The Forum of Australian Services to Survivors of Torture and Trauma has launched Witness to War, a free and confidential multilingual telephone hotline for people in Australia affected by overseas conflicts.
Staffed by mental health practitioners and bicultural support workers, Witness to War offers community members incidental counselling, information about available support, and connections to other local services.
Witness to War staff can speak to callers in Arabic, Hebrew, Dari, Ukrainian and English and in other languages with an interpreter.
Call Witness to War on (free call) 1800 845 198, Monday to Friday 10am – 7pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time), except public holidays.
If you need to speak with someone outside of these hours, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 and ask for an interpreter. If you or someone you know is in danger and needs help immediately call 000, or contact the appropriate specialist crisis intervention services.
For media enquiries about Witness to War, contact:
Jorge Aroche
Chief Executive Officer
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)
jorge.aroche@health.nsw.gov.au
