About
Our services
Many Australians turn to Lifeline for support during their toughest moments. Our services are a destination for help and include crisis support, counselling, community services, self-led support, and training.
Crisis support
Lifeline is Australia’s largest crisis support service, receiving more than one million calls and over 200,000 texts and chats in a year.
Our free crisis support service provides one off support for anyone experiencing a crisis. Available through phone, text, and chat, Lifeline ensures that no one has to go through their toughest moments alone.
Lifeline’s approach is trauma informed and person-centred with a focus on listening and the connection between the Crisis Supporter and the help seeker. Crisis support is a place for help seekers to discuss their needs, worries or concerns without judgement.
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Lifeline 13 11 14
Our Lifeline phone crisis support service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers are connected to a trained Crisis Supporter who will provide short-term support and be there to listen without judgement.
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Lifeline Text & Chat Service
Our Lifeline crisis support service is also available through text and chat and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Help seekers have the option of different channels to reach out for support. While the phone line remains the most common way for help seekers to contact us, they can also reach us through text and online chat, and they will be connected to a trained Crisis Supporter.
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13 Yarn
13YARN is Australia’s first national crisis support service co-designed, developed, led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The service is free and available over the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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13HELP
13HELP is a dedicated free helpline for communities that have been impacted by extreme weather events or natural disasters. This service continues to get high demand even after the immediate effects of these disasters have passed.
Counselling
Lifeline delivers a range of phone and online counselling services, targeted to meet the needs of different people and circumstances.
Our professionally trained counsellors work in a strengths-based, solution-focused way and are experienced in helping people explore their situation and identifying actions to take. Our counselling approach is trauma-informed, compassionate, and collaborative.
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Mensline Australia
MensLine Australia is a free nationwide phone and online counselling service for men who need support for relationship or mental health issues. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit the MensLine Australia website for online counselling and more information or call 1300 78 99 78 to speak to a counsellor.
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Suicide Call Back Service
Suicide Call Back Service is a free nationwide phone and online counselling service for Australians who are thinking about suicide, concerned about someone, or have lost someone to suicide. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit the Suicide Call Back Service website for online counselling and more information or call 1300 659 467 to speak to a counsellor.
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SuicideLine Victoria
SuicideLine Victoria is a free phone and online counselling service for Victorians who are impacted by suicide or mental health issues. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit the SuicideLine Victoria website for online counselling and more information or call 1300 651 251 to speak to a counsellor.
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Changing for Good
Changing for Good is a free phone counselling program for men who want to maintain healthy and respectful relationships without using violence. Visit the Changing for Good webpage for more information.
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CAREinMIND
CAREinMIND is a free phone and online counselling service for people in the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network region. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people with mild to moderate mental health concerns.
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Mind Health
MindHealth is a free phone and online counselling service for people in the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network region. The service is available from Monday to Saturday 7am to 9pm for people with mild to moderate mental health concerns. Visit the MindHealth website for more information.
Community Services
Across Lifeline’s Member Network of 43 centres, we offer services that respond to the local needs of each community.
Services vary by each centre and may include face-to-face counselling, bereavement support groups, Eclipse support groups for people who have attempted suicide, financial counselling, and Connect Hubs.
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Lifeline member community services
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Face-to-Face Counselling
Many Lifeline centres offer face-to-face counselling to support people in crisis or who are facing a challenging period in their lives.
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Bereavement Support Groups
Bereavement support groups offered by Lifeline Centres provide a safe space for people who have lost loved ones to suicide. Grief following a suicide can feel overwhelming without support. These groups offer support and hope by sharing and connecting with others who are bereaved by suicide.
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Eclipse Support Groups
Eclipse Support Groups offered by a few Lifeline Centres are for people who have survived a suicide attempt. The group provides a safe space where people can talk about their experiences without fear of stigma or shame. It is an 8-week evidence-based program that teaches specific skills to reduce suicidal thoughts, develop strategies to keep safe, and build resilience.
