Breakthrough For Families

Alcohol and other drugs information, education and support for families.

Breakthrough for Families (BFF) provides support to anyone who is affected by a loved one’s alcohol and other drugs use . The service is easy to access, with flexible options for support.

We offer this service across the following locations:

• Brisbane North and South (including surrounding regions of Caboolture, Redlands and Beaudesert)
• Sunshine Coast (including Nambour and Gympie)
• Townsville (including Charters Towers, Hughenden and Palm Island)
• Cairns (including Port Douglas, Tablelands and Innisfail).

The program consists of FREE counselling for individuals, families, and extended support people. Additionally, the program provides FREE information sessions online and in person.

Counselling support

Our teams in Cairns, Townsville, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane provide individual and family brief intervention counselling. As part of these sessions, our counsellors will work with you around your individual circumstances and the journey towards recovery.   

These sessions are designed to be as easily accessible as possible: our counsellors can provide support with face-to-face appointments either in a Lives Lived Well office or a community space such as a park, telephone, or online.

Through these appointments we can also help you with connection and referral to any of our other services and other community services outside of alcohol and drug support.

Information sessions

These free, one-hour information sessions cover topics such as:

• understanding substance use and its impact on physical and mental health
• strategies to stay safe and help talk about substance use
• practical plans to support loved ones
• reducing the harms around substance use
• skills to navigate support systems, and address barriers to seeking help
• provide evidence-based counselling to improve emotional and physical impacts of caring for others who use alcohol and other substances.

How do I get started?

You don’t need a GP referral. You can self-refer through our website here. If you have limited access to the internet or would prefer to speak to us to request a referral, please phone the Contact Team on 1300 727 957.

We also accept online provider referrals from other health professionals, services and community and government organisations or they can fax referrals to 07 5546 8223.