The First Step Program

The First Step Program First Step is a not-for-profit addiction, mental health and legal services hub in Melbourne. All for free. All from one team. All at one site.

We provide free services to thousands of vulnerable Victorians every year. First Step provides a uniquely multi-disciplinary team of GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, mental health nurses, care coordinators, counsellors, and peer group educators. Many of our clients live stable lives, connected with family, work and education. But our multi-disciplinary team specialises in supporting peo

ple with complex needs, those at risk of hospitalisation for their mental health, imprisonment, homelessness, or worse. At First Step we believe that chronic addiction is generally a long-term, painful adaptation to childhood abuse and neglect, and that timely and effective treatment is a matter of social justice that benefits all of society. We work to keep people connected to their families, participating in society and taking control of their own lives. Learn more about our work at www.firststep.org.au. COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

The First Step Program page provides a space for people to find out more about First Step, as well as to encourage discussion about important issues like substance use disorders and mental illness. First Step monitors its social media pages between 9am to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays only. First Step posts are occasionally automatically generated outside of these hours and on Victorian public holidays, if this occurs the posts will not be moderated until the following business day between 9am to 5pm. Please be respectful of all points of view and refrain from personal attacks on other users and people who may be featured in our posts. First Step will remove any posts which:

• are likely to be offensive to other readers;
• discuss methods or depicts images of su***de or self-harm;
• discuss drug usage in an unbalanced way, e.g. omit the negative effects;
• contain unhelpful advice, such as blaming a person for their alcohol or other drug use;
• are dogmatic, such as setting out courses of action as “the only way”;
• are racist, sexist, trans/bi/homophobic or in any other way discriminatory;
• are obscene, or uses graphic sexual language;
• are defamatory, or overly critical of services or organisations which provide help to others;
• are likely to cause harm/distress to other people reading the story;
• are posted for commercial purposes; or
• promote inaccurate, inappropriate or harmful health advice. Users who repeatedly violate the above conditions may be blocked from the First Step page. The First Step page does not provide counselling or crisis services. If you need immediate assistance, please call the National Home Doctor Service on 13 74 25. In an emergency situation, please call 000. If a post on any First Step social media page indicates a person may be at risk of harm, First Step will reply to the post as soon as possible and provide information on counselling and crisis support services. In some instances, First Step may report a post which indicates a person may be at risk of harm to authorities, including the police. First Step can take no responsibility for comments from followers on the First Step social media pages.

17/04/2026

A lot of people who walk through our doors have been turned away before.

Too complex. Too early. Too late.

We do things differently.

Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director at Orygen, spoke about system failure and preventable tragedy at the First Step Fut...
16/04/2026

Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director at Orygen, spoke about system failure and preventable tragedy at the First Step Futures Forum.

“There are probably dozens of Bondi Junctions that could happen.”

Early intervention and continuous care are not optional, they are safeguards.






Trauma doesn’t always look like what people expect.It can look like anger.It can look like shutting down.It can look lik...
15/04/2026

Trauma doesn’t always look like what people expect.

It can look like anger.
It can look like shutting down.
It can look like using substances to cope.

Understanding this changes how we respond.

At First Step's Futures Forum, Paul Edbrooke MP reflected on lived realities:“People do not experience mental health iss...
14/04/2026

At First Step's Futures Forum, Paul Edbrooke MP reflected on lived realities:

“People do not experience mental health issues or AOD issues in a vacuum.”

Housing stress, trauma, poverty and legal issues intersect, and services must respond accordingly.






What does non-judgemental support actually look like to you?There’s no right answer - we’d really love to hear.
13/04/2026

What does non-judgemental support actually look like to you?

There’s no right answer - we’d really love to hear.

At First Step's Futures Forum, Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director, Orygen highlighted a national contradiction.“Mental...
10/04/2026

At First Step's Futures Forum, Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director, Orygen highlighted a national contradiction.

“Mental illness is the major cause of disability in Australia by far.”

Yet funding and system design do not reflect that scale.






09/04/2026
Not everyone who uses substances is “out of control.”For many people, it’s about coping, surviving, or getting through t...
08/04/2026

Not everyone who uses substances is “out of control.”

For many people, it’s about coping, surviving, or getting through the day.

When we reduce people to labels, we miss the bigger picture.

And we miss the chance to actually help.

Reflecting on deinstitutionalisation and community reform, Prof Pat McGorry described unfinished change.“They built foun...
07/04/2026

Reflecting on deinstitutionalisation and community reform, Prof Pat McGorry described unfinished change.

“They built foundations and no one ever built the rest of the building.”

Without sustained investment, reform stalls at intention.






“Integrated care” keeps showing up in government strategy, sector reports, and policy submissions.But what does it actua...
01/04/2026

“Integrated care” keeps showing up in government strategy, sector reports, and policy submissions.

But what does it actually mean?

In his latest blog, Patrick unpacks why all roads lead to integrated care, and what it really takes to make it real for people.

Because this isn’t abstract. It’s about making sure people can get all the help they want and need, from one team, in one place.

Read more here:

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Strategy

Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director at Orygen, argued that building services alone is not enough.“We’ve got to turn off...
01/04/2026

Prof Pat McGorry, Executive Director at Orygen, argued that building services alone is not enough.

“We’ve got to turn off the tap.”

Prevention means addressing the social and economic drivers of mental ill-health, not only treating the consequences.






Opening her address at the First Step Futures Forum, Sheree Lowe from VACCHO reminded the audience that reform spans gen...
30/03/2026

Opening her address at the First Step Futures Forum, Sheree Lowe from VACCHO reminded the audience that reform spans generations.

“Twenty-five years is a generation.”

The decisions we make now shape the lives of children not yet grown.





Address

18 Mitford Street
St Kilda, VIC
3182

Opening Hours

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

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Our Story

First Step is a mental health and addiction treatment ‘hub’ located in St.kilda, Vic. For nearly 20 years we have practiced the team care of clients, providing free-of-charge access to GP's (with vast AOD experience) psychologists, psychiatrists, case workers, mental health nurses, criminal and specialist family violence lawyers among others.

All practitioners practice from the one location at 42 Carlisle Street, St.Kilda. This is essential for people suffering from acute addiction & mental health as they are often too chaotic to cope with multiple appointments and whose care is optimised by accessing the expertise of multiple practitioners all working together.

First Step truly understands that effective treatment of highly complex conditions (like mental ill-health and addiction) is contingent on the input of different areas of expertise and this is extensively facilitated within the operating structure of First Step.

It is our mission to ensure that every person has every chance to turn their lives around.