1.6 Services Profile
In December 2007, an estimated 28.3 EFT staff were engaged in DHS- funded Family Services provided by ten agencies. The current configuration of DHS- funded Family Services providers operating within the North Central catchment comprises a variety of agency types including: 3 Non-Government Organisations; 2 specialist Aboriginal agencies; and 4 health sector organisations, as follows:
Non-Government Organisations
  • St Luke's Anglicare (Bendigo) - established in 1979 by the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo, St Luke's now employs around 230 multi-skilled staff offering a broad range of human services at multiple sites across the Loddon Mallee region. It provides children, youth and family services (including counselling/support, family placement, family preservation and out of home care) through five service locations in the North Central catchment at Bendigo, Castlemaine, Echuca, Maryborough and Kyneton. St Luke's is also the lead agency for DHS-funded Family Support Innovations Programs in both Greater Bendigo and Central Goldfields - and manages central intake/response functions for both programs.
  • CentaCare (Diocese of Sandhurst) - established by the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst, CentaCare is a family relationship agency offering a range of counselling, support and education services across Northeast and Northwest Victoria. Programs and services include: Family Services, Youth Justice Group Conferencing, counselling; family education and parenting programs; dispute resolution; and drought assistance. CentaCare also provides personal support programs for individuals and families experiencing issues relating to alcohol and drug dependency; mental illness; childhood trauma; family violence; homelessness and/or poverty. In the North Central catchment CentaCare provides services from offices in Bending, Loddon (Wedderburn, Boort and Inglewood) and Campaspe (Echuca).
  • Kyabram Community and Learning Centre (KCLC) - a multi- purpose community education and human services provider established by the Kyabram community in 1983. Characterised by a strong community development, education and self help ethos, it provides a range of integrated services (educational, recreational, social and counselling/ support) to meet the needs of all people in the district in a friendly, caring, respectful and supportive environment. The centre employs over 45 permanent, part-time and sessional staff and has a strong local volunteer program. The agency estimates that more than 1,800 people access the Centre's services each week.
Aboriginal Organisations
Two specialist service provider agencies representing Aboriginal communities have received DHS funding under the Aboriginal Family Innovations Support Program. They are:
  • Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) - established in 2001, BDAC has grown into a multi-service agency targeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Dja Dja Wrung District which extends across five of the six LGA's (excluding Campaspe). Based in Bendigo it provides diverse primary health care, medical, drug and alcohol, aged and disability, housing and family children service programs. Family and children's services provided by the agency include: the Family Support Program; Koori placement and support program; and the Koori pre- school program. BDAC is a founding member of the three agency consortium which manages and delivers the Bendigo Family Services Program - and established the DHS funded Indigenous Family Support Innovations Program in May 2006.
  • Njernda Aboriginal Corporation - formerly the Echuca Aboriginal Corporation, Njernda was established in 1974 by local Koori people fighting for recognition and self-determination. Njernda provides support to Indigenous people in Campaspe and surrounding areas (including the township of Moama in NSW). The Corporation has developed over time and now provides a diverse range of programs including health, medical, housing, child care, Family Services and the new Yakapna Centre (which provides a therapeutic environment for Indigenous families with children at risk of being placed away from home and/or enabling return of children to their own families). The Corporation employs an estimated 65 Koori people across its program areas. It also established a DHS-funded Indigenous Innovations Program in May 2006 to complement its other services and programs.
Community health/health sector organisations
Four of the nine agencies providing DHS funded Family Services within the catchment are health sector organisations, including:
  • Bendigo Community Health Services - a large multi-purpose community health agency which operates from four service sites across the City of Greater Bendigo - in Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk and Elmore. The DHS-funded Family Services team is co-located with a diverse mix of primary health and community support programs and services, including: problem gambling; victims assistance; school focused year services; neighbourhood renewal; general counselling; pregnancy and parenting programs; general counselling; financial counselling; family day care and early years programs. Bendigo Community Health Services is a founding member of the multi-agency Bendigo Family Services consortium.
  • Echuca Regional Health - a public hospital in its 125th year, provides acute hospital services, residential aged care and primary health care and community-  based services. Its service area includes Echuca, Campaspe Shire and Moama in New South Wales. The service employs 565 staff and is one of Echuca's major employers. Its primary care division includes: social services; generalist counselling; children's counselling and DHS funded Family Services. The agency has strong links with other local service networks in the Shire. Related services include: an Aboriginal Hospital Liaison officer providing connections with the Indigenous community; alcohol and drug services; and health promotion programs targeting groups with high health risks including heart disease, depression and diabetes.
  • Cobaw Community Health - with a strong community development emphasis, Cobaw provides youth and Family Services programs including: general counselling; alcohol and drug services; youth work; accommodation/emergency accommodation; family day care and early childhood services. The service operates from three sites in Macedon Ranges Shire including the main centre and a community activity centre in Kyneton, and the newly opened Woodend "community hub” which provides family day care and early childhood services.
  • Castlemaine District Community Health Centre Inc (CHIRP) - a relatively small health service strongly identified with the Castlemaine community and surrounding areas in Mount Alexander Shire. It provides highly diverse and innovative primary health and community services including: general counselling; alcohol and drugs; gender health programs; and self help groups. A new provider of DHS- funded Family Services, which commenced operations in September 2007.
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