Like the rest of Australia, our region is also being affected by the COVID19 pandemic. This information will help people who use FamilyCare’s services to understand our responses.

From Tuesday the 24^th of March, FamilyCare’s offices will be closed to all visitors. Please telephone us to discuss the service options that remain available, on:

ChildFIRST Shepparton:        1300 854 944

ChildFIRST Seymour:            1800 663 107

Other contact numbers for our various offices are available on the Contact Us page.

We will return to normal services as soon as we can. At the moment, this is the best way to maintain access to some support but stick to the rules for social distancing.

Here are some other sources of reliable and up-to-date information.

DHHS VIC – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Health Direct – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Shame, blame and nothing to gain? Forming therapeutic partnerships with young men and adolescents as involuntary clients.

Russ Pratt, DPsych,  Forensic Psychologist, Director, Prime Forensic Psychology
Working with adolescent males and young men when they are involuntary clients can present challenges for services and therapists alike. Getting the client in the room is one thing, then doing anything with them is sometimes another.
How can we give ourselves the best chance of meaningful connection with our young male clients, and thus provide the client with the opportunity to do something meaningful during their time with us (and who should decide what is meaningful anyway?).
In this one-hour session, Russ will provide some strategies and ideas that take into account the theory of what we know about young males, and what the presenter has learnt in over 20 years of working with young men in involuntary settings (for example youth in residential settings, young people who sexually abuse others, youth with impulse control issues). Practice stories, as well as practice strategies will be presented and discussed. Audience input and participation is not just welcomed, but is expected!

Download Russ’s presentation here 

Unpacking the Man Box: Understanding the impact of men and boys’ attitudes towards masculinity

Matt Tyler
The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services will share findings from their Man Box research – the first study that focuses specifically on the associations between attitudes to masculinity and the behaviours of young Australian men aged 18-30. They are also completing similar work to understand the attitudes and behaviours of adolescent boys. The workshop will engage the audience in the findings from these projects including exploring the links between masculinity, the use of violence, mental health and broader indicators of wellbeing. The Men’s Project will also share lessons from their primary prevention work as well several innovative programs addressing violence that they are piloting and designing focused on engaging at-risk boys and men.

Download Matt’s’ presentation here

FamilyCare Men’s Program: How do we get dads to engage and understand the principles of great parenting?
Wayne Harris and Ron Garner
Research has demonstrated that dads are less likely to engage with child and family services than mothers. We need to consider a variety of methods when planning and delivering services.

The Bridge Youth Services: Challenges in engaging men and father’s in family work and exploring strategies to overcome these.
Stephen Hunter
Fathers are taking a much more active role in modern family life and sometimes may find themselves wishing for more options for dealing with the day to day issues that arise in the home. 

Engaging with men from multicultural backgrounds in a respectful, meaningful and productive way.
Sarmed Yassin and Joel Board ,  Greater Shepparton City Council
Sarmed and Joel will be discussing the varies methods of engaging with men from multicultural backgrounds in a respectful, meaningful and productive way. This discussion will explore practices that can be applied when designing programs or planning events that are targeted to multicultural communities in general but men specifically.

Download Sarmed and Joel’s presentation here

Dardi Munwurro: Bringing out the best in Aboriginal men, for stronger communities

John Bryne and Josh Simms
Dardi Munwurro delivers a range of family violence, healing and behaviour change programs and services, to break the cycle of inter-generational trauma in Aboriginal families and communities, by empowering and inspiring individuals to heal the past, acknowledge the present and create a positive vision for the future.

The men’s healing and behaviour change program aims to equip Aboriginal men to become leaders, role models and mentors within their communities. The program model builds cultural connection as a pathway to healing the individual drivers for violence and ultimately developing pride and confidence for planning a future with healthy relationships in families and communities

Download John and Josh’s presentation here

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This afternoon Member for Nicholls, The Hon Damian Drum MP opened FamilyCare’s Bouldering Wall and Sensory Garden.