Doutta Galla Community Health Service (DGCHS) is a well-established community health service, with extensive experience, expertise and established credibility in providing high quality primary, community and specialist mental health services.

DGCHS is committed to maintaining a strong connection to the community and providing culturally appropriate, accessible and integrated health services with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community.

DGCHS provides services in the City of Melbourne and the City of Moonee Valley.

The key features of DGCHS’s catchment are:

• Large number of public housing and high rise estates – Flemington, North Melbourne, Kensington and Ascot Vale.

• Highest rate of homelessness – in the Central Business District of Melbourne.

• High numbers of disadvantaged people – mental illness, new arrivals/refugees, complex needs, culturally and linguistically diverse.

• Major ambulatory conditions – diabetes, oral health, heart disease and asthma.

• Key Burden of Disease issues – mental illness and cancer.

DGCHS was created in 1992 through a direction by the Governor-in-Council to amalgamate the pre-existing Community Health Centres of Flemington, Kensington and North/West Melbourne. The Niddrie Community Health Centre was incorporated into DGCHS in 1996 and in 2000, the Macaulay Community Support Services (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program) amalgamated with DGCHS.

DGCHS has twelve service locations including four main service sites, five psychiatric residential rehabilitation sites, two offices operating from public housing estates, and Boomerang (a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program) based in Moonee Ponds.

DGCHS’s operating budget is $15 million and it employs more than 220 staff. DGCHS sees approximately 9,000 clients each year and provides 87,500 occasions of service.

DGCHS is a company limited by guarantee with its own Board of Directors drawn from members of the local community.

Visit our service information pages to view the current services we offer.