harm reduction in action

Meeting people where they are with non-judgemental Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) support.

We’ve expanded our City Street Health team, bringing more support to people doing it tough in the heart of the city.

Our outreach workers walk the streets seven days a week, meeting people where they are and offering non-judgemental care and support.

A cohealth Addiction Medicine Specialist/GP joins the team weekly, stepping out of the clinic to reach those who might otherwise go without medical help.

Through trusted relationships built by the City Street Health team, the GP provides flexible, on-the-spot medical support addressing immediate health concerns, preventing complications and helping people connect with ongoing care.

In FY25, our AOD teams provided 12,500+ service occasions for people who use alcohol and other drugs.

A new health clinic at 69 Bourke Street offers low-barrier, integrated care to people in Melbourne’s CBD.

The clinic supports people experiencing significant disadvantage, who often face challenges to accessing mainstream healthcare.

Clients are referred through The Salvation Army’s Magpie Nest Café at 69 Bourke St or connected through cohealth outreach teams and other services across the CBD.

Once connected, they can access primary healthcare, alcohol and drug support, and pharmacotherapy through cohealth’s team of GPs, nurses, harm reduction workers and addiction medicine specialists.

Since opening in December 2024, the clinic has delivered more than 950 appointments, ensuring more people get the healthcare they need.

Building on a foundation of trust and expertise

cohealth continues to be trusted with opportunities to expand its AOD services, in recognition of its 22-year history delivering high-quality, evidence-based alcohol and other drug (AOD) care, in community.

In 2026, we will launch a community health hub at 244 Flinders Street in Melbourne’s CBD — a welcoming, non-judgemental space, focused on delivering comprehensive, tailored health and social care, for people who use drugs, and people experiencing health and social challenges.

This innovative hub will also serve as a training ground for the next generation of our AOD workforce, and offer evidence-based treatment options for people who want support with long-term addiction.

Our commitment to accessible, life-changing AOD support doesn’t stop at the city limits.

Our regional clinic in Mildura has supported 23 people to begin or continue opioid substitution therapy, achieving an 87% retention rate over 11 months.

In March 2024, we partnered with Orticare and Sunraysia Community Health Service to establish a telehealth-based OST clinic in Mildura.

Patients connected with Melbourne-based addiction specialists via telehealth, allowing people in rural communities to access the same lifesaving treatment available in metropolitan areas without needing to travel for hours.

Van West has provided over 1,000 instances of mobile support to community members across Melbourne’s West.

Since September 2024, Van West has provided first aid, basic health checks, safer drug use information and overdose reversing tools such as naloxone.

Staffed by a registered nurse and harm reduction worker, the team also connects people to housing, AOD services and other health and social services.

Through our partnership with the Salvation Army, a second mobile outreach service now reaches St Kilda, bringing care directly to the streets.