Social Support Services
Programs we are currently funding:
Communities for Children
The Communities for Children service provides prevention and early intervention support to families with children up to 12 years of age, who are vulnerable and at-risk. Communities for Children is a locally driven initiative, where the funded provider brokers partnerships with other local organisations to deliver a range of programs in the Alice Springs Township and surrounding town camps.
For more information please contact:
Communities for Children
Tel: 89518000
Dog Control Program
The Dog Control program is provided by the Alice Springs Town Council. It aims to standardise dog ownership on the Alice Springs town camps through enforcing compliance with the Alice Springs Town Council Municipal By-Laws, limiting the number of dogs owned to 2 dogs per household and all dogs must be micro-chipped.
For more information please contact:
Alice Springs Town Council
Tel: 8950 0500
Email: astc@astc.nt.gov.au
Domestic and Family Violence Outreach
An expansion of the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter to employ 4 additional workers to provide outreach services, case work and education groups for women and children living in Alice Springs and town camps experiencing domestic or family violence. The outreach service and the education groups will focus on developing healthy relationships and safety plans, with a particular focus on young women.
For more information please contact:
Alice Springs Women’s Shelter
Tel: 89537648
Family Group Conferencing
Family Group Conferencing is a preventative service targeted to kids at risk of being removed from their families into the care of the child protection system. The service runs mediation conferences that involve the child’s extended family network, the child, government and non-government services and the NT Child Protection agency in decision making. It is a family led process and is facilitated by an independent convenor. Referrals come from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). If families are involved with the DCF and would like to participate in a mediation conference they need to talk to the caseworker.
For more information please contact:
The Department of Children and Families
Tel: 8955 6001
Gap Youth and Community Centre
Funding has been provided to the Gap Youth and Community Centre to expand its service to provide extra programs for a wider segment of the community. Through the additional funding, the service will connect parents and children with education and early childhood programs, as well provide improved access and referrals to family support and assistance. Stronger links with organised sport will be developed under the guidance of a sports mentor, as well as more health promotional activities and programs, particularly catering for disengaged youth and youth affected by petrol sniffing or other substance abuse.
For more information please contact:
Michelle Krauer,
CEO Gap Youth and Community Centre
Tel: 8952 3927
Intensive Support Tenancy Enabling Program (ISTEP)
Run by Mission Australia, ISTEP provides intensive case management and support for people with complex social housing needs, who are either homeless and on the wait list for public housing or at risk of becoming homeless and in need of urgent assistance to help stabilise their tenancies.
The program will assist up to 30 priority households over three years, through brokering a range of support services covering life skills training, family and relationship building, alcohol and other drugs, mental health counselling and links to education and employment. Ongoing mentoring support through regular contact with Aboriginal family support workers will also be provided through the program. Participants would be supported under the program for up to 12 months, and would be housed in a public housing property, head leased to Mission Australia.
For more information please contact:
Territory Housing
Tel: 8951 5344
Patrol Coordinator
ASTP has funded the appointment of a Patrol Coordinator to improve coordination, training and information sharing between patrolling services and Police in Alice Springs, particularly on the town camps. There are currently six patrolling services operating in Alice Springs, delivered by four separate providers and funded by different government agencies.
The Coordinator will enhance the delivery of patrolling services in Alice Springs through implementing a more streamlined and integrated delivery model focused on improved networking between providers and Police, minimum service standards and achieving a closer alignment of patrolling with Police operations, reporting and intelligence gathering activities. The position will also develop a comprehensive competency-based training and accreditation program to underpin the minimum response protocols for patrolling services.
For more information please contact:
Peter Dash
Patrol Coordinator
NT Police
Tel: 8955 4402 or 131 444
Preschool Readiness Program
The Congress Preschool Readiness Program supports families to get their children off to the best possible start at preschool through providing health checks, preschool readiness checks and early intervention services. This program works closely with the Northern Territory Department of Education to ensure the smooth transition of children from home to preschool.
For more information please contact:
Patrick Cooper
Preschool Readiness Program Team Leader
Congress
Tel: 8958 4532
Safe and Sober Support Service also known as “Grog Mob”
Run by Congress’s Social Emotional and Wellbeing Branch to deliver a multi-disciplinary alcohol rehabilitation service, offering pharmacotherapy, social support, advocacy and structured therapy. Under the program clients are assigned to a therapist and Aboriginal AOD worker who offer case coordination/management, therapeutic intervention, culturally appropriate support, social support and advocacy, access to medical care and appropriate group work with flexibility in style and locations to ensure accessibility. The program also delivers a prison in-reach program with other local AOD service providers.
For more information please contact:
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
Tel: 8959 4780
Email: ssss.adminofficer@caac.org.au
Tyerrtye Arntarnte-areme (Caring for People) Targeted Family Support Service (TFSS)
Run by Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, TFSS is a voluntary early intervention service that promotes the safety, stability, development and well being of vulnerable children and their families. TFSS provides a range of services including: information, active engagement, assessment, case management, counselling and in-home support. TFSS receive referrals from NT Department of Children and Families (DCF) child protection and from the community.
The primary goals of Targeted Family Support Services are to:
- create support options for vulnerable families
- divert high needs low risk families who have been referred to child protection (NT DCF) from involvement with child protection services.
- Engagement of external service providers in collaborative practice to keep children safe
The primary target group for TFSS community referrals is vulnerable children, young people (0 to 17 years) and their families who are:
likely to experience greater challenges as the child or young person's development has been affected by the experience of risk factors and/or cumulative harm; and/or
- at risk of concerns escalating and becoming involved with Child Protection if problems are not addressed.
For more information please contact:
Caroline Lovell
TFSS Program Manager
Tel: 8958 4534
Mob: 0409 675 868