New service launched for adolescents using violence at home in the Mallee

Families in the Mallee are now better supported to deal with adolescents who are using violence at home.

The ‘Restoring Relationships in the Mallee’ program works with young people aged 12 to 17 years old when the young person is using violence or at risk of using violence against family members. We also see young people who are using other unsafe behaviours towards family members including physical outbursts, or the use of hurtful words and other actions.

The new program is being jointly led by Berry Street’s therapeutic service, Take Two and by community-based support organisation MASP. It is funded by Family Safety Victoria.

We can support families who meet our funding guidelines. This is when:

• the young person is using violence or at risk of using violence against a parent or caregiver resulting in the young person being at increased risk of homelessness, criminal justice involvement, disengagement from education or mental health vulnerability
• the parent or other caregiver/s are likely to experience an increase in the frequency and severity of family violence, resulting in reduced safety and wellbeing for themselves and other children living in the family home
• the young person is residing in the home at the time of referral, in the Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra or Buloke local government areas.

Each family will receive support personalised to their needs and goals, including to:

• reduce violence and other unsafe behaviours used by the young person towards family members
• support the young person to strengthen relationships with siblings, peers, family and community members
• help the young person identify and challenge their use of unsafe behaviours and adopt non-violent/non-abusive alternative ways in family relationships
• help families understand behavioural choices within the context of their own life experiences
• provide options for therapy to support the young person in understanding what is happening, why is it happening and to explore how things could be different them
• improve emotional health and wellbeing for the young person
• reduce parent or caregiver stress, anxiety, guilt and shame while building their parenting confidence.

Take Two Team Leader Sue Hermans said the program name was an obvious choice.

“We will work to increase safety and wellbeing for the family, while working therapeutically with the young person. Unsurprisingly, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work though, because we know each young person and each family have unique issues and needs.

“We use tailored evidence-informed interventions to support the young person to understand their feelings better, and to learn healthier ways of managing intense or highly emotional situations. Young people often tell us they want to learn better ways of coping with these feelings.”

“We will, however, always use the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Model (MARAM) to continually assess family violence risk and safety while we work with the young person and their family.”

Case management services

MASP will provide case management services to support young people and their families with practical needs, including:

• 1:1 individualised support for the young person
• adolescent-focused parenting work
• groupwork
• scaffolding support for families when they are engaging in counselling (checking in)
• relational safety and trust/rapport building (pre-therapy) to work towards
• therapeutic readiness
• links and warm referral pathways to other suitable services.

Therapeutic support

Berry Street Take Two will provide clinical therapeutic support to young people and their family. Intervention options are tailored to presenting symptoms, level of trauma exposure, individual and family needs, as well as other risk and protective factors. The range of clinical interventions offered by Take Two include:

• office, clinic and telehealth-based clinical assessments and interventions for the individual, caregiver and young person or family.
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) for clients experiencing severe symptoms or multiple risk factors
• Family Therapy work
• Art Therapy
• Therapeutic Life Story work
• other clinical interventions as indicated.

Restoring Relationships is offered as a voluntary service. Families can nominate an advocate and an interpreter if needed.

Get help

Individuals and professionals can make a referral to Restoring Relationships in the Mallee via The Orange Door in Mildura or Swan Hill.

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).