down Syndrome Victoria
Unit 18, 71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford Vic 3067
Tel: 1300 658 873
Email: info@dsav.asn.au
Web: www.downsyndromevictoria.org.au
This organisation provides information, support and services to people with Down syndrome, their families and to relevant professionals.
Mental Health Legal Centre (MHLC)
Building 152, 147 Pelham Street, Carlton Vic 3053
Tel (legal advice): 9629 4422; 1800 555 887 (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8 pm)
Email: mhlc@mhlc.org.au
Web: https://mhlc.org.au
The MHLC provides free legal services to anyone who has experienced mental illness where their legal problem relates to their mental illness.
Mental Health Tribunal Victoria (MHT)
Level 30, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9032 3200; 1800 242 703
Email: mht@mht.vic.gov.au
Web: www.mht.vic.gov.au
The primary function of the MHT is to decide whether the criteria for compulsory mental health treatment as set out in the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) apply to a person.
Mental Health Victoria
Level 2, 22 Horne Street, Elsternwick Vic 3185
Tel: 9519 7000
Email: mhvic@mhvic.org.au
Web: www.mhvic.org.au
Mental Health Victoria is the peak body for community managed mental health services in Victoria.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Tel: 1800 800 110 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 11 pm)
Web: www.ndis.gov.au
Office of the Public Advocate (OPA)
Level 1, 204 Lygon Street, Carlton Vic 3053
Tel: 1300 309 337
Web: www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au
The OPA provides guardianship and advocacy services for people with a disability living in Victoria.
Senior Practitioner (Disability)
Office of Professional Practice, Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9096 8427
The Senior Practitioner (Disability) ensures that the rights of people who are subject to restrictive interventions and compulsory treatment are protected and that appropriate standards in relation to these practices are complied with.
Social Security Rights Victoria (SSRV)
Tel: 9481 0355; 1800 094 164
Web: www.ssrv.org.au
SSRV is a community legal centre that specialises in social security (Centrelink) issues.
STAR Victoria
Ross House, Second floor, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9650 2730
Email: info@starvictoria.org.au
Web: https://starvictoria.org.au
STAR advocates for people with an intellectual disability and their families.
State Trustees
1 McNab Avenue, Footscray Vic 3011
Tel: 9667 6444; 1300 138 672
The State Trustees helps Victorians with a disability to manage their financial and property affairs.
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA)
Head office: 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel (legal help): 1300 792 387
Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID)
235 Napier Street, Fitzroy Vic 3065
Tel: 9416 4003; 1800 655 570
Email: office@valid.org.au
Web: www.valid.org.au
VALID advocates for Victorians with disabilities.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
Human Rights List:
Level 5, William Cooper Justice Centre, 223 William Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1300 018 228
Email: humanrights@vcat.vic.gov.au
Web: www.vcat.vic.gov.au
Victorian Disability Services Commissioner
Level 20, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel (complaints): 1800 677 342
Tel (admin): 1300 728 187
Email: contact@odsc.vic.gov.au
Web: www.odsc.vic.gov.au
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC)
Level 3, 204 Lygon Street, Carlton Vic 3053
Tel: 1300 292 153; 1300 891 848
Email: information@veohrc.vic.gov.au
Web: www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au
Victorian Government Department of Education and Training
Students with Disabilities Program Unit,
Tel: 9637 2000
Email: disability.services@edumail.vic.gov.au
Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Disability and Response Service,
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1800 783 783
Web: https://services.dhhs.vic.gov.au/intake-and-response-service
Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner
Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1300 582 113
Email: hcc@hcc.vic.gov.au
Receives and helps to resolve complaints about Victorian public health services.
Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner
Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1800 246 054; 9032 3328
Email: info@mhcc.vic.gov.au
Web: www.mhcc.vic.gov.au
Receives and helps to resolve complaints about Victorian public mental health services.
Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC)
Building 1, 22 Aintree Street, Brunswick East Vic 3057
Tel: 9380 3900
Web: www.vmiac.org.au
VMIAC is the peak Victorian non-government organisation for people with lived experience of mental illness.
Victorian Ombudsman
Level 2, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9613 6222; 1800 806 314
Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus,
Building ad, Level 2,1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong Vic 3200
Tel (admin): 5227 3338
Tel (legal advice): 1800 014 111 (Monday to Friday, 1 pm to 3 pm)
Email: legal@villamanta.org.au
Villamanta is a community legal service that specialises in disability related legal and justice issues.
Wellways Australia
276 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield Vic 3078
Tel: 8486 4200; 1300 111 400
Email: enquiries@wellways.org
Web: www.wellways.org
Wellways Australia is a not-for-profit mental health and disability support organisation.
Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)
Level 3, 180 Flinders Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9267 3709
Email: ydas@yacvic.org.au
YDAS is a Victorian advocacy service that works with young people with disability to achieve their human rights.
Acquired brain injury assistance
For information about acquired brain injury contact:
Leadership Plus
Milton House, 25 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 9489 2999
Email: admin@leadershipplus.com
Web: http://leadershipplus.com
For information about acquired brain injury support, resources, and referrals contact:
BrainLink
54 Railway Road, Blackburn Vic 3130
Tel: 9845 2952; 1800 677 579
Email: admin@brainlink.org.au
Web: www.brainlink.org.au
Diverge Consulting
60 Lothian Street, North Melbourne Vic 3051
Tel: 9329 4330