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Financial Counselling
Several Lifeline Centres deliver financial counselling support services to assist people who are dealing with financial stress. The counselling can help with budgeting and prioritising expenses, provide information, and offer referrals.
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Lifeline Connect
The Connect Program, offered by a few Lifeline Centres, is dual-model approach to suicide prevention and support. It is an early intervention and prevention service, or a clinical service delivered by a qualified Counsellor.
Program Objectives:
- Deliver face-to-face support to individuals at risk of suicide through either a clinical or non-clinical model.
- Offer services within a Centre setting (ideal for clinical interventions) or via mobile outreach (such as community hubs or mobile vehicles).
- Serves as a single point of contact for individuals seeking help, reducing barriers to access.
- Provides high-quality volunteer and community training in suicide prevention, crisis support, and wellbeing.
- Fosters a welcoming, inclusive space that promotes social inclusion and community participation.
- Acts as a drop-in point where people can simply “have a chat” or be connected to appropriate services.
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Lifeline Australia community service
Site Intervention ServiceA public suicide, or a suicide in a public place, is the death of an individual by their own actions at a known community location or public site. Certain public places may unintentionally offer a means or opportunity for suicide. These places can gain a reputation, due to media attention and word-of-mouth, as locations where people take their lives.
Lifeline can provide support through education, advocacy and resources for anyone concerned about a potential location in their community. For more information, visit the Suicide Prevention in Public Places page.
Support Toolkit
Lifeline offers a range of options for help seekers who want to take steps to look after their mental health and wellbeing.
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Support Toolkit
The Support Toolkit is a trusted and helpful self-led resource for Australians seeking mental health support online. Supporting people at all stages of their wellbeing journey, the Toolkit provides accessible and practical resources, as well as clinically informed and plain language information that help seekers can access on their own terms.
The Toolkit also has resources to help anyone supporting someone else in need. Visit the Support Toolkit to discover information, advice, tips, and resources.
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Beyond Now
Beyond Now is a free app supporting people in crisis to create a safety plan to help them cope when they are feeling distressed and suicidal. Find out more about Beyond Now and suicide safety planning.
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Forums
Thousands of people use Lifeline’s discussion forums to share experiences and support each other. The forums are hosted by SANE Australia and are moderated by mental health professionals.
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Holding on to Hope Podcast
Our Holding on to Hope podcast shares stories of hope from people who have been impacted by suicide. Each episode guides listeners through the guest’s journey, exploring their tough periods, when they reached out for support, and how they maintain their mental health.
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Service Finder
The Lifeline Service Finder is a directory of free or low-cost health and community services available in Australia. It includes mental health services, financial assistance, domestic violence support services, and family and children's services, and is managed and maintained by Infoxchange. Visit the Service Finder to search for services in your local area.
Training
Lifeline and its Member Network offer a range of training programs to strengthen community capacity and equip people to be suicide safe.
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Training through Lifeline Australia
Our virtual and face-to-face courses provide proactive, skills-based training to keep people and their organisations mentally healthy. Visit our Workplace and Community Training webpage for more detailed information.
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Training at Lifeline Centres
Lifeline’s member network offers a range of training programs. These include the Accidental Counsellor, Crisis Supporter Training, Managing Challenging Interactions, and more. The training programs vary by location. To find a Lifeline Centre near you, please use our Location Finder.
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DV-alert – Domestic and Family Violence Response Training
DV-alert is a nationally recognised training program with training and assessment delivered on behalf of Lifeline Australia (RTO 88036). The program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services as a key initiative under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.
DV-alert workshops are ideal for frontline workers in health, allied health, education, and community services sectors, as well as anyone who works or volunteers in a role where they may come into contact with people experiencing domestic and family violence. Learners will be equipped with knowledge and tools to Recognise the signs of domestic and family violence, Respond confidently, and Refer appropriately to support services.
We’re here for you
Confidential one-to-one support with a trained Lifeline crisis supporter.
If life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000)