Aboriginal Family Services
MUNGABAREENA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION –
FAMILY SERVICES PRE-BIRTH TO 17 YEARS
Mungabareena’s Family Service program offers assistance and support for Aboriginal children, young people, and their families to promote healing, support & advocacy.
Mungabareena’s Family Service program offers assistance and support for Aboriginal children, young people, and their families to promote healing, support & advocacy. We employ a holistic approach to ensure the cultural needs of our families are met too.
Family Services provide culturally safe support and assistance to Aboriginal families with children and young people from pre-birth up to and including 17 years of age, who reside in the local Ovens & Murray region.
As the local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation for the Ovens & Murray region, we at Mungabareena understand the needs of the community as we are accountable to the community.
We work in partnerships with families that are referred for Family Services support. Family Service staff work with family members to improve outcomes, safety and development of children, young people, and their families.
Family Services Practitioners work alongside families toward identified goals that will support them to thrive in the future.
How to Access
Family Services program is available free to families and is a voluntary program.
Families can self-refer to Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation by phoning (02) 6024 7599 or email reception@mungabareena.org.au
Families can also be referred by community groups, family, friends or agencies.
Refer by contacting The Orange Door Ovens Murray on 1800 271 157 or by email to oma@orangedoor.vic.gov.au
Provider
MUNGABAREENA
work in Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs.
VACCA –
FAMILY SERVICES – PRE-BIRTH TO 17 years
This program provides Aboriginal children and families support at home to improve their quality of life. It focuses on their strengths and the strengths gained through their culture.
The program aims to help families:
Identify and work on the challenges that make it hard to care for their children
Build and strengthen capacity to safely care for children
Strengthening Aboriginal identity and connection to community
Connect to local services
The program provides:
A detailed assessment of a family’s needs
Child and family care planning, referrals, information, and advocacy
Practical assistance
Cultural strengthening and community connection
How to Access
Family Services is available free to families and is a voluntary program. Families can self-refer directly to VACCA, phone (03) 5756 9000 or email omintake@vacca.org.au
You can also be referred by community groups, family, friends or agencies.
Refer by contacting The Orange Door Ovens Murray on 1800 271 157 or by email to oma@orangedoor.vic.gov.au
Provider
VACCA
work in the Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs
VACCA –
SPECIALIST DISABILITY PRACTITIONER
VACCA Specialist Disability Family Service practitioners work with families to provide support to children, young people, and families with disability-related support needs, including accessing NDIS support.
The program provides:
The family services specialist disability practitioners support families with NDIS access and participation and assisting families to navigate systems of disability support, including the NDIS, disability advocates, disability service providers and mainstream services.
They also provided disability-related case consultations for Aboriginal Children & Families to the broader family services system within the respective Southern metro area. The secondary consultation role aims to support practitioners working in family services to maximise the disability supports and outcomes for children with disability now available through the NDIS.
How to Access
Family Services is available free to families and is a voluntary program. Families can self-refer directly to VACCA, phone (03) 5756 9000 or email omintake@vacca.org.au
You can also be referred by community groups, family, friends or agencies.
Refer by contacting The Orange Door Ovens Murray on 1800 271 157 or by email to oma@orangedoor.vic.gov.au
Secondary Consultation
The role of the Family Services Specialist Disability Practitioners is to also increase knowledge and understanding of disability-specific requirements within the family services sector. This includes secondary consultation on NDIS eligibility, application processes, navigating the NDIS, managing NDIS funding, handling reviews or appeals, and more.
For secondary consultation requests, contact VACCA, phone (03) 5756 9000.
Provider
VACCA
work in the Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs
VACCA –
ABORIGINAL FAMILY PRESERVATION AND REUNIFICATION RESPONSE (AFPRR)
The Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification Response is an intensive program that provides in-home support to Aboriginal families with children at risk of entering out-of-home care or have entered care within the last three months.
This program aims to keep Aboriginal children with their families and reunify children who have been placed in care with their families.
Practitioners will support families to draw on their strengths, identify risks and seek the assistance they need to be safe and strong.
VACCA’s AFPR Response primarily focuses on supporting families involved with Child Protection or Community-Based Child Protection, including pregnant women, children from birth to five years, and child and young people aged 10 to 18 years.
How to Access
Connection to the Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification (Response) program occurs through the Child Protection Navigator.
To be eligible, the subject child/ren must be a current Child Protection client and one of the children in the family must meet the specified eligibility requirements.
Enquiries for the Ovens Murray area can be directed to the Child Protection Navigator on (03) 5722 0555.
Provider
VACCA
work in the Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs
VACCA –
INTENSIVE FAMILY SERVICES
This program provides intensive support for Aboriginal families whose children are at risk of being removed from their home or are in out-of-home care (foster care, kinship or residential care) for the first time.
Access specialist support services, including therapeutic help
Address the issues that have placed children at risk of being removed
Help parents build their capacity to safely care for their children.
Cultural strengthening and community connection
We want Aboriginal families to be strong.
Families are supported to identify strengths and strengths gained through culture. The program focus is about promoting self-determination and empower families to continue building on their strengths and identifying barriers where families work towards overcoming barriers.
How to Access
Intensive Family Services is available by referral only from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, via the Child Protection Case Manager or phone 1300 360 452.
Provider
VACCA
work in the Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs