Many Care Leavers and their families benefit from counselling and psychological support. It is provided by a number of agencies as well as being an element in the National Redress Scheme (NRS).
Initially, the NRS did not provide for counselling until after an application had been processed, and an offer of redress (including a counselling component) had been accepted.
Fortunately, Support Services funded through NRS can now offer counselling and support to applicants at the early stages of the application process.
NRS counselling offers will come either as a lump sum $$ amount with which to purchase counselling services or as a referral to a state-funded service, depending on which state you live in.
In Victoria, for example, a consortium of agencies – including CLAN, the Centres against Sexual Assualt (CASA) drummond street, and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) – have set up RESTORE to give survivors a range of choices about getting access to counselling. More information about RESTORE
However, counselling under NRS is for survivors of sexual abuse only, but other Care Leavers can get free counselling from CLAN and a number of other support services. You do not have to be a member of CLAN to get counselling from CLAN’s trained, qualified and highly professional counsellors. Ring 1800 008 774 for an appointment.