Centacare

Here you will find our Profile of Services, the services Centacare provides to the community, relevant to the 2010 - 2011 period for the 2010 - 2011 Stakeholder Report.

If you require further information please call 1300 523 985 or email admin@centacare.net

Centacare Programs fall into four main categories. Please follow the links below to find our more about the services which fall under each category:

1. Counselling and Education
   
2. Family Relationship Centres
   
3. Community Care
   
4. Case Management
   

Each Centacare site provides some or all of the services that fall into these categories.

Centacare welcomes community members to attend a number of educational and informative events. To find out more click here.

Centacare receives funding from a combination of sources: Australian and Queensland Governments, The Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for the Diocese of Rockhampton, corporate partners, individual client contributions, and donations. We also receive in–kind support from a number of sources, in particular the Clergy and Religious of the Diocese, Sisters of Mercy, and Diocesan Catholic Education Office.

1. Counselling & Education

In this section you can find information on Centacare services related to Counselling and Education including:

• FaHSCIA Programs
  
• Sexual Assualt Service
  
• Domestic Violence Service of Central Queensland
  
• Family Support Services
  
• Natural Fertility Services
  
• School Counselling Program
  
• ACCESS Employee Assistance Program
  
• Pre-Marriage Education
  

1.1 FaHCSIA Programs

Many programs offered in the various sites are funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). These programs provide counselling to families, couples, children and individuals. The aim of counselling is to encourage and strengthen families, couples and individuals to continue to develop and grow. The counselling services address many issues including depression, conflict, divorce and separation, grief and loss, stress, experiences of abuse, and family and step–family issues.

Community education programs, funded by FaHCSIA, are also delivered to communities throughout the region and cover a wide range of topics, including: parenting skills, effective child discipline, raising adolescents, budgeting, self-care, anger management, grief and loss and healthy communication.

1.2 Sexual Assault Service

The Central Highlands Sexual Assault Service is funded by Queensland Health and provides information, referral, counselling and education services for victims of sexual assault.

1.3 Domestic Violence Service of Central Queensland

The Domestic Violence Service of Central Queensland, funded by the Queensland Department of Communities, provides information, referral, crisis counselling, court support, community awareness, training, workshops, a resource library, assistance with protection orders and advocacy as well as child and adolescent counselling. The Service works holistically with the family to aid everyone in achieving equality, self determination and a community free of violence. 

1.4 Family Support Services Program

Centacare provides counselling and family therapies as well as casework supports to families based in Bundaberg, Emerald and Rockhampton. The programs are designed to support and assist parents, families, individuals, care–givers and anyone who works with children under 18 years of age. Funding for these services comes from the Queensland Government’s Department of Communities.

1.5 Natural Fertility Services

The Natural Fertility Services (NFS) program has a long and proud history and continues to assist many couples plan their family using natural methods. In these days of environmental consciousness, natural methods are being embraced by an increasing number of people. The program educates students, health workers and the general community on matters relating to fertility and reproduction in an environment which reveres and celebrates the gift of human sexuality.
In conjunction with the NFS program Centacare also delivers Family Life Education sessions to high school and primary school students. Family Life Education is delivered by Centacare’s qualified Family Life Educators and covers a range of issues including fertility, sexuality, puberty and the beginning of new life, in an interactive process, and in a variety of ways dependent on the age of participants. Content is presented within a framework of Church teaching within Catholic Schools.

1.6 School Counselling Program

Counselling services are provided, on a contractual basis, to staff and students of schools across the Diocese. Counselling can assist children to deal with a wide range of issues including development of social skills, anger management and bullying, or friendship issues.

1.7 ACCESS Employee Assistance Program

ACCESS is a service to all employees of our contracted client companies and their immediate families. The ACCESS program provides assistance to organisations seeking to build healthy work environments. The main aim of the ACCESS program is to enhance the work performance and quality of working life of employees by resolving and preventing issues that undermine work and well being.

1.8 Pre–Marriage Education

Centacare’s Pre-Marriage Education program FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding and Study) is a core Centacare service that has been in operation since 1974. The program is designed to give couples contemplating marriage the skills and insights into how they can manage their relationship as it develops.

2. Family Relationship Centres

Family Relationship Centres (FRCs) are the centrepiece of Australian Government reforms to the family law system and play a pivotal role in improving family relationships. The FRCs provide services and, importantly, help families access the range of existing services available to them. FRCs aim to be highly visible entry points or gateways to a whole service system promoting healthy family relationships, preventing conflict and separation, encouraging agreement rather than litigation, and promoting the right of children to have meaningful relationships with both parents.

The FRCs specifically target intact and separated families; as well as couples contemplating marriage to create a blended family.

The objectives of FRCs are to:

• provide intact families with help regarding their family relationships and parenting through appropriate information and referral;
• help separating families achieve workable parenting arrangements (outside the court system) through information and referral, support and family dispute resolution services;
• deliver high quality, timely, safe and ethical services; and
• offer information sessions to parents and the general community on the issues affecting children after separation.

Centacare has an established FRC in Rockhampton and Mackay.

For more information on Family Relationship Centres visit: www.familyrelationships.gov.au

3. Community Care

In this section you can find information on Centacare services related to Community Care including:

• Home and Community Care (HACC)
  
• Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs)
  
• Disability and Mental Health Services
  
• Home Assist Secure
  

3.1 Home and Community Care (HACC)

Home and Community Care (HACC) services are for the frail, aged, younger people with a disability, and their carers. The services are funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments.

The HACC program provides a variety of services to eligible clients. Services include assistance with domestic duties, transport, shopping, personal care, in–home respite and meal preparation, social support, allied health and home maintenance.

3.2 Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs)

Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) are support services funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing. CACPs support people who have complex requirements because of their physical, medical, social and psychological needs due to the ageing process. Services can include assistance with showering, dressing, preparation of meals, housework, gardening and transport. Recipients must be assessed as eligible by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

3.3 Disability and Mental Health Services

Centacare provides disability and mental health care packages funded by the Department of Communities: Disability and Community Care Services to those who are eligible for the support.

3.4 Home Assist Secure

The Home Assist Secure service provides information, referral and subsidised assistance to eligible clients. Priority for this program is related to health, safety, and security.

4. Case Management

In this section you can find information on Centacare services related to Case Management including:

• Family Intervention Services (FIS) Program
• Breaking the Cycle Program
  

4.1 Family Intervention Services (FIS) Program

The FIS Program, funded by the Department of Communities: Child Safety, delivers a variety of services to assist in the reunification of children, who are in the care of the Department of Child Safety, with their families and communities.

4.2 Breaking the Cycle Program

This pilot program based in Rockhampton, is part of The Queensland Government Strategy to reduce domestic and family violence 2009-2014 (the Strategy) within a framework of response to domestic and family violence in an holistic and informed way.  A key objective of the program is to protect and support victims, particularly women and children, and to ensure perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions. Centacare offers intensive case management supports to eligible clients to improve their safety and well-being by breaking the cycle of violence.