Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2014 | Page 18

Standing by her

Nicole’s story
Nicole was 16 when she was referred to our Stand
By Me pilot leaving care program as she was soon
to leave residential care. The next 18 months were
not easy, but our committed staff stuck with her
through failed family reunification, homelessness,
family violence and disconnection from education
and community. Finally, Nicole is living in stable
accommodation with her new partner and is
determined to enrol in TAFE later this year. As
Nicole said recently “I know I can put my head
down and do it this time. I always wanted to work
in a bar but now I want to get an education”.

BERRY STREET ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Family Services

18

Nearly all parents want to provide the best possible childhood
for their children. Sadly, for many of the parents with whom we
work, mental illness, substance abuse, long-term unemployment,
violence and their own poor childhoods get in the way.
Where we can, we work with parents to resolve the problems
which prevent them from being the parents they aspire to be.
We do this through: intensive work in the home; playgroups;
parent support groups; mediation with adolescent children;
family counselling; our three Children’s Contact Services; and
through our family violence programs

Building the relationship
between mother and child

Jessica
and Elosi’s
story
Jessica and her one year old daughter
live with her three younger siblings
and her parents. She was referred to
our Northern Family Services because
of post natal depression, her lack of
connection with Elosi and anxiety
about leaving the house. Helping
Jessica better understand the needs
of Elosi has been critical to building
their relationship. We encouraged
her to enter our IMAGINATE good
childhood competition and enrol in
TAFE. The boost in her confidence
when she won a digital camera and
successfully completed her course,
further cemented the great gains she
has made.

“I feel understood by the therapist at Berry Street. She is experienced
and knowledgeable and is prepared to pass that on to me in order for
me to learn. I highly value the insight she gives. While the situation
with my teenager remains very challenging, without this generous
support, I am sure my mental health would have been very poor...
Thank you”.
– client with our family services

^^Through our Children’s Contact Services, we helped 400
children and 510 separated parents to have positive and,
where necessary, supervised contact. In Shepparton, we
also ran groups with Rumbalara Aboriginal Coop and in
primary schools

^^In Ballarat and the North, we helped 723 adolescents and

their parents better understand each other and hopefully
prevented the young people leaving home prematurely

^^Working intensively with 675 children and parents in

Gippsland and the North, we helped parents make the
changes necessary to keep thei r children safe

Free from violence at last

Christina’s
STORY
Sixty-eight year old Christina was referred by her
psychologist to our Northern Family Violence team
in 2011. She was very scared of her husband, from
whom she had suffered serious family violence
for 40 years. She had recently been hospitalised
for two weeks following a physical assault, was
rarely allowed to leave the house, wasn’t allowed
any money and told she would be put in a nursing
home because she was “mentally ill”. We talked
with Christina about her options and several
months later she decided to leave. Because of
the threat to her safety, we helped her move
to a refuge in the country. Over time, Christina
gained more confidence, negotiated a divorce
and financial settlement and reconnected to some
family members and her church. Although she
still suffers from the impact of 40 years of abuse,
Christina now feels safe and is on the journey to
reconnection, self-discovery and independence.