Our Service Provider Spotlight for October is….

SandBag’s Domestic Violence and Family Counselling Program

What service do you offer?

Our Domestic Violence and Family Counselling Program consists of a team of around five counsellors who work with women and young people affected by domestic and family violence. We provide individual counselling and group therapy, in addition to raising community awareness through hosting events, training and networking opportunities.

Where are you located?

SANDBAG has offices in Sandgate and Bracken Ridge. Our organisation has been providing community services in the Sandgate, Bracken Ridge and surrounding areas of north Brisbane for over twenty-five years

Why is the Police Referrals Program important?

We received our very first Redbourne referral when the system kicked off in January 2016. Prior to that, our domestic violence program commenced taking police referrals in approximately 2008/2009 via the Fax Back program, which then became Supportlink and is now known as Redbourne.

We receive 400-500 referrals each year for women and children impacted by domestic family violence, from all over the north Brisbane region. Some women want a listening ear and information, some need to be linked with other service providers in addition to counselling, some engage for a few sessions and some for several years – we work with what women need and towards their goals in addition to ongoing risk assessment and safety planning. Most women we contact are so grateful for the call, and to know that someone cares about their situation. We regularly receive feedback that our service is unique in offering free, long term counselling that assists women beyond the initial crisis period. Our team is committed and honoured to journey with women and young people as they regain power and find happiness and stability in a life free from abuse.

The Redbourne system provides a valuable platform for police to link Queenslanders with the services they might not know exist to support them. In addition, we reach out to those people to offer support and assistance when they might be facing immense challenges. We have heard how much it means when workers take time to understand the needs of the person and endeavour to link them with wrap-around supports.

SANDBAG is proud to be part of such a coordinated response.

Domestic Violence and Family Counselling Coordinator: Kylie Heenan

Phone: 3269 0277

Website: https://www.sandbag.org.au/

A good news story.

We all need to read good news. As shared by Drug Arms Breakthrough for Families program in Mackay. “A mother whose son had been arrested …

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A good news story.

We all need to read good news.

As shared by Drug Arms Breakthrough for Families program in Mackay.

“A mother whose son had been arrested and charged with drug offences has been referred to our service by Police Officers in Mackay.

She had not been aware of the Breakthrough for Families Queensland program (BFFQ) which assists families who are impacted by their person’s substance use.  BFFQ has been able to assist and as a result she is now better equipped to help her son and her family. A good outcome for all concerned and also our community.  Thank you and please continue to share with the families who may benefit from this valuable program.”

Do you have a good news story you would like to share in the next Bulletin? Send it to rmcs@redbourne.com.au simply titled “good news story“.

Welcome to the Police Referrals network!

A big welcome to the Services who have commenced being part of the Police Referral Network. Allity, located in Brisbane Kalwun, located in the Gold …

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Welcome to the Police Referrals network!

A big welcome to the Services who have commenced being part of the Police Referral Network.

Allity, located in Brisbane

Kalwun, located in the Gold Coast

St Johns Crisis Care, located in Surfers Paradise

 

Travelling across the countryside

District Engagement Events continue We have now conducted 9 District Engagement workshops across Queensland. Brisbane North Brisbane South Cairns Sunshine Coast Mount Isa South West …

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Travelling across the countryside

District Engagement Events continue

We have now conducted 9 District Engagement workshops across Queensland.

  • Brisbane North
  • Brisbane South
  • Cairns
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Mount Isa
  • South West District – Roma and St George
  • Ipswich
  • Moreton Bay
  • Townsville

We thank all our Service Providers and Queensland Police staff members who have attended to date.

Feedback is positive, highlighting the benefit of both QPS and Service Providers sharing their perspectives and appreciation of the Police Referral Program.

It has certainly been promising to see the impacts of the workshops as we move from district to district with a huge increase in services completing the outcomes component and a number activating the auto-response functionality.

Keep an eye on our District Engagement page with our next workshop being held on the Gold Coast on 7 November.  (Email invitations have been sent to nominated persons.)

Getting ready for Christmas Holidays

Planning your support in this high need time of the year. With only 7 weeks to go until Christmas, we all know the holiday season …

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Getting ready for Christmas Holidays

Planning your support in this high need time of the year.

With only 7 weeks to go until Christmas, we all know the holiday season is a period of particularly high need for vulnerable persons.

To plan for this time, we ask Service Providers to consider providing as much assistance as they can to address the influx of referrals.

You may be able to assist by:

  • Informing RMCS know as soon as possible of any planned closure dates and times for your service over the holiday period
  • Minimising down times in answering referrals over that time
  • Organising skeleton staffing to continue to answer referrals over the high need period
  • Committing to addressing pending referrals as soon as possible after return to work

We appreciate any assistance you can provide during the season.

Fast facts for you.

3 fast facts re: Model Referrals Process 1. Auto-Response feature for email and SMS. As the referral arrives in your inbox, where safe to do …

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Fast facts for you.

3 fast facts re: Model Referrals Process

1. Auto-Response feature for email and SMS. As the referral arrives in your inbox, where safe to do so, the client automatically receive an EMAIL or SMS with your services details. Contact us and we can do it for you, email here.

2. Set up SMS and EMAIL templates in the system in order to best connect with referred clients – click here.

3. Finished a referral? Complete the Outcomes Component in the system. Assessing effectiveness of the Police Referrals Program is important for all involved. – click here.

 

QPS Update – October 2019

Chris’s corner… Sitting in church at my nephew’s confirmation on Sunday and the Bishop was talking about All Saints Day and the taking over of …

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QPS Update – October 2019

Chris’s corner…

Sitting in church at my nephew’s confirmation on Sunday and the Bishop was talking about All Saints Day and the taking over of Halloween by the focus on witches and zombies. During this sermon he referred to zombies and the rules around zombies of never looking them in the eye and not engaging with them in case you become one.

At this point my reflection was on my morning spent with The Big Issue vendor and the way society approaches homelessness amounts to the same rules. The sad reflection of modern society is that nothing makes people divert their eyes quicker or be less engaging than homelessness. We have seen some horrific images in the media of an attack on a homeless person on the Gold Coast recently, but again people felt it more appropriate to record it on their phones than to step in and do something about it.

This month Brisbane City Council will again be working with a number of the homelessness service providers to run Homeless Connect. This event brings together 50 service providers as well as a number of other medical and allied health and well-being services to connect with homeless people from across the greater Brisbane area. The last event in June was attended by more than 700 guests.

On December 7th, Brisbane will be the only Australian location participating in The World’s Big Sleep Out (www.bigsleepout.com). This is a one night sleep out at 60 locations around the world on the same night. In Brisbane it will be at the Gabba and predominantly to help raise funds for an identified local homelessness service as well as to start the conversation across the broader community about homelessness and hopefully plant the seed about some of the practical steps every single person can do.

I believe this message will largely be preaching to the converted, but it is time we all took the lead, don’t just walk past a person in need, for those of you in cities with The Big Issue sellers either buy a magazine as this is their income, or just stop and say G’day.

Engagement is the first step to a sense of belonging and this sense of belonging and the positive experiences gained from these interactions can be such an important part in supporting any person through difficult times.

Until next month, thank you for all of your support and working with the Queensland Police Service in helping to build safe, caring and connected communities. Don’t forget to Say G’day.

Acting Senior Sergeant Chris Stafford