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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre

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Geelong West, VIC
The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre

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Free and confidential support for all people impacted by sexual and family violence. You don’t need a referral to make an appointment.

Please reach out to us...
Accessing a service from us can occur in a number of ways. Appointments are available in-person, online video call through Health Direct or over the phone. Phone
For Barwon support call 03 5222 4318
For Wimmera support call 03 5381 1211
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (24 Hours): 1800 806 292
Safe Steps (24 Hours): 1800 015 188

Email
Barwon: [email protected]
Wimmera: [email protected]

Webchat
https://www.safvcentre.org.au/webchat/

In-person
59-63 Spring Street, Geelong West
25 Roberts Avenue, Horsham
Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm (late appointments may be available)

For all emergencies, including if anyone is in immediate danger, please call 000.

25/10/2026

People who use violence can also target someone’s mental health directly.

This can look like constantly undermining someone’s confidence, isolating them from friends and family, or making them doubt their own memory and judgement. Sometimes it means using a person’s mental health against them, telling them no one will believe them.

This is abuse. It is part of coercive control, and its effects can be just as serious and long lasting as physical violence.

The responsibility always sits with the person using violence. We all have a role in holding them to account: recognise these behaviours for what they are, believe people when they tell us, and refuse to excuse or minimise it. If you’re worried about your own behaviour, support is available to help you stop.

📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76 (24/7, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
📞 Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491 (for anyone worried about their own behaviour)
📞 In an emergency, always call 000

21/10/2026

As we continue to look at the relationship between family violence and mental health following World Mental Health Day, we cannot lose sight of the impact of family violence on children.

They are not bystanders to family violence. They experience it, and it shapes their mental health. Compared with children who have not experienced violence, the evidence shows they are:

🔹 3 times more likely to experience depression or anxiety
🔹 Almost 5 times more likely to experience PTSD
🔹 More than 4 times more likely to have attempted su***de in the past year

These impacts can last a lifetime, but they don’t have to. Children recover best when they are believed, kept safe and given support that is designed for them.

Keeping children safe is never their responsibility, or the responsibility of the parent experiencing violence. It sits with the person using violence, and with all of us to make sure children are seen and supported.

📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (24/7, ages 5 to 25)
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
📞 Su***de Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (24/7)
📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
📞 In an emergency, always call 000

20/10/2026

🎉Our Together We Can event is back! After a hugely successful 2025 event, we are so pleased to announce that Tarang Chawla will be our keynote speaker at our 16 Days of Activism event in Geelong.

More information to come (including other speakers), but you can REGISTER NOW here: https://events.humanitix.com/together-we-can-2026

It will be an incredible day to come together to prevent gendered violence! We can't wait to see you there 👏

20/10/2026

Our Training and Workforce Development team recently delivered Sexual Harassment and Active Bystander training for Hub members from Women with Disabilities Victoria. It was a great session to lead!

Hub members practised the practical active bystander tools that can be used to safely call out inappropriate behaviour when they see, hear or experience it.

Thank you to MYER Geelong for funding this important workshop and for supporting training that builds the confidence and skills of women with disabilities.

18/10/2026

Intimate partner violence contributes around a quarter of the health burden from su***de and self-harm among Australian women.

This link is not always recognised, and it matters. When we understand how violence affects someone's mental health, we can respond earlier, ask the right questions and connect people with the right support.

If you are experiencing violence and feeling overwhelmed, please know you are not alone and help is available, any time of day or night. If someone you know is going through a hard time, checking in with them can make a real difference.

📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
📞 Su***de Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (24/7)
📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76 (24/7, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
📞 In an emergency, always call 000

18/10/2026

We raised over $4,732 today for our Christmas campaign!!! 🎅🎄 What a great way to start our fundraising efforts for our clients to receive support this festive season.

A huge thank you to the small but mighty crew from Grovedale Waurn Ponds Rotary who helped us to plan and execute a huge day of snags and drinks to the Geelong community.

Thank you also to some of our staff, their families and board members who put their hands up to volunteer, and of course to the community for coming out and supporting our organisation and our clients 💕🙏🏼

Thanks to Waurn Ponds Bunnings Warehouse for the opportunity to raise vital funds. And lastly, to whoever is in charge of the weather - 25 and sunny ☀️ was a great choice for today! We appreciate it!

16/10/2026

Intimate partner violence is the leading contributor to illness, disability and early death for Australian women aged 18 to 44.

More than 70% of that burden is depression and anxiety.

As we continue our series following World Mental Health Day, this is the figure we want everyone to sit with. Family and sexual violence is not only a safety issue. It is one of the most significant mental health issues facing women in this country.

That means it needs a response to match: specialist trauma-informed support for victim-survivors, accountability for people who use violence, and sustained investment in stopping violence before it starts.

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out.

📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76 (24/7, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
📞 In an emergency, always call 000

15/10/2026

🌭 Come and see us this Sunday at Waurn Ponds Bunnings!

🥤 We will be selling snags and drinks between 9am-4pm and would love your support!

🌲 All proceeds will go towards our clients ahead of Christmas time.

14/10/2026

Following World Mental Health Day on Saturday, we're continuing to share what the evidence tells us about family and sexual violence and mental health.

For many victim-survivors, the impact doesn't end when the violence does. It can show up as:

🔹 Hypervigilance, always being on alert
🔹 Disrupted sleep
🔹 Intrusive memories
🔹 A constant sense of being unsafe

These are understandable responses to harmful experiences, not personal failings. Often they are signs of how hard someone has worked to survive.

The responsibility for this harm always sits with the person who used violence, and so does the responsibility to change. We all have a role in holding people who use violence to account: believe victim-survivors, call out abusive behaviour when it's safe to do so, and expect our systems to keep the focus on the person causing harm. If you're worried about your own behaviour, support is available to help you stop.

With the right support, recovery is possible. If any of this feels familiar, please reach out. You don't have to carry it alone.

📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76 (24/7, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
📞 Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491 (for anyone worried about their own behaviour)
📞 In an emergency, always call 000

12/10/2026

Recently we welcomed the Lions Club of Geelong Breakfast Inc to The SAFV Centre’s Barwon office so we could say a big thank you for their recent donation to The SAFV Centre. Liz and Jenny give up their time to volunteer and contribute to making our community a safer and more supportive place to live and we couldn’t be more appreciative that they chose us to direct their fundraising. 🙏🙏🙏

A huge thank you to the ‘Lions Breakfast Club’ for bringing people together, having meaningful discussions with your members every week and raising funds that will help us help the community. 💕

📸 Pictured is our CEO Kerriann Campbell-Jones with Liz and Jenny from Lions Club of Geelong Breakfast Inc.

Address

59-63 Spring Street
Geelong West, VIC
3218

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

03 5222 4318

Website

http://www.safvcentre.org.au/

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