VFPRR & Intensive Family Services
INTENSIVE FAMILY SERVICES pre-birth to 17 years
The intent is that Family Services will work in partnership with Child Protection (and other services where required) working intensively with families to achieve Child Protection case plan goals. Child Protection, or a contracted case management service, will retain case management responsibility. Family Services will support families to meet case plan goals by promoting child safety, permanency and development, increasing parenting capacity, and family functioning.
The Intensive Family Services response will be provided to families whose children are subject to a family preservation or a family reunification order. The Intensive Family Services response can also be provided where a protection application by emergency care has been issued and the child/children are subject to an interim accommodation order (IAO). In this instance there must be an endorsed case plan with a permanency objective of family preservation or family reunification.
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
Gateway Health
work in Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGA’s
VICTORIAN FAMILY PRESERVATION AND REUNIFICATION RESPONSE (VFPRR)
Families are referred by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, with children aged from pre-birth to 17 years of age.
The program aims to support and empower you and your family towards long lasting change.
This is achieved with an initial phase of rapid, intensive, and flexible support delivered by the practitioner by completing in home visits for approximately one hour at a time, three times per week (approximately 200 hours).
This intensive response is then followed by a stepping out process where the practitioner supports you and your family to transition to other services or community supports of a less intensive nature (approx. 40 hours).
How to Access
Connection to the Victorian 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
MacKillop Family Services and UMFC
Both work in Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs
VICTORIAN AND ABORIGINAL FAMILY PRESERVATION AND REUNIFICATION RESPONSE COMMUNITY CONNECTOR
The Community Connector will complement the work of our FPRR teams at UMFC, MacKillop and VACCA in Ovens Murray by addressing the growing and highly concerning issue associated with pre and adolescent children, where they are using violence in the home (physical and psychological) towards parents and other children.
The Community Connecting role is to support children and families focusing on pre and adolescent children within the family preservation and reunification approach. This allows the concentration of this role in supporting children and youth’s pro-social skills, confidence, ability to participate in mainstream education, and contribute to the health of the family unit. It also concentrates on supporting community and social connection for children and youth who can all too easily slip into isolation and retreat from activities such as sport.
How to Access
To contact the Community Connector practitioner email communityconnector@umfc.com.au or phone (02) 6055 8000.
Provider
UMFC
work in Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga LGAs