TOWILLA PURRUTTIAPPENDI (HEALING OUR SPIRIT)

We provide a range of services to enable people to improve their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. These services include individual and family counselling and support, healing groups and information about and referral to a wide range of social health, community support and welfare services. 

Counselling 
A free and confidential service that assists Aboriginal people and their families to deal with many issues including grief & loss, depression, domestic & family violence, family and/or relationship matters and any other issues which impact on social and emotional wellbeing.

We provide outreach counselling services to men's & women's prisons, shelters, hospitals, our Brady Street clinic at Elizabeth and other Aboriginal community services in the metropolitan region.

Julie, Marion, Kay, Ellen, Christine

Bringing Them Home (BTH) Counsellor
Our BTH Counsellor provides specific support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been affected by past policies and practices of forced removal (Stolen Generations) and people affected by intergenerational trauma.

How Counselling Can Help 

• Helps people to talk about their feelings and what is bothering them
• Encourages people to reconnect with their confidence and strength in dealing with life’s challenges
• Provides a safe and confidential place to talk to somebody outside of their family
• Helps people to build skills to cope with stressful situations

Community Liaison Worker (Social Worker)
Provides support to manage social, financial and health needs and support for people and their families with multiple and/or complex social health needs. Our Community Liaison Worker can provide case management services for short and medium term support. 

Aboriginal Family Support Worker
Provides support, information and referral services to address the social health and wellbeing needs of families. This helps to ensure good health for pregnant women and new parents and a healthy start to life for babies, infants and young children. The Aboriginal Family Support Worker works closely with our Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care Worker and the midwifery team at Women's & Children's Hospital to help strengthen family relationships.

Social Health Duty Worker 

Our Duty Worker can assist people to access a range of social health support.  This includes:  

• Referrals to Counselling, Social Worker and Aboriginal Family Support Worker
• Assistance with information about health services
• Referrals to agencies that can assist with emergency accommodation and longer term accommodation needs
  
• Support to help address financial crisis
• Referral to agencies that can assist with food, travel and other emergency relief support
  
• Information about and referral to other community support services such as drug & alcohol services, domestic and family violence services, low income support programs

Other Types of Social & Emotional Well Being and Healing Activities  

• Our Women’s Healing Group meets fortnightly and provides women with the opportunity to share their stories and be supportive of others in their healing journeys
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• Simon's Day is an annual event for men to get together and have a yarn, have some time out together and to receive information about Men’s Health and Social & Emotional Well Being. The event was named in honour of our colleague, Simon Boyce, who passed away in 2010, for his work in promoting men's health and wellbeing.
  

• We work together with other Aboriginal organisations to coordinate and promote community events and participate in projects that promote healing and wellbeing

  How to access our Services: 

• Ring our Duty Worker on 8223 5217 or come in and have a chat to our Intake Worker to discuss your situation. We can give you information, refer you to one of our services (health, counselling, family support) or refer you to another agency if we can't assist you. 

• Anybody can make a referral to us by phone, fax or in person.

For a copy of our pamphlet click here