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Recovery services, wellbeing and support

Find out more about the support, advice and counselling available as you and your family recover from storms, bushfires or floods.

On this page

Visit our January 2026 Victorian bushfires page to find information about support.

We understand that disasters have a devastating impact on many lives. You don’t have to go through it alone.

There is support, counselling and advice available for you and your family.

Emergency Recovery Victoria support services

We can help connect you to the services you need during your recovery.

Financial support

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Dispute resolution for the financial services industry.

Services include:

Australian Financial Complaints Authority

Banks and other financial institutions provide support to customers impacted by disasters by offering a range of adjustments to services, hardship support and in some instances, grants.

Ask your bank what support they have available.

Available for low-income earners or people who have experienced family or domestic violence, or health care card or pension card holders. Clients need to show they can repay the loan.

Available loans:

Offers the following advice services:

The National Debt Helpline provides:

National Debt Helpline

Free and independent financial information, options, decision-making support and referral services.

For primary producers and small rural businesses experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

Visit Agriculture Victoria’s Rural Financial Counselling Service for more information and how to access local providers.

Rural Financial Counselling Service

Housing support

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Some community organisations provide bond loans through the Housing Establishment Fund (HEF).

This fund is a program that provides financial help to eligible people with a housing-related hardship.

The HEF is jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian governments under the National Affordable Housing Agreement.

Financial help for private renters

RentAssist provide interest-free loans for private rental bonds. To find out about eligibility, how to apply and how to repay the loan.

Call 1300 475 170

RentAssist bond loan

Apply online

Specific resources have been provided to support renters

They can provide renters with:

WEst Justice Western Melbourne – call 03 9749 7720

Arc Justice Central and Northern Victoria – call 1800 450 909.

Tenants Victoria helps renters know their rights if a disaster (flood, storm or bushfire) affects their home.

They can help with:

Mental health support

Crisis support and suicide prevention

If you or a loved one needs extra support, speak with your local doctor, a mental health professional, counsellor or psychologist. It can also be helpful to talk to someone who is independent but still understanding.

Phone Triple Zero 000 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.

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13YARN is the first national crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping.

They offer a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call: 13 92 76

13YARN

Provides online, email and phone service to people seeking the advice and assistance of a qualified and suitable Australian Psychological Society (APS) psychologist in private practice.

Call 1800 333 497

Australian Psychological Society

Beyond Blue has an information line that offers expert information on:

Beyond Blue

Confidential drug and alcohol counselling and referral.

Call 1800 88 236

National Youth Mental Health foundation’s Headspace offers youth counselling and mental health services to 12 to 25 year olds.

Headspace

Kids Helpline is a free and confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Call 1800 55 1800

Kids Helpline(opens in a new window)

Lifeline is a 24/7 telephone service that offers confidential support and advice to help you deal with stress and personal challenges.

They offer a dedicated support line for people recovering from a bushfire or extreme weather event.

Call 13 HELP (13 43 57)

Their general helpline is 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14

Lifeline Australia

This is a telephone and online support, information and referral service helping men deal with their relationship problems.

Call 1300 789 978

MensLine Australia

The National Centre for Farmer Health’s Support Hub offers a comprehensive collection of mental health resources available specifically for farmers and agricultural communities. Designed to address the unique challenges of farming, it provides tools and resources to help farmers prepare for and navigate difficult times – whether seasonal pressures or unexpected events like natural disasters.

National Centre for Farmer Health Support Hub

This is a 24/7 hour telephone service that allows people to discuss any health-related issues with a registered nurse for the cost of a local call.

Call 1300 606 024

Nurse-on-Call

A free, confidential phone-based coaching and emotional support service for Victorians aged 16 years and over. Trained coaches provide one-to-one support to help explore thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies and improve mental wellbeing.

Partners in Wellbeing also assists with access and navigation to:

Partners in Wellbeing

Rainbow Door is a free specialist Lesbian, Gay , Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls (LGBTIQA+) helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family.

Call: 1800 729 367

Rainbow Door

Flying Doctor Wellbeing is a free mental health and wellbeing service for people in rural and remote Victorian communities.

This service enables people to access sessions with a mental health clinician without needing to leave their local community, with appointments available face-to-face and via telehealth and telephone.

Flying Doctor Wellbeing

This response centre provides confidential support and information for women and children living with family violence or for anyone who knows a person living with family violence.

Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call 1800 015 188

Safe Steps

Here are some websites offering practical advice and resources to support you:

Family violence support

Family violence can happen to anyone.

Dial Triple Zero 000 if you are in immediate danger.

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For people experiencing or at risk of experiencing sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

Call 1800 737 732 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For children and young people whose safety is at risk – after hours Child Protection Emergency Service.

Call 13 12 78 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am Monday to Friday (24 hours on weekends and public holidays).

Child protection contacts

The Men’s Referral Service is the national counselling, information and referral service for men who use violence and abuse to change their behaviour. They can have a conversation with you, help you with some short-term tactics and put you in touch with some supports that can help you along the journey.

Call 1300 766 491 available 24/7.

Men’s Referral Service

The Orange Door provides help for adults, children and young people who are experiencing family violence.

Orange Door

For women and children who are victims of family violence.

Call 1800 015 188 crisis phone line 24/7.

Safe Steps

For victims of sexual assault.

Call 1800 806 292 after hours from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am (including weekend and public holidays).

Sexual Assault Crisis Line

Consumer and business support

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Legal advice and financial counselling for vulnerable people in Australia. Priority given to people facing hardship for various reasons.

Call 1800 466 477

Consumer Action Law Centre

Free legal information and referrals to Victorians affected by a disaster. Clients can contact their closest community legal centre to get advice from a local lawyer.

Call 1800 113 43 Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Find a community legal centre

Can provide legal assistance in dealing with insurers following a weather-related emergency. There are detailed fact sheets available online and sample letters clients can send to their insurers.

Call 1300 663 464

Financial Rights Legal Centre

Legal Aid offers free legal information and advice to Victorians.

Victoria Legal Aid

This service visits metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria as an ‘office on wheels’.

The Small Business Bus (Business Victoria) is equipped with expert advisers to provide general business assistance as well as financial and wellbeing support from trained experts.

Visit Business Victoria for more information and to book a session on the bus.

Business Victoria

Disability support

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) can support National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants once people are out of danger. You may be eligible to access the scheme if you are under 65 and live with a permanent disability that affects your ability to take part in everyday activities.

Call the NDIA Contact Centre on 1800 800 110 for information and advice.

Support for families

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It’s okay to feel stressed and confused after a disaster. If you feel this way, you should talk to your parents or guardians about it.

Headspace is a national youth mental health program and they have a lot of information on how to cope with the stress of natural disasters.They provide advice on dealing with stress:

There are people in the community who you can talk to directly. Kids Helpline is a free and confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Call 1800 55 1800

Kids Helpline(opens in a new window)

Children can feel overwhelmed and devastated when directly affected by emergencies or from the scenes that emerge afterwards. Sometimes, they don’t have ways of understanding what they see and can be particularly vulnerable to feelings of anxiety, stress and sadness.

At the same time, children can also have a natural ability to be resilient and adapt to challenging events.

Here are some signs to look out for:

If you are concerned and need assistance you can get help from:

Young people are uniquely impacted by disasters, often affecting work, study, and the critical resources like phone reception, internet and roads which keep young people connected to their communities.

The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVIC) has compiled an information hub specifically to help young people.

YACVIC resource hub

Updated 4 February 2026

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