PCCD works with families of children with complex disability who require significant disability support. This includes providing culturally safe support to Aboriginal and culturally diverse families.

While not exclusive, many families supported by this program have children who are;

• Adolescents (10-18 years)
• Have an intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder
• Have severe challenging behaviours such as emotional dysregulation and hyperactivity, absconding, aggression toward parent and siblings, self-injury and poor sleep habits.

The program intent is to provide necessary support to enhance familial relationships and sustainability of care. The program aims to intervene early to strengthen families and prevent escalation of issues.

Referral pathways

Referrals into the program may occur via:

• West Disability Practice Advice team (DHHS) westdisability@dhhs.vic.gov.au
• The Orange Door 1800 271 180

or

• from within a provider agency.

For further information Contact

Mpower 03 55618111
Family Services Coordinator: Pattrina Markey pmarkey@mpower.org.au
Parenting Children with Complex Disability Practitioner: Kellie New knew@mpower.org.au

Support families to navigate systems of disability support. Target cohort is families with a child (0-18 years) or a parent with a physical, cognitive, psychosocial or sensory disability.

The work of FSSDPs is based on the principles that families with disability experience additional vulnerability and should not be disadvantaged in accessing disability supports, particularly those funded through the NDIS.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Provide a flexible response to families
• Recognise and support the strengths, dignity and desires of the person with a disability
• Contribute to building family/parent capability and the sustainability of care
• Help families identify disability support needs access the NDIS
• Help families undertake NDIS disability-related goal setting and prepare for plan reviews
• Build the capability of family services practitioners to support families with disability through:
  – understanding and using secondary consultation and referral pathways
  – helping families to navigate the NDIS to receive timely support.

Referrals into the program may occur via:

• West Disability Practice Advice team (DHHS) westdisability@dhhs.vic.gov.au
• The Orange Door 1800 271 180

or

• from within a provider agency.

For further information Contact

Mpower 03 55618111
Family Services Coordinator: Pattrina Markey pmarkey@mpower.org.au
Parenting Children with Complex Disability Practitioner: Kellie New knew@mpower.org.au

• Integrated Family Services promotes the safety, stability and development of vulnerable children, young people and their families, with a focus on building capacity and resilience.
• It is a voluntary and fee-free service which supports vulnerable young people and their families who are likely to experience greater challenges – as the child/young person’s development has been affected by the experience of risk factors and/or cumulative harm, and/or they are at risk of concerns escalating and becoming involved with Child Protection if problems are not addressed.
• Services will be provided through a strengths-based approach, including a comprehensive needs and risk assessment, and identification of pathways and key transition points that focus on earlier intervention, prevention and diversion.
• Interventions are determined by both an assessment of need, and the development of a child and family action plan. This plan determines the goals of intervention for the child and family and details the interventions to be undertaken.
• Intervention approaches may include outreach, in-home support, family decision making/family group conferencing, group work, counselling, brokerage, accessing universal services and secondary consultations.

Family & Community Services aims to support positive outcomes for families through a variety of responses.

In Family Preservation and Reunification Response (FPRR), the Child & Family Practitioner works with parents on areas that may lead to, or have caused, their child to be placed in out-of-home care and helps build parents’ ability to safely care for their children.

FPRR is a voluntary program, which means clients can decide whether they want to engage or not. Your Child and Family Practitioner will work alongside you to identify goals while working in conjunction with Child Protection (CP) and other relevant services based on a family’s needs.

Child & Family Practitioners will work with families by:

• Supporting families to identify goals and creating a Family Action Plan. Areas of support could include:

  • Building the safety, stability, development and well-being of children and young people

  • Linking into Early Childhood services

  • Helping families to learn about childhood development

  • Linking into alcohol and drug services, mental health supports and family violence services, and helping parents understand the impacts of these on their child

  • Supporting children to attend and continue attending kinder, school and childcare

  • Supporting possible education and employment opportunities for parents

  • Helping with linking into disability support services (NDIS)

  • Supporting appropriate housing

  • Exploring ways to improve social connections

  • Exploring ways to increase financial stability

To help parents and carers achieve their goals, practitioners will:

• Visit you two to three times per week (depending on your needs)

• Support with tasks necessary to achieve your goals

• Work within a specific timeframe

• Regularly review and update your goals

• Work with other relevant services that you’re engaged with or would like to engage with

• Plan Care Team meetings so that you can have discussions with all services involved with your family

• Communicate with Child Protection and other relevant services