This past month, In Good Faith Foundation has continued to provide our crucial support and advocacy services remotely, making sure we stay connected and informed while physically distant.
Alongside direct support work with individual clients, our team has been excited to be able to plan for in-person events again, including the first Melbourne Victims’ Collective meeting of 2021. More information is available below, but we are looking forward to being able to have collective members attend the August meeting both in person and via Zoom and teleconference links.
In this newsletter, we also wanted to take the opportunity to introduce another IGFF Caseworker who joined the team at the start of this year – and ask Julie a few questions about what drives her practice working with people impacted by sexual violence. We also share updates on other recent activities, from providing feedback on the Victorian justice system, to responding to the National Redress Scheme Second Anniversary Review Final Report.
While we plan for future in-person meetings in Victoria, we know that many other people elsewhere in Australia are feeling the déjà vu and precariousness of new lockdowns and increased physical distancing measures. We want to acknowledge that public health restrictions and Covid-19 outbreaks can lead to uncertainty, anxiety, stress and worry, experiences that may be particularly stressful for members of our community.
Our Casework Team are here if you need to reach out and talk. There is no expectation for you to know what you want or need by reaching out, and if you have been feeling isolated by the public health restrictions they can chat with you about what has been happening.
Some other tips we’ve found helpful include:
- Make sure you are remembering your own preferred strategies for self-care, from getting enough sleep and finding ways to gently exercise, to accessing sunlight when you can, particularly in winter.
- Consider talking to someone outside of your household when possible – calling, texting and video chatting with people you trust can be one of the best ways to feel connected to others.
- Try to monitor the amount of news and public health updates you are taking in. Staying informed is important, but if you find yourself getting overwhelmed it can be helpful to make a plan to only check the news one or two times per day.
If you have any more questions about what we’ve been up to, how we can support Survivors, or any of our services, you can leave a message for us to call back at (03) 9940 1533 or email [email protected].
First Melbourne Victims’ Collective Meeting of 2021
We are very excited to announce that we are planning on holding the first Melbourne Victims’ Collective meeting of 2021 on Tuesday 17 August. If you would like to find out more information about what this means, and who can attend, you can get in touch with our team on (03) 9940 1533 or at [email protected].
The event will involve hearing from guest speakers, including Dr. Katie Allen MP, who sits on the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. It will also be subject to COVID-19 restrictions and safety precautions, and those unable to attend in person will be able to access Zoom and teleconference options.
Staff profile: Julie, Caseworker
Since joining IGFF at the start of this year, Julie has provided invaluable support to our clients, community and everyone on our team in the face of uncertainty and sudden lockdowns. Having worked in the field for almost two decades, she draws on a wealth of experience supporting and advocating for Survivors and people impacted by gendered and sexual violence. We wanted to find out a little more about what drives and sustains her to do this work – and introduce her to our mailing list!
Can you tell us a little about what your role involves as a caseworker at IGFF?
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about my role and meeting new clients is to consider their current psychosocial circumstances and how their experience of trauma has impacted on their lives.
As I become more familiar with the person I might begin to further inquire about their personal circumstances to assess their situation more thoroughly. If the person is seeking some kind of redress either via the National Redress Scheme (NRS) or other legal option, I would be having a conversation about the possible consequences of revisiting their trauma story and the importance of engaging with a counsellor or psychologist if possible.
As a caseworker I assist people writing up their personal story (or ‘brief’) to include in the NRS application or to support a legal case. We understand how difficult this process can be and allow plenty of time, as much as needed, to complete the task.
What led you to study social work?
I initially studied a Diploma of Community Services (Welfare studies) after the birth of my third child. I was searching for a career pathway and my sister suggested that I look into this course, she thought it would suit me. I took her advice and completed the course, it took me 7 years! The course led me to my first job as a case manager in the family violence sector in Bendigo. That experience was a turning point in my life, the organisation, the clients and the people I worked with helped shape my future work. I eventually returned to my hometown of Melbourne and began working as a sexual assault phone counsellor and realized my qualification would need to be upgraded to ensure career survival. I completed a Bachelor of Social Work in 2012 doing my final placement at The Royal Women’s Hospital. I was then able to secure a position at a sexual assault service working face to face with clients, I did this for five years before joining IGFF.
Having worked in the family violence and sexual assault sector for 18 years, you have such a strong commitment to working with Survivors and people impacted by sexual and gendered violence. What drives your work in this field?
I have had a personal experience with gendered violence and until I examined power imbalances in all forms in greater detail during my studies, I really didn’t understand what it meant. I knew it wasn’t ok but why? I was fortunate to have had teachers and lecturers over the years that could communicate these power imbalances using a variety of critical theory approaches.
I think my own personal experience of gendered violence combined with further study, a healthy dose of anger and the fact that sexual and family violence hasn’t diminished has helped me to view the world differently, it wasn’t initially a world I wanted to acknowledge existed but it continues to drive me to want to contribute to change.
Do you have any particular strategies for self-care, or ways you support yourself while working with trauma?
On a professional level I try to stay informed by reading current literature on trauma and trauma recovery. I continue to speak to colleagues who are now friends about their work and utilise training opportunities as they arise to keep me connected to the field.
To maintain well being I stay active using yoga, running and bike riding for physical exercise. I try to eat a balanced diet, sleep enough and not be too hard on myself.
What do you like to do in your free time, to unwind?
Dancing is good for the body and mind, I like to do it regularly 😊 I enjoy reading, gardening, listening to music, admiring art and touching trees. Being in nature is good for the soul.
Systemic advocacy: Working towards change
Responding to the National Redress Scheme Two-Year Review
This month, the Second Anniversary Review of the National Redress Scheme released their report and recommendations. We welcomed their findings, and you can read our initial response on our website.
As we wrote, the review highlights many important areas where meaningful change is needed to improve Survivors’ interactions with the Scheme – particularly the need for additional trauma-informed staffing models, more clarity surrounding Independent Decision Makers and to extend further support services to Survivors. We were very encouraged by the clear focus to provide more resources beyond traditional counselling, so that Survivors can access services such as caseworkers and financial counselling.
IGFF will continue to work with Survivors, advocates and the federal government to ensure that the National Redress Scheme is accessible and designed to minimise rather than exacerbate harm.
Survivors of institutional sexual abuse often already live with horrific trauma, so we must act swiftly to implement these recommendations as soon as possible, to help lessen the burden on their journey to justice – it is the least they are owed for what they have endured.
Policy submission: The cross-examination of victim-Survivors by self-represented offenders
Currently in Victoria, victim-Survivors who seek redress through civil litigation are at risk of being cross-examined directly by their alleged offender in court. We are aware of at least three people who have had to experience this form of cross-examination, which we strongly believe should not be allowed.
In June, we wrote a report on this issue to the Legal and Social Issues Committee of the Victorian Legislative Council, proposing key reforms. We believe these changes are urgently required to prevent unnecessary retraumatisation, bring the current protections for civil trial witnesses in-line with the majority of Victorian policy, and protect everyone involved.
This has been an ongoing area of concern and advocacy for IGFF, as across Australian states and territories Survivors who choose to seek redress by suing their abusers are at risk of having to face their self-represented offender this way. Last year, we wrote to each Attorney-General, outlining their jurisdiction’s current legislation on the issue, and asking for them to consider developing a set of protections that would be similar to those provided South Australia’s Evidence Act 1929 (SA) s 13B.
