National Stolen Generations' Leadership Workshop
Adelaide 11 - 14 August 2010
Click here to download the registration form and once completed use either of the methods below to send off your form. You can also refer to the last page of the registration form which has all the information listed below.
Post to:
Building Sector Capacity Team
Indigenous Leadership and Engagement Group
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
PO Box 7576, Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610
Fax to: 02 6204 7034
Email to: StolenGenerations@fahcsia.gov.au
Mayumarri
Mayumarri is a healing centre run by survivors of childhood trauma for survivors of childhood trauma.
Five day residential workshops are available in Perth and Rockingham from December 2009.
The Adult Healing Centre offers a 5-day residential program, starting on Sunday afternoon and finishing on Friday afternoon. The program helps survivors of childhood trauma. Survivors may have suffered from abandonment, neglect, sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual or ritual abuse. The program aims to empower, inform, validate and encourage all survivors.
For further information contact Evee Knight on 0429 979 074 or go to their website http://www/mayumarri.com.au and register for a Healing Program.
______________________________________
You’ve lodged your application – what happens now?
Redress in working as quickly as possible to process all of the applications. The actual assessment of your application will take a long time as all of the information needs to be researched and checked to decide what level payment may be offered. The first payment offers will commence being posted to applicants at the end of the year and early 2010.
If you require any information as to the status of your application call the REDRESS WA on Freecall 1800617233 or email info@redress.wa.gov.au
______________________________________
Minister for Community Services
8/9/09 Media Statement
Redress WA guidelines amended for deceased estates
The deceased estates of people eligible for Redress WA, but who have passed away before their application for an ex-gratia payment is finalised, will now receive a $5,000 eligibility payment.
Community Services Minister Robin McSweeney said the State Government had changed the Redress WA guidelines in light of cases where people with a terminal illness or life threatening condition had died before their application for an interim payment had been assessed.
“This has highlighted a shortcoming in the scheme guidelines that has unreasonably disadvantaged those people and their families,” the Minister said.
“The new eligibility payments will take effect immediately and will be backdated to those deceased estates where the applicant has unfortunately passed away before their interim payment is fully assessed.
“So far Redress WA has identified 21 of these cases where an eligible applicant has passed away suddenly without their interim payment being fully processed.
The Minister said that under the Redress WA guidelines people with a terminal or life threatening condition, verified by a medical practitioner, could still apply for an interim payment of up to $10,000.
“I encourage applicants who are in terminally ill health or who have a life threatening illness to contact Redress WA to apply for an interim payment which will be dealt with by staff as a matter of priority.
“These changes have been made to ensure that those people who have lived through the trauma of abuse and had the courage to tell their stories still have the opportunity for proper acknowledgement.
“This was not possible under the existing guidelines and I have asked Redress WA to contact the families of Priority 1 applicants who have passed away to ensure their deceased estates receive this eligibility payment,” Mrs McSweeney said.
Media contact: Alexandra Jovanovic 08 9222 8950 or 0417 910 101
You can subscribe to have media releases emailed automatically from the Government’s website: http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au
______________________________________
Minister for Community Services
The West Australian News - Wednesday September 9, 2009
COPS brace for child abuse cases
Jessica Strutt
Police are expected to investigate more than 2300 child abuse allegations from applications for compensation under the State Government's Redress scheme, the head of the sex crime division said yesterday.
Det-Supt Graeme Castlehow also said the average age of child sex-abuse victims whose cases were reported under mandatory reporting laws that began inJ anuary was about 10 and the youngest victim was 18 months.
At a breakfast in Perth yesterday to mark the start of national child protection week, Supt Castlehow said a range of factors had contributed to the high rate of child sex abuse in remote Aboriginal communities, including the "normalisation of sexual activity".
This meant eight and nine-year olds were performing sex acts ''because that seems to be the norm". Another was the problem of children exchanging sex for money, food,accommodation, drugs and fuel.
Children also were at risk when left unsupervised by intoxicated carers. Supt Castlehow said it was too early to say how many of the Redress cases would relate to physical or sexual abuse or both. He warned that not all
Redress applicants who asked that their cases be referred to police would be satisfied by the result.
Some offenders might have died, there could be legal restrictions on taking matters to court or there might not be enough evidence.
"While WA Police is keen and eager to work with the victims who have taken a stand and put their hands up, that may he quite a challenging process for them as we go through what's ahead," he said.
Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney announced yesterday that Redress would be changed to allow $5000 payments to families of victims of abuse while in State care who died before their applications were finalised.
Victims of State abuse held their second raliy at State Parliament to protest at the Government's decision in July to cap payments at $45,000.
Opposition community services spokeswoman Sue Ellery said the Government had failed to finalise agreements for counselling for Redress applicants. She said it was a disgrace that it had still not finalised the contracts with counsellors to facilitate group counselling.
Mrs McSweeney said they would be finalised in the next few weeks.
She said that as a snapshot, in May there were 209 reports of child sex abuse, of which almost half were made under the new mandatory reporting. In 53 cases, an investigation was required, which resulted in 18 people
being charged with 43 offences.
Under reporting laws drafted by the former Labor government, police, health professionals and teachers must report any reasonable suspicion that a child has been sexually abused.
______________________________________
Minister for Community Services
27/7/09 Media Statement
Minister gives update on Redress WA ex-gratia payments.
Community Services Minister Robyn McSweeney has today outlined Redress WA ex-gratia payments will likely be limited to a maximum of up to $45,000 for victims of abuse in both State and non-government institutions, following recent actuarial analysis commissioned by the Department for Communities.
More than 10,000 applications were received by the time the scheme closed on April 30. This followed a 13-month long campaign to raise awareness of the ex-gratia payments.
“Of the $114million budgeted for the delivery of the scheme, $90.2million was apportioned for ex-gratia payments alone,” Mrs McSweeney said.
“Although the scheme is well intentioned, what we have now found is the budget allocated by the Opposition cannot support the maximum threshold of $80,000.”
“The flow-on impact means the maximum amount payable will decrease. Recent analysis conducted by experienced actuaries in this field has revealed that, based on the severity of cases we are assessing and the allocated budget and total applications received, a maximum payment of up to $45,000 is the more likely scenario.”
“It has become clear to me in the past few weeks the most important thing is to let claimants know where they stand and be as upfront about the likely adjustment to the scheme.”
“Ahead of any disbursements, I can assure claimants the Government is sincere in offering ex-gratia payments for any abuse suffered in State care.”
Mrs McSweeney also stated she would be in frequent contact with claimants with the first round of payments to be offered by the end of this year and final payments completed by mid-2011.