Warning about distressing information
This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.
Patient information
PLEASE NOTE: Patients could be admitted to a Receiving House for short-term treatment and care, but were not permitted to remain longer than two months.
Patients still needing treatment after two months could be sent to a Psychiatric Hospital either in the same institution/complex or elsewhere.
Hence, there could be more than one set of records for any one person. Please check each location for former patient records.
Lists of records held by the department
For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.
Parliament Place Clinic (1977–85)
File; Temporary
Content: These patient case histories contain working notes and psychiatric reports for the courts, correspondence, personal patient information and background on substance abuse. Some files hold copies of the court transcripts.
The attached reports often include significant details of the person’s personal history, including their criminal, work and educational history.
The files are arranged in two alphabetical sequences and according to the dates of attendance, 1977–85.
Client Files, Parliament Place Clinic (1985–92)
File; Temporary
Content: Client files: Parliament Place Clinic received referrals from Community Corrections Officers regarding persons released on parole, on community-based orders or persons convicted of an offence and awaiting sentencing. The conditions of release/orders included attendance at a drug/alcohol counselling service. The clinic provided assessments and counselling services for its clients.
These client files may contain very little documentation, as a client may only have been required to attend for one session, or further contact was deemed unnecessary. Information may include:
- background information about substance abuse
- family and relationships history
- medical assessments
- any current legal problems
- referral letters
- reports
Files are arranged by unit record (UR) file number.
Note that files for clients whose family name beginning with K, L, M, Q, R and W are represented in this collection. The location of other files for clients with names beginning with other letters is not known.
Some files from other alcohol and drug centres are included.
Reviewed 31 August 2016