Our Board of Directors what rebuilding lives and restoring hope means to them
Lyn Allison . B . Ed , MAICD . Former Teacher and Democrats Senator .
Contemporary society , with all its wealth and indulgence for some , has meant more and different stresses on the young and arguably created environments in which some parenting damages rather than nurtures children . I think Berry Street , in its dogged pursuit of solutions , acts as the village in the old adage : it takes a village to raise a child . I hope our village can help parents and deliver out of home care - that last resort for children – that fosters positive emotional , intellectual and physical growth . No one said this would be easy , but it is what drives us .
Mary Clark . BA ( Journalism ). Public Relations and Media Consultant .
Having seen just how resilient even the most damaged children can be , it isn ’ t much to ask for the rest of us to support those who do the real work restoring these children ’ s hope and trust .
Dr Neil Coventry . MB , BS , FRANZCP , Cert Child Psych . Vice-President . Director , Austin Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service .
My knowledge of the numerous wonderful Berry Street services is greatest in my own area of clinical interest , the Take Two Therapeutic Program . This program really encapsulates all the Values of Berry Street , providing therapy to some of the most vulnerable children and adolescents in out of home care . Take Two provides comprehensive clinical understandings to aid the recovery for these young people , and this is always underpinned by the sense of hope , recovery , and the capacity to last as long as it may take for the painful journey to rebuild troubled lives . As Board members , we are privileged to have an oversight role to support this fantastic work , and it makes me feel both humble and proud to see such dedicated and sophisticated caring , which is at the forefront of furthering our knowledge of treatment options and sharing it on the international arena .
Mithran Doraisamy . BSc , MBA , ACA . Partner , Business Advisory Services , Ernst and Young .
Rebuilding lives and restoring hope is the key objective behind Berry Street ’ s drive to “ never give up ” on the less advantaged children in Victoria . It ’ s the reason I ’ m involved with Berry Street , and our obligation as a Board is to ensure that Berry Street delivers on this .
Michelle Evans . BA . Comm , MA Creative Arts , PBAS Accredited . Head of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development .
Berry Street people approach the work of rebuilding disconnections in families everyday . There is hope in each of these acts of service each day . Working in the children and families community services sector is some of the toughest and challenging work in our society . Yet it is also some of the most rewarding work – seeing young people and children become confident in who they are – this work is the building blocks of our communities .
Laurinda Gardner . BA ( Hons ). President . Deputy Secretary , Corporate Strategy and Services , Department of Treasury & Finance .
Berry Street does extraordinary work to rebuild the lives of many of Victoria ’ s children , young people and families who have experienced trauma , abuse and neglect . Changing lives for the better requires care and compassion , skill and commitment . It also requires a strong belief that the individuals that Berry Street staff work with have within them the ability to develop hope and have a positive future . That is why Berry Street ’ s motto is “ we never give up ”.
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