Discover what's happening around Jesuit Social Services.
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Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day
In his reflection for World Mental Health Day (10 October), ANDY HAMILTON SJ says that it is time that we remove the stigma from mental illness and instead celebrate the gifts that people who experience mental illness bring to our diverse society.
Mental illness brings terrible pain and bewilderment to people who experience it. It puts great pressures on the relationships that connect them to one another and to their world, often causing hopelessness and lethargy and leading to withdrawal from friends, family, social life and work. Friends and families may feel defeated and withdraw from them at a time when they need the most support. All might withdraw into shame and silence.
Justice Programs Update
Service delivery
Due to Stage 4 restrictions, face-to-face service delivery has been limited, however, the Justice teams have continued to provide outreach and support to participants. This has included support for vulnerable children, young people and families to access appropriate mental health, tele-health and other IT based psycho-social support/s.
Youth Justice Programs teams have been creative in staying connected to participants. Staff have dropped off board games to participants' homes, as well as organised cooking classes and drawing sessions to do together online.
Maribyrnong Transitional Support Program in a new program for men moving from prison into a Community Residential Facility in Maribyrnong. The facility has been established as part of Corrections Victoria’s response to COVID-19. The team will deliver pre- and post-release transitional support, for men on parole or straight release and/or vulnerable prisoners moving into the facility. The first four residents arrived at the beginning of June, with residents transferred from Fulham, Dhurringile, Beechworth, and Loddon prisons.
The Restorative Pilot is an exciting new initiative and partnership between the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) and Jesuit Social Services. The program is intended to improve the day-to-day experience in Youth Justice Centres, build relationships and prevent and reduce harm between children and young people and young people and staff, by encouraging harmony and minimising disrespectful behaviour, hostility and violence. It will operate across Parkville and Malmsbury Youth Justice Centres, and build on the existing practices at the centres as well as introduce new opportunities for restorative practice with supportive training, coaching and mentoring.
'In the family'
Biruck Yirsaw has started a role with Jesuit Social Services as part of the Working for Victoria initiative*. His partner, Hanna, was a Participant on the African Australian Inclusion Program (AAIP) in 2018 and is still employed in the Financial Crime division at National Australia Bank (NAB).
Biruck, Hanna and their two young children moved to Australia when Biruck was offered a doctoral research degree position at the University of South Australia. Despite the distance from family, they loved being in South Australia. The climate was similar to the one they had left behind in Ethiopia and they made friends within their community. After work at the University ended, however, Biruck and Hanna looked to Melbourne to provide them with greater opportunities.
In 2018, Hanna applied for the AAIP (a partnership between Jesuit Social Services and NAB) and was accepted into the program. But while Biruck has done some sessional lecturing at the Southern Cross Education Institute since moving to Melbourne, this only amounted to a couple of weeks of work a year.
Biruck recently applied for a role with Jesuit Social Services through the Working for Victoria initiative and now has started in a Project Officer - Outreach Support role. Biruck feels the opportunity to join Jesuit Social Services and provide administrative support to organisations such as Multicultural Consulting Services will open doors for him.
“I’m really excited by this opportunity. I’ll get to build a local network and gain really valuable experience at the same time as helping multicultural communities here in Victoria.”
Reflecting on the impact that Jesuit Social Services has had on his family, Biruck is excited to work for an organisation that “provides people not just with support but, most importantly, with hope”.
Jesuit Social Services would like to welcome Biruck and all of our Working for Victoria employees who have joined the organisation at a vital time.
*The Working for Victoria initiative is a Victorian Government initiative designed to help job seekers and businesses respond to the effects of Covid-19.
#WorthASecondChance Community Check-in
Campaign Manager, Jess Sanders, talks with Will Smith in the latest #WASC Community Check-in. Will is the 2020 recipient of Young Tasmanian of the Year. He also founded a school and community youth leadership program called JCP and works as a Police Officer with the Tasmanian Police.
In response to the Government's Federal Budget announcements, Jesuit Social Services released a media release expressing that it is a missed opportunity to support vulnerable
Australians both through the COVID-19 pandemic and towards more positive futures. Read here.
Published in Bendigo Advertiser, CEO Julie Edwards on the restorative justice trial Jesuit Social Services is running in Parkville and Malmsbury Youth Justice Centres. Read here.
Jesuit Social Services responded to the new Sentencing Advisory Council report about young people on remand in this CathNews article.
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