Mail - Mountain Views Mail - 20th December 2016

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Mountain Views

Mail Covering the foothills of the Yarra Ranges & Murrindindi Shires

The Mail News Group would like to wish all readers a .....

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

A Mail News Group publication

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Valley of helpers By Jesse Graham WHEN valley residents see a good cause, they come out in force to support it. Healesville Interchurch Community Care Incorporated (HICCI) saw that first-hand, when it received more than $5000 worth of donations in response to its Christmas toy appeal. The appeal came after an annual donation of toys fell through, and executive officer Alison Gommers said residents flocked in to bring in toys and monetary donations to fill the gap. Standing in a room packed with toys and Christmas food hampers ready to go out to families in the Healesville area with HICCI emergency relief coordinator Sheree Laumen

and volunteer Tony Jeston, pictured, Ms Gommers said the appeal had been a success. “We’re just so ... amazed at the generosity of the community,” she said. “When we asked for help, everyone’s rallied for us, so it’s made a big difference to a lot of families.” HICCI will close up shop on 22 December at noon, and will re-open in the new year. Staple foods, non-perishable items and Christmas food can be dropped off until then, at 231 Maroondah Highway, next to the Memo Hall. For more information, call 5965 3529.

Driving for help family violence to services they need. “This is not a reduction in the availability of services but a change in who is providing them,” she said. “This will lead to better outcomes for our clients because they will be receiving care and support from organisations that specialise in family violence case management and advocacy.” Former Yarra Valley Community Health manager and Healesville resident Jane Judd, who sought funding to develop the program in the 2000s, said the change could discourage family violence victims from seeking help. “It adds at least an hour, but probably two hours for transport time to Lilydale, and that would be enough of a disadvantage for some - but certainly, their risk ... to be outside where their perpetrator would normally expect to

find them,” she said. Ms Judd praised the work of Eastern Health’s Debra Cahill, a clinician in the family violence support service for more than a decade, and said the change of service provider could be off-putting to current clients. Ms Cahill, through Yarra Valley Community Health, partnered with the Mail in 2011 to produce a six-week Stop the Violence campaign, featuring interviews with survivors and health experts to explain family violence, how to identify it, and how to seek help. “The concern is whether the current clients of Debra have been given an adequate amount of time to have a final session with Debra ... remembering that a clinician that cares for someone in a domestic violence scenario, it’s not like going to a new dentist - you

develop a relationship of trust, and that can’t be handed over with the money to Anglicare,” Ms Judd said. Anyone experiencing family violence, or seeking help, can contact Anglicare Victoria’s Lilydale office on 9735 4188, or at 47-51 Castella Street, Lilydale. Eastern Legal Community Centre also offers help for people experiencing family violence and can be contacted on 5962 1665 or at the Healesville Community Link at 110 River Street, Healesville. To book an Eastern Health counselling session, call 1300 342 255 and select option 7. In a violent situation or an emergency, always call triple-zero.

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FAMILY violence victims in the valley may have to travel to Lilydale to seek support from healthcare providers, after Eastern Health handed over its Healesville and Yarra Junction-based programs to Anglicare Victoria. On Thursday, 15 December, Eastern Health’s Ambulatory and Community Service Program director, Shannon Lang, confirmed that the company’s Family Violence Support Service and Men’s Behaviour Change Program would be transferred to Anglicare’s Lilydale office. The service was previously offered in Healesville and Yarra Junction, and Ms Lang said funding from Department of Health and Human Services would be redirected to Anglicare to run

the programs. “Eastern Health will support the organisation to deliver family violence services from our Healesville site,” she said. “While Eastern Health will no longer be providing advocacy and case management, we will continue to provide family violence counselling through our community health counselling service at Healesville and Yarra Junction. “Furthermore, our health promotion team now includes a role specifically aimed at preventing violence towards women and children.” Ms Lang said the change would “ensure services are sustainable now and into the future”, and that Eastern Health would work in partnership with agencies to direct people experiencing

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By Jesse Graham


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