The WA Government has announced it will establish three new senior counsellor roles to boost support for children and young people impacted by family and domestic violence.
Funding of $1.2 million will be allocated over two years to specialist services Allambee Counselling Incorporated, Centrecare Inc, and Mission Australia to provide trauma-responsive counselling to children and young people, strengthen their visibility in the family and domestic violence system and support their healing and recovery.
It forms part of a $8.23 million funding package allocated over four years from 2024-25 to deliver a range of initiatives aimed at providing effective and accessible therapeutic response to children and young people impacted by family and domestic violence, said Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister, Jessica Stojkovski.
The Minister said the new counselling services will provide evidence-based and age-appropriate therapies, individual and group sessions, cultural activities, advocacy and wraparound family support for caregivers.
“Exposure to family and domestic violence can have a devastating impact on children and young people,” said Ms Stojkovski.
“These new positions recognise that children impacted by family violence are victim-survivors in their own right, with their own recovery and support needs.
“We know Aboriginal children and families require services that are culturally safe and responsive, and these new roles will help ensure the right supports are in place.
“This initiative will ensure children and young people have access to appropriate and tailored support – as a further step in our work to end the scourge of family violence.”
The investment delivers on a key ask from the 2023 Family and Domestic Violence Summit and aligns with the Government’s strategic plans for addressing family and domestic violence including the Family and Domestic Violence System Reform Plan 2024 to 2029, Path to Safety: Western Australia’s strategy to reduce family and domestic violence 2020-2030, and the Aboriginal Family Safety Strategy 2022-2032.
