GUIDELINES FOR THE OPERATION OF THE AFTERCARE RESOURCE CENTRE

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to provide a set of operating guidelines to assist ARC in the delivery of a range of services to the client group.

CLIENT GROUP

Former residents of Queensland institutions, detention centres and former children in care including those who were placed into foster care.

MISSION STATEMENT

Relationships Australia Queensland.

"To promote relationships that are respectful, fair and safe, particularly were people and communities are at risk or vulnerable."

ARC seeks

" to enable and empower people who have experienced past childhood abuse to live their lives in the present, rather than continuing to experience today as an extension of the traumatic past."

UNDERLYING SERVICE PRINCIPLES

It is acknowledged that :

• institutional abuse takes place within a social, political and legal context in which children are disempowered
• children and adults have a right to live free from abuse
• responsibility for the abuse lies with the perpetrator and not with the victim
• physical and sexual abuse are experienced by many children as traumatic, life-threatening events
• the after-effects of trauma are normal responses to abnormal events.

Clients will:

• be treated with respect and dignity
• have their confidentiality maintained at all times, except where our duty of care overrides the duty of confidentiality
• be offered timely and appropriate services
• be in control of their own process of healing and make informed choices
• be offered services that are sensitive to cultural and gender issues
• be offered high quality professional services that respect personal boundaries and individual differences
• provide feedback and be informed of the feedback processes
.
• be valued contributors to the provision of support services

ARC workers will:

• receive supervision and support to:-
• offset the dangers of vicarious traumatisation 2. provide professional guidance and support 3. maintain the provision of professional service delivery 4. identify areas for training and professional development
• provide professional services within an environment that is mutually respectful, safe, and conducive to achieving therapeutic and support goals.
• maintain the provision of professional service delivery
• identify areas for training and professional development
• provide professional services within an environment that is mutually respectful, safe, and conducive to achieving therapeutic and support goals.

SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGIES

In the delivery of services ARC will:

• coordinate services provided to clients either directly from ARC or through brokered services
• engage the services of suitably qualified practitioners to provide brokered counseling services
• maintain case records for each client
• provide up to date community resource information to clients and appropriate referral services
• provide appropriate vehicles for dissemination of information and networking, eg newsletter
• provide a range of services that respond to client's needs
• monitor the effectiveness of the services provided by ARC and providers of services that utlise brokered funds
• liaise with and providing education to key community and government organizations on issues relating to institutional abuse
• provide and analyze statistical data for Relationships Australia and the relevant funding body.

CLIENT SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIONS

The ARC program has developed a range of service delivery options to meet the varying needs of clients. These are as follows:

• Counselling Services
• face to face counselling provided at the ARC office
• telephone counselling including the use of the 1800 number for all clients, regional and metropolitan
• brokered counselling services to private practitioners and to counsellors from RA branches across Australia
• group work provided by ARC counsellors and/or brokered service providers
• Support services
• referral and information service
• newsletter
• administrative support
• empowering clients to negotiate better lifestyle outcomes
• Financial assistance

ARC has a capacity to provide limited financial assistance in the following areas:

• family reunions
• counselling
• travel assistance to attend counselling appointments
• record searches
• education
• psychological/psychiatric reports

SERVICE PROMOTION

In order to inform the community of the services provided by ARC and to increase client accessibility, ARC undertakes the following strategies:

• promotion of the services provided by ARC to relevant agencies across the state
• facilitate events that raise the profile of the service and the impact of institutional and childhood abuse
• advertise and promote the service to the wider community
• liaise with and work in partnership with other key service providers

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES

From the initial point of contact the following process will be followed to determine the client's needs and an appropriate service delivery response:

• potential client contacts ARC and eligibility is determined
• assessment form completed by ARC counsellors and clients' needs are identified
• referral to case conference to consider the most appropriate service response
• services may include the provision of; in house counselling, counselling referral to external practitioners and or Relationships Australia branches, telephone counselling and or follow up and financial assistance in the areas of education, family reunion, reports and record searches
• develop a case plan in response to the client's unique and individual needs
• review and evaluation of the implemented strategy

BROKERED SERVICES

In certain instances it may be appropriate to refer clients to brokered services following initial assessment by ARC counsellors. This may include services provided by:

• Relationships Australia QLD
• Relationships Australia interstate
• External service providers which may include counselling, education, record searches, family reunions and reports.

A range of procedures exists to facilitate the brokerage of counselling to private practitioners and Relationships Australia counsellors.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

In view of current limitations to the availability of brokered funds it is necessary to use the funds in a way that provides maximum equity to all clients. Limits will apply to all clients and may be in light of changes to funding arrangements, client demand and cost of living increases. In view of the client's unique and individual needs it may be appropriate to be flexible in the use of these funds within the maximum limit.

PROCEDURE FOR PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

• Eligibility

To be eligible to access financial assistance clients need to have been a former child in care of the Department of Children's Services and have been a resident of a Queensland institution, detention center, residential facility including family group home or have been placed in foster care in Queensland.

• Assess client needs within a holistic model that takes into account the aims and capacities of the client and the role of financial assistance in meeting the goals of the case plan.
• Inform the client of the requirements of a case plan and discuss options for financial assistance within the case plan. If appropriate, invite the client to complete an application form for financial assistance. The client will be informed to expect approval and payment or notification within three weeks of making the application.
• Supporting documentation is gathered and a funding submission is prepared and forwarded by ARC, together with recommendations to the Head Office of Relationships Australia Queensland.
• Once a decision has been made the client is advised of the outcome by the decision making body. If the submission has been successful arrangements for the distribution of the funds will be made. As a general rule funds will not be paid directly to clients, but to the appropriate service provider.
• At all times ARC will need to maintain a review of the utlisation of brokered funds to ensure the adequacy of funds and there may be a need to revise the established upper limit dependent upon the availability of funds.
• ARC has a responsibility to ensure that brokered funds are used appropriately to facilitate the client's progress in line with the established case plan.

SUPERVISION

In acknowledgement of the nature of the work undertaken by ARC and the susceptibility to vicarious traumatisation, it is essential that staff be provided with regular supervision.

Similarly counsellors working with ARC clients in Relationships Australia branches need access to regular supervision. This will be provided through the counsellor's normal supervisory process but ARC staff are able to provide consultation and assistance in this process if required.

CONFIDENTIALITY

ARC staff are required to adhere to the confidentiality provisions as outlined in the Relationships Australia Queensland Policies and Procedures.

Release of client information by ARC staff can only occur if the client has provided a written consent. Clients may provide permission for counsellors to discuss their individual circumstances with relevant agencies such as Centrelink, medical practitioner, external practitioner. Clients are required to indicate who the counsellor can discuss their situation with and the nature of the information that can be disclosed.

The confidentiality requirements can be overridden when the duty of care applies to:

• the immediate threat to the life or safety of a person
• there is knowledge of current abuse to a child

Current legislation requires mandatory reporting of such matters. Should ARC staff become aware that such circumstances exist, the matter should be discussed with the Manager ARC or another senior staff or supervisor without delay.

For a copy of our privacy statement, mission/values and client rights/responsibilities, please click here

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Complaints are taken seriously and all clients will be provided with a set of procedures to follow should they wish to express concern or dissatisfaction over any service received from ARC and its staff. These procedures will be outlined in a general information brochure, which will be provided to all existing and new ARC clients.

There will be an internal process for complaints as per Relationships Australia Queensland Policy and Procedures and a process for external complaints to bodies outside of RAQ.