Relationships Australia

Dedicated to supporting people and their families to live their lives fully, in healthy relationship.

Locations

Service description

• Children’s contact service: The Children’s Contact Service works with children and their families providing a relaxed, safe and neutral environment. This allows children the opportunity to stay connected to all members of their family after a family separation or where safety is an issue. For many separated parents, feelings such as anger, hostility, or fear make it difficult to manage contact and shared care arrangements. For children this can sometimes lead to confusion, insecurity, and trauma.
• Relationship and family counselling: Relationships impact on our wellbeing and happiness. When our personal relationships are not working well, our ability to cope with other areas of our life is often affected. Relationship counselling offers opportunities for individuals, couples and families, including children and young people, to improve and strengthen their relationships.
• Rural services: Our Rural Service provides free counselling and support to families, individuals and couples in the Riverina region to help them build stronger relationships.
• Trauma informed services: We offer specialist trauma counselling and support services for Forgotten Australians, people impacted by the Stolen Generation policies, people impacted by Forced Adoption, Former Child Migrants, and for people who experienced sexual abuse as a child while under the responsibility of an institution or in out of home care.
• Family violence services: Healthy relationships are built on the values of equality and respect.  Relationships Australia offers support for people who are and have experienced violence or abuse in their family and relationships. Services are available for those who have experienced violence, and those who have used threatening, abusive, violent or controlling behaviours
• Dhunlung Yarra: The Dhunlung Yarra Service supports Relationships Australia Riverina Murray to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culturally sensitive services to individuals, families and community.
• Riverina Murray Family Referral Service: is a free and voluntary service that brings together families, support services and community resources to promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children, young people and their families. Family Workers connect families and young people to appropriate services and community supports. Family workers are also located in a number of schools in the Riverina.
• Safer Pathways: provides a free support service to men who have experienced or are experiencing violence in their family relationships. These relationships may include intimate partner relationships, child/parent relationships, sibling relationships, or relationships with other relatives. We work alongside men and their families to establish their support needs and assist in connecting them with services, providing information, and other supports as required.
• Group Programs: We offer a range of group programs aimed at addressing various issues that can impact on healthy relationships. We offer groups that focus on:
• LOVE BiTES & LOVE BiTES Junior (co-ordination and delivery): LOVE BiTES is a Repectful Relationships Education program for young people. This program is delivered in high schools and provides young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships and the issues and impacts relating to family and domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Taking Responsibility for Respectful Relationships (TRRR): This program is a group for men who have used violence and abuse in their intimate and family relationships. The program is designed to help men stop hurting the people they love most, and in the process become better fathers, improving their quality of life through positive and respectful relationships.
• Non Violent Resistance (NVR): Overcome your child’s violent, dangerous and destructive behaviour with NVR. This 10 session group program is for parents, grandparents and carers of children and adolescents aged 8 – 18 years who are displaying aggressive, violent and dangerous behaviour.
• Re-navigating Angry and Guilty Emotions (RAGE): This 6 week program empowers young people to become aware of their strong emotions and develop skills to manage behaviour respectfully.
• Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution
  • Parenting Mediation: Our mediation service includes Family Dispute Resolution, that assists parents, carers and grandparents to have a conversation following separation. This may be about the care arrangements for children, co-parenting, or grand parenting. Family Dispute Resolution at Relationships Australia is child-focused and respects the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our practice of mediation incorporates a Meeting with Children model that ensures where appropriate the child or children have a voice in decisions that are made about them and express their needs. The voice of the child can assist parents to reach decisions that have their children’s needs in mind.
  • Property Mediation: As part of Family Dispute Resolution, property and financial matters following separation may also be addressed. With the support of a suitably qualified mediator separated parties can finalise their arrangements for distributing their assets and liabilities. This process is completed in conjunction with legal and financial services.
• Senior Relationship Services: Relationships Australia assists elderly members of the family or family members who are concerned about an elderly relative to have a sensitive or difficult conversation and work through solutions.

Eligibility

• Various depending on the program

How do I organise an appointment or referral?

• Children’s contact service: Parents and carers can refer themselves to the Children’s Contact Service or they can be referred by their solicitor or another community organisation, with the parent’s consent.  A fee for service is charged for all services with both parents contributing to the payment.  The centre is based in Wagga Wagga.
• Counselling services: Individuals can refer themselves to counselling or they can be referred by another service or organisation.  Contact can be made via phone, email, and website or by presenting at our office.  Fees vary according to the person’s income.  Arrangements can be negotiated for people on low incomes or with special requirements.
• Family and support services: Young people over 16 years of age, families with children, or individuals can refer themselves to the Family Referral Service. Alternatively families and young people can be referred by various organisations. Contact can be made via phone, fax, email, and website or by presenting at the various office locations.