Odyssey Victoria

11/12/2025

Odyssey Victoria’s Clinical Manager for Child, Youth & Families, Emma Shaw, together with Monique Yeoman from Kids First and academics Professor Cathy Humphreys and Van Callaly from the University of Melbourne, join CEVAW to unpack how alcohol and other drugs can be weaponised as tools of control in abusive relationships. The discussion explores the barriers women face when seeking support from family violence services and other non–AOD specialist services

Explore how alcohol and other drugs become weapons of coercive control in domestic violence. CEVAW researchers and practitioners discuss substance use coercion, its impact on families, and trauma-informed responses for child and family services professionals.

09/12/2025

Odyssey Victoria's CEO, Dr Stefan Gruenert is delighted that Victoria now has a clear and comprehensive plan to reduce alcohol and other drug harms. The plan acknowledges the need to respond holistically, and it sets the direction for a long-term and sustainable approach to prevention, harm reduction, and treatment services. We look forward to working with the Victorian Government to support its implementation over the coming years.

The Allan Labor Government is delivering Victoria’s first ever strategy to combat alcohol and drug harms – focusing on saving lives by building a system that is better connected and capable of reaching more Victorians.Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt has officially launched the Victorian ...

08/12/2025

The Victorian government has released a drug alert for various products containing higher doses of M**A and recommend people 'start low and go slow' if they choose to use M**A.

High-dose M**A capsules and pills are circulating in Victoria.

07/12/2025

Did you know people from LGBTIQA+ communities who use substances experience disproportionately high rates of family violence, yet they are more often met with surveillance, punitive responses, or exclusion from services

Read more here about becoming a changemaker: https://safeandequal.org.au/2025/09/30/16-days-of-activism-changemakers/

( Source: Weaponised and Stigmatised, Substance Use in the Context of Family Violence, VAADA 2025)

06/12/2025

Thought for a Sunday...

05/12/2025

Our residents at our Circuit Breaker Resi Rehab have made this beautiful tranquil water feature to enhance the gardens.

04/12/2025

Did you know family violence survivors are less likely to be believed or supported by judicial systems if they are perceived to be using substances.

Read more here about becoming a changemaker: https://safeandequal.org.au/2025/09/30/16-days-of-activism-changemakers/

(Source: Weaponised and Stigmatised, Substance Use in the Context of Family Violence, VAADA 2025)

03/12/2025

As part of the against Gender-Based Violence, our team came together for a shared lunch last week - a moment to connect, reflect, and prioritise collective care in the vital work we do at the intersection of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and family violence.

On Friday, staff from our Community Services programs joined the Walk Against Gendered Violence in Melbourne, standing in solidarity to call for a future free from violence.

Together, we reaffirm our commitment to creating safer communities and supporting those impacted by family violence. 💜

02/12/2025

Did you know mothers who experience family violence and who use substances are significantly more likely to have their parenting scrutinised and rights restricted, regardless of safety or parenting capacity

Read more here about becoming a changemaker: https://safeandequal.org.au/2025/09/30/16-days-of-activism-changemakers/

( Source: Weaponised and Stigmatised, Substance Use in the Context of Family Violence, VAADA 2025)

30/11/2025

Did you know Aboriginal women are still significantly overrepresented in both experiences of family violence, and in criminalisation linked to substance use, reflecting ongoing system wide failure to uphold safety and justice.

Read more here about becoming a changemaker: https://safeandequal.org.au/2025/09/30/16-days-of-activism-changemakers/

( Source: Weaponised and Stigmatised, Substance Use in the Context of Family Violence, VAADA 2025)

28/11/2025

We have been working on building our Aboriginal book library in the Children’s Centre at our Lower Plenty Resi' Rehab. We now have almost 50 books in our collection. We are reading our way through them with the children, and everyone is enjoying engaging with the stories as we learn about and celebrate our Indigenous culture. We will continue to build this resource over time and look forward to sharing these stories for years to come.