Next Steps Australia is proud to be associated with our Community Partners Emerge Women and Children’s Support Network and McAuley Community Services for Women.
These organisations work directly with families affected by domestic violence to provide emergency and long-term accommodation, among other critical services.
Our Community Partners also educate us about the needs of families affected by domestic violence and this advice directly impacts Next Steps Australia’s delivery model and broader strategy.
MCAULEY COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR WOMEN
McAuley Community Services for Women provides much needed services for women and their children who are escaping family violence, and for women who are homeless.
McAuley are advocates for change to ensure justice and equality for women and their children.
McAuley was created in 2008, when the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea joined two of its long-running services – McAuley House (formerly Regina Coeli) and McAuley Care (formerly Mercy Care).
Today, they offer three programs for women and their children to help them rebuild their lives:
- McAuley House provides welcoming accommodation for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and supports them on their journey towards independence.
- McAuley Care provides 24-hour crisis accommodation, refuges for women and their children escaping family violence and a specialist Children’s Program focusing on the mother-child bond and the child’s trauma.
- McAuley Works is an employment program aimed at supporting women who have experienced family violence, homelessness or mental health issues into long-term sustainable employment. Unlike other employment services, our support continues until this aim is achieved and they have been in their job for at least 6 months.
McAuley supported 801 women and children in 2020-2021
301 women were kept safe from family violence
66 women who’d been homeless were accommodated
47 women registered to our employment support program
117 women were supported by 2 or more McAuley services
EMERGE WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S SUPPORT NETWORK
Established in 1975, Emerge is the only autonomous, independent specialist domestic violence service located in Melbourne’s Middle Southern Metropolitan Region serving multiple Local Government Areas.
The organisation is funded by state and local Government, philanthropists and a wonderful supportive community that assists it to offer the following:
- Programs that offer understanding, support and assistance to rebuild women’s lives.
- Children’s programs that help to heal the wounds caused by violence at home.
- Advocacy and community education work that creates a better community for all.
- Services for women including crisis accommodation, housing support and relocation, case management and ongoing support, outreach to families in their homes and programs designed to empower women to live a life free from domestic violence.
- Services for children including art therapy for children aged 3-18 years, early intervention programs for mothers and infants through therapeutic support, advocacy for children affected by domestic violence and long-term therapeutic support to break the cycle of violence.
- Work in schools to assist and advocate to help bring about policy and community change.