TOWILLA PURRUTTIAPPENDI (HEALING OUR SPIRIT)

We provide a range of services that promote the improvement of social and emotional well being.  These services include individual and family counselling and support, healing groups and support to access social health, welfare and emergency relief 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 well being.     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 can also provide emergency relief assistance.   The Community Liaison Worker also provides individual and/or family support for people with multiple and/or complex social health needs.   

Aboriginal Family Support Worker
Provides support and referral services to address the social health and well being needs of families 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 Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care Workers and midwives at Nunkuwarrin Yunti and at other locations around Adelaide and with families to help strengthen family relationships.

Duty / Intake Worker 

Our Intake 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
• Support to access emergency accommodation and referral for longer term accommodation needs
• Support to help address financial crisis
• Support to access emergency relief such as food and travel assistance
• Information about and referral to other community support services such as drug & alcohol services, domestic and family violence services, low income support programs

 Our Intake Worker can respond to general enquiries only for information and referral. 

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

• Father & Sons 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

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

  How to access our Services: 

• Ring our Intake Worker on 8223 5217 or come in and have a chat to our Intake Worker to discuss your situation.  They can give you information, refer you to a service that can help you or they can make a referral to our Counsellors, Aboriginal Family Support Worker or Community Liaison Worker. 

• Assistance for Emergency Relief requires an appointment.  You can contact the Intake Worker to make an appointment time. 

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

For more information please contact any one of the following staff members:

Kay McSween
Belinda Wilson
Ellen Taylor
Julie Maloney
Marion Burns
Dawn Longdon

For a copy of our pamphlet click here