• Mission and Objectives
• Programs

Mission and Objectives

Counselling and Support Services provides a range of counselling, education and support services to individuals, families and support groups. This service is provided for clients, their families and friends, in order to assist with problems associated with alcohol and other drug use.

The objective of Counselling and Support Services is to provide a range of high-quality and responsive treatment options to clients, based on individual need, and which utilises a harm minimisation approach.

Programs

• Intake

  If you would like to know how you or a family member or friend could access treatment at Moreland Hall, you can contact the Intake Worker.
  
  The Intact Worker assists the caller to consider appropriate treatment options, provides information on how to access those services at Moreland Hall and takes referrals for counselling services.
  
  To speak to the Intake Worker, telephone (03) 9386 2876 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

• Counselling, Consultancy and Continuing Care

  Counselling and Support Services are provided to residents of Local Government Areas of Hume, Moreland and Darebin. Service to Darebin residents is provided at Darebin Community Health Service's Preston and Northcote sites.

  The service is delivered at the Jessie Street site, and several outreach locations including Broadmeadows Care, Darebin Community Health Centre (East Preston site), Darebin Community Mental Health Centre and Vaucluse Hospital.

Individual counselling is provided to clients experiencing difficulties with alcohol and other drug use. Counselling services are also offered to families affected by the substance use of a family member and a secondary consultation service is provided to other health professionals in relation to drug education and management of problematic substance use.

UnitingCare Moreland Hall also has a youth specific counsellor who provides counselling to young people up to the age of 21. This counsellor also spends time supporting clients in the youth residential withdrawal unit Gwenyth Williams House.

Group programs are offered to clients such as:

• Family & Friends Support Group - This group is offered to all family and friends of individuals who are experiencing problematic substance use. It is run every third Wednesday of the month from 7.00 until 8.30pm.
  
  View the calendar for 2005 ( 49kb pdf file).
  
  If you would like further information regarding this group, please telephone us on (03) 9386 2876 or click here to email us.
  
  Further information may be obtained regarding family and friends support and parenting support via the following links:
• Parentzone Telephone (03) 9471 4527
• Family Drug Helpline (03) 9572 2855
• DirectLine Melbourne (24 hours per day, 7 days a week) freecall 1800 888 236
• Australian Drug Foundation web site or phone (03) 9278 8100 (for specific information, pamphlets, literature)
   
• Keeping Going Group - This is a support group for people who have completed a withdrawal program. It is run every Thursday from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, and can be joined at any time. For more detail on this group, click here to access the Keeping Going web page on this site. The group looks at finding alternatives to alcohol and drug use post withdrawal, and it is a good way to meet other people who have also completed a withdrawal program. If you would like further information regarding this group, please contact us on (03) 9386 2876 or email us.
   
• Playgroups - A playgroup is a group of parents or carers who meet weekly with their babies, toddlers or pre-schoolers. Playgroups are about children having fun and learning through play, while the parent/carer makes new friends and shares experiences.

For more information, please see our Playgroups program page.

UnitingCare Moreland Hall provides individual counselling to clients on community based dispositions or other diversionary programs where problematic substance use has been identified. The majority of these clients are referred through the Community Offenders Advice and Treatment Service (COATS) and others are referred directly from the Courts or by police officers. Counselling and support to forensic clients is currently offered in the areas of Hume, Moreland and Darebin.

• Supported Accommodation Treatment Program

The program aims to assist individuals who have undergone a drug withdrawal program or who need assistance in controlling their drug use; to link individuals to alcohol and other drug and general support services based on individual treatment plans; to provide support in managing alcohol and other drug use; and to assist in your search for future long term stable accommodation options.

See the full web page for further information.

If you would like further information, please telephone us on (03) 9386 2876 or email us (choose "Supported Accommodation Treatment Program" from the list of email addresses).

• Prison Based Programs

  UnitingCare Moreland Hall offers individual and group programs at Port Phillip Prison, providing treatment options to enable prisoners to address their substance use, by focusing on harm minimisation, risk managment and drug-seeking behaviour.

  Treatment services include: assessment, individual counselling, psycho-educational programs (such as Alcohol and Other Drug Education, Relapse Prevention) and pre-release. Further services offered at Port Phillip Prison include specific youth and culturally specific programs, training of Officers, health staff, and other organisations within the prison, as well as clinical consultancy.

Alcohol and Drug Youth (ADY) Consultant

• The Alcohol and Drug Youth Consultant provides Alcohol and Drug expertise to Child Protection and Placement and Support funded Community Service agencies. This is provided through consultation, education and training, supervision (workers), service system navigation.

• HYP-D Services (Hume Youth and Parents Drug Services)

  The HYP-D service team provide counselling to young people aged 12-25 years who may be experiencing problems relating to their drug use and reside in the Hume metropolitan region. We also work with and support families who may be affected by someone's drug use. Telephone (03) 9386 2876 or email us (choose "HYP-D" from the list of email addresses).

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