Seeking Help for Drug and Alcohol Issues: A Guide for Oromo Families in Victoria

If you or someone you love is struggling with drugs or alcohol, you are not alone. Support is available—and it is becoming more culturally safe for Victoria’s Oromo community.

For many people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, seeking help for drug or alcohol problems carries a heavy weight. It can feel shameful. It can feel like a sign of personal weakness. It can feel like it will bring dishonour to family and community.

But the truth is that substance use issues are a health issue—not a moral failure. And when left unaddressed, they can have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and the wider community.

In Victoria, there is a growing recognition that migrant and refugee communities need alcohol and other drug (AOD) services that understand their language, culture, and unique challenges. While there is still work to be done, help is available now.

Why Accessing Help Can Be Harder for Oromo Families

Migrants and refugees can be particularly vulnerable to drug and alcohol harms. Experiences of torture, trauma, grief and loss, combined with settlement challenges like social exclusion, unemployment, and language barriers, can all contribute to problematic AOD use .

Yet members of migrant and refugee communities are significantly underrepresented in AOD services. In Victoria, 81% of AOD service users were born in Australia, and 95% speak English as their first language . This underrepresentation is not because migrant communities have less need—it is because the system often does not feel accessible or culturally safe .

Common barriers include:

  • Stigma and shame: In many migrant communities, substance use is seen as especially shameful—a sign of weakness that damages family reputation .
  • Language barriers: There are limited AOD resources available in different languages .
  • Cultural disconnection: Services can feel too “Angiocentric”—not catering to cultural practices and social norms .
  • Fear and distrust: Concerns about confidentiality and fear of authorities can prevent people from seeking help .

Where to Start: Immediate Support Services

If you need help right now—for yourself or for someone you care about—these services are confidential, available 24/7, and free.

DirectLine

1800 888 236

A 24-hour telephone service that provides anyone in the community with access to drug and alcohol counselling, information, and referral to treatment services . Experienced counsellors provide an immediate and confidential response. You can ask for an interpreter.

Counselling Online

http://www.counsellingonline.org.au

Free, confidential, professional online counselling about alcohol or drug-related issues, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week .

Turning Point

Based in Fitzroy, Turning Point is a leading AOD service delivery and research centre. They offer clinical services including the Drug Responsive Outreach Program (DROP), which provides outreach support for people over 16 experiencing difficulties or crisis related to drug use .

Finding Culturally Appropriate Support

The Victorian Government requires all funded AOD services to provide a friendly, welcoming, and culturally safe environment for all clients, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds .

However, culturally tailored services are still limited and often short-term funded . Here are some of the services that are available:

Muslim Youth, Adult & Families (MYAF) Program

Based in Glenroy, this federally-funded program is specifically designed to support individuals and families from the Islamic community experiencing alcohol and drug-related issues .

Services include:

  • AOD counselling (face-to-face, telephone, and outreach)
  • Assessment and referral to withdrawal and rehabilitation programs
  • Family support workers providing practical help and education
  • Youth AOD outreach for young people aged 15–24
  • Male and female specific support groups

Contact: 9078 3840 | 831 Pascoe Vale Rd, Glenroy VIC 3046

Step Thru Care (STC)

This is a new integrated Mental Health and AOD support service being delivered across western Victoria. It is a partnership between Neami National, Drummond Street Services, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, and Windana .

Priority groups include:

  • People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds
  • People on low income
  • People experiencing homelessness
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • LGBTQIA+ people
  • Young people

The program does not require a Mental Health Care Treatment Plan to access support .

Koori-Specific AOD Services

While specific to Aboriginal communities, Victoria has developed a range of culturally appropriate AOD services for First Nations peoples that may serve as a model for other culturally tailored approaches. These include the Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Service (state-wide residential rehabilitation for young people aged 15–20) and Koori Community Alcohol and Drug Resource Centres in multiple locations .

The Push for Better Multicultural AOD Services

Organisations like the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) are actively advocating for better AOD support for migrant and refugee communities .

In 2021, ECCV surveyed its members about how AOD impacts their communities. The findings confirmed that stigma, limited translated resources, and a lack of culturally safe services are major barriers .

ECCV and VAADA have made several recommendations to the Victorian Government, including:

  1. Funding interagency partnerships between multicultural and AOD services to develop culturally safe services and health promotion campaigns .
  2. Supporting access to qualified interpreters with capability in working with people experiencing AOD issues, and ensuring service users know their right to free interpreting .
  3. Placing bicultural liaison workers into AOD treatment services to increase access for migrant and refugee communities .
  4. Funding cultural safety training for staff working in the AOD sector .
  5. Developing translated materials and culturally appropriate messaging about AOD harms and accessing services .

Practical Steps for Oromo Families

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drugs, here is a path forward:

  1. Call DirectLine (1800 888 236)
  • This is confidential, available 24/7, and they can connect you with services in your area. You can ask for an interpreter.
  1. Reach out to community organisations
  • Contact the Australian Oromo Community Association in Victoria Inc. or Advocacy for Oromia Association. They may be able to connect you with culturally appropriate support or advocate on your behalf.
  1. Consider Step Thru Care if you are in western Victoria
  • This service is designed to be accessible to CALD communities and does not require a referral .
  1. If you are from the Islamic community, contact MYAF
  • They offer tailored AOD counselling and family support in a culturally safe environment .
  1. Seek mental health support if needed
  • Alcohol and drug issues are often linked to trauma and mental health challenges. Organisations like Foundation House provide specialised counselling for torture and trauma.
  1. Remember: you are not alone
  • Substance use is a health issue. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Key Contacts

ServiceContact
DirectLine (24/7 counselling & referral)1800 888 236
Counselling Onlinehttp://www.counsellingonline.org.au
Turning Point03 8413 8413
Step Thru Care (western Victoria)Through Neami National or Drummond Street Services
MYAF Program (Islamic community, Glenroy)9078 3840
Advocacy for Oromia0432 057 473

If you are not sure where to start, call DirectLine. They are there to listen—and to help you find the right support, in your language, with respect for your culture.

You are not alone. There is hope. And there is help.