Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2016

Strengthening & Emplowering Families STRENGTHENING & EMPOWERING FAMILIES Most families go through some tough times. For the families with whom we work, these problems are compounded by violence, intergenerational trauma, precarious housing, unemployment, mental health and substance use issues. Our approach is to build on the family’s strengths, to help them understand the impact of what’s happened to them and to develop new strategies. We do this through counselling, family mediation, intensive family support, children’s contact services DQGEXLOGLQJ̬QDQFLDOOLWHUDF\ SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Working intensively with 522 children and their parents through our intensive family services programs in the North and Gippsland Providing safe and hopefully healing contact for 460 children separated from a parent through our Richmond, Shepparton and Watsonia Children’s Contact Services Helping 354 young people and their parents work through problems which might otherwise lead to the young people leaving home 3URYLGLQJ̬QDQFLDOFRXQVHOOLQJ to 101 people and supporting 727 people through the matched savings program, Saver Plus Using intentional learning playgroups, working with 127 women and 165 children from refugee and disadvantaged communities, to link them into services and assist the mothers to help their children to learn ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Children supported through our children's contact services 460 Children and mothers engaged in play groups 292 36

Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2016 | Page 37