2019-Wesley-Mission-Annual-Report - Flipbook - Page 22
Empowering
people and
communities
We see people in their time of
greatest need: people struggling
through illness, financial hardship,
homelessness, addiction,
loneliness and other challenges.
And we help them access the
tools and support they need to
rebuild their lives and find new
hope for the future.
Expanding suicide prevention networks
through partnerships and community
connections
By the end of 2017/18, Wesley LifeForce had
supported communities across Australia through 92
Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Networks which
includes 21 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
networks and two youth networks. Of the 20 new
networks we established, 19 were in drought affected
areas of NSW. And there are many more networks in
the pipeline. In 2017/18, we secured just under
$7.8 million in funding, to be used over 30 months.
This will allow us to continue expanding the Wesley
LifeForce Networks and training across the country.
22
Wesley LifeForce is a national suicide prevention
program that educates, empowers and resources
communities. In 2017/18, 36,000 people–including
general practitioners, nurses, ambulance officers,
police, teachers and sporting groups–have been
through the program. They receive training,
learn how to access resources and connect with
other networks to create a national effort to
combat suicide.
As our networks continue to expand outside New
South Wales, into Queensland, the Northern
Territory and South Australia, each network in
these areas represents a partnership with local
Uniting Churches as we co-locate our staff in
shared offices.
We’ve also formed new partnerships with primary
health networks in local communities. And we’re
working with them to strengthen and build
community capacity to do suicide prevention work
and work with first responders.
Advocating for a national focus on suicide
prevention in drought affected communities
It’s a testament to Wesley Mission’s reputation in the
field of suicide prevention that in 2018, Federal
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, invited us to
Canberra to discuss mental health programs in
drought affected areas. During the meeting, we
were candid about the need for a different approach
to get programs up and running quickly, as the
typical government tender process can take months
to finalise. This is an immediate crisis and we need
to respond to it quickly.
Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention
Conference held in Darwin
When Wesley LifeForce held the 2017 Suicide
Prevention Conference in Darwin, it was the first
time we’ve held the event interstate. And it was a
significant event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander mental health services in the NT.
Darwin has the highest suicide rate in Australia and
hosting the conference there brought more
awareness to the issue. Many Indigenous
communities in Darwin have established Wesley
LifeForce Networks, so we were pleased to be
able to make the conference more accessible to
those communities.
The conference focused on mental health, resilience
and suicide in regional and rural areas and
Indigenous communities.
We closed the conference with a Wesley LifeForce
Memorial Service–the first of what will now be an
annual event held in Darwin. People who had lost
friends or family members to suicide had an
opportunity to gather, reflect and hear from others
with shared experience.
We’ll hold the next conference in Proserpine in
northern Queensland, which was impacted by
Cyclone Debbie in 2017. Communities there are still
dealing with the aftermath of the disaster–
infrastructure remains affected, and there is a
continuing mental health impact from the trauma
residents experienced during the event. The
conference will shine a light on suicide and mental
health after a natural disaster, raising awareness
about the ongoing impact it has on a community.
Government acknowledges success of
Wesley Community Legal Service
specifically recommends that Wesley Mission apply
to their upcoming tender for Community Legal
Centre funding. To be the only organisation
highlighted in this way, is a testament to the
community impact of our service.
being at-risk, or who have been reported to child
protection services. In the United States, it’s been
shown to reduce child abuse and neglect by
enhancing caseworkers’ capacity to deliver positive
parenting skills to families with young children.
The service is supported by a team of volunteer
lawyers, operates across NSW, and in 2017/18 they
assisted 183 clients. The services they provide
include criminal, civil, and family law; credit/debt
and bankruptcy; wills, powers of attorney and
guardianship; education and training services; and
collaborative case management with referrals to
support services.
Caseworkers visit participants in their homes weekly
to help them through the practical side of parenting.
The parent learns transferable skills in preparing a
child for a task, how to prompt better behaviour
during the activity, and communication techniques.
The course has a key focus on the basics of looking,
touching, talking, feeling and smiling as
communication tools between parent and child.
Problem gamblers face a range of risk factors:
53 per cent have depression and 28 per cent have
symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. Thirty
eight per cent have or have had an alcohol use
disorder. And 26 per cent consider taking their own
life. Some of the issues they face include criminal
proceedings, mental health and medical issues,
credit/debt, bankruptcy, unemployment, family
separation and homelessness.
This year we focused on training more Wesley
Mission staff to develop the program. In mid-2018 a
Senior Trainer from the National SafeCare Training
and Research Centre, within the Georgia State
University trained staff in how to assess a parent,
deliver SafeCare to families, and navigate the
detailed provider manual that outlines how to
conduct each session with parents.
Our advice and referrals are tailored to each
client’s individual needs, and we collaborate with a
range of other professionals, such as financial
counsellors, gambling counsellors, mental health
and medical professionals, employment services
and emergency relief.
For six years, Wesley Community Legal Service has
been assisting problem gamblers with a
comprehensive range of services. Through our
collaborative and holistic case management, we’ve
achieved a recidivism rate of almost zero per cent.
And 98 per cent of our clients with criminal charges
avoided incarceration.
Continued success in second year of
SafeCare program pilot
In 2017, the NSW Government conducted a review
into community legal centres, and their final report
SafeCare is an evidence-based, behavioural skills
training program for parents of children identified as
Wesley Brighter Futures is in the third year of an
innovative pilot of the SafeCare model, a program
developed by Georgia State University in Atlanta in
the United States. And it’s already proving to be a
lifeline for parents participating in the program.
In 2017/18, 77 families engaged with part or all of
Wesley Mission’s SafeCare program, and 17 families
successfully completed all three modules.
Mums and Kids Matter expands regional
reach
Wesley Mission’s Mums and Kids Matter supported
73 mothers and their children in 2017/18, and we
continue to work in the broader communities as we
reach into rural and regional areas to support
mothers in the communities that are meaningful to
them. In the same period, 30 per cent of our total
referrals came from regional areas, compared to 18
per cent the year before. We also began actively
promoting the program to clinicians to the 12 Local
Health Districts across the state, and we’ll continue
focusing on regional outreach over the coming
12 months.
Supporting financial literacy for women on
Norfolk Island
On 11 June 2018, we began delivering our award
winning financial literacy program, In Charge of
My Money, to women on Norfolk Island in
partnership with Women’s Advocacy Group Norfolk
Island (WAGNI).
Through the program, we helped educate up to 60
women and young people aged between 14 and 17,
on basic money management. We also provided
training and commenced a mentoring program for
women and girls. The initiative helped women on
Norfolk Island develop their budgeting skills and
learn strategies to avoid debt: skills that will assist
them to become financially independent.
The program, supported by a Commonwealth
Government grant of $15,000 to WAGNI, will also
make a positive and lasting difference to children,
families and the broader community, as participants
share their skills and knowledge.
Jobseekers gain confidence and experience
at Suncorp Community Café
Jointly launched by Wesley Mission, Suncorp and
the Darcy Street Project, Suncorp Community Café
is a training ground for people who’ve encountered
barriers to education or employment. Over three
months, students complete formal training in
hospitality through Wesley Vocational Institute, gain
work experience at the café and participate in
financial literacy workshops. The café provides the
perfect environment for people to learn and
experience a real work environment so that they can
leave the program feeling confident, independent
and positive about their future.
23