Victoria’s only dedicated parenting and care support line has been given an 11th-hour reprieve from being shut down.
Key points:
At an emergency meeting, staff were told an earlier decision to close Parentline had been reversed
The service employs about 30 counselors and receives about 1,000 calls a month
The ABC was told some staff had already accepted redundancy packages
Parentline counselors were told in an online meeting three weeks ago the service would close next month after the Victorian government with drawn funding, despite no consultation with staff or the union.
The service has been operating for 22 years.
The ABC understands some counselors had already taken redundancy packages and started looking for new jobs.
But following inquiries from the ABC, counselors were called into an emergency meeting at 7pm yesterday and told the government funding would continue for another 12 months.
The future of the service remains uncertain, with the state government saying it would undertake a review of the service to see if it was continuing to meet the needs of the community.
If the funding cut had gone ahead, Victoria would have been the only state in Australia without Parentline, which provides parents with confidential counseling and support seven days a week.
Parentline was regularly recommended alongside Lifeline and BeyondBlue for parents needing mental health support during the pandemic.
Service ‘a lifesaver’
Counselors were furious with the initial decision to shut down Parentline, and had accused the state government of abandoning vulnerable families who use the service and the children behind the calls.
Former minister for child protection Anthony Carbines, who currently holds the police, crime prevention and racing portfolios, made the decision to close the Parentline service in June without consulting with counsellors, the ABC has been told.
Recently appointed Minister for Child Protection Colin Brooks has since been in discussions with the Community and Public Sector Union and was involved in the last-minute decision to reinstate the funding.
Parentline has been operating in Victoria for 22 years.(Supplied: Pexels)
Jack* has used Parentline for close to three years after his marriage broke down and was anxious after he heard the service would be closing.
“I was seeing a traditional counselor who suggested this would be a good service and I have since run twice a month in all forms of distress,” he said.
“The counselors are very helpful in providing advice, there are a lot of uncertainties and anxieties being a sole parent and they have helped me engage with my child and communicate with my partner.”
“They are absolutely a lifesaver for some people.”
The state government said its 12-month review of Parentline would examine what alternative platforms may be available.
“Our priority continues to be keeping children safe and families strong,” a government spokesperson said.
“The Parentline Program is continuing to operate and we thank its dedicated staff for their tireless effort and support of Victorian families, parents and carers.”
‘Grave error’ to close service amid mental health system crisis
One counselor at the service, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the attempt to shut Parentline, which receives more than 1,000 calls a month, was a “serious error”.
There’s no doubt having a baby is a life-changing event and while it’s well known many mothers struggle with depression or anxiety, so can fathers.
Perinatal anxiety and depression, from pregnancy through to a child turning one, affect up to one in five new mums and up to one in 10 new dads, according to Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA).
A world-first online treatment program called Dadbooster aims to help fathers after their baby is born by reducing moderate to severe symptoms of postnatal depression.
A silent struggle
For Luke Rigby, the birth of his daughter Olive in 2018 marked the start of a mental health battle that left him struggling for almost a year until he was diagnosed.
Returning to work three weeks after Olive’s birth, the 27-year-old said he ignored early warning signs that something wasn’t right.
“I think I averaged a day off a week … I’d give myself a kick up the butt, but it would only last for probably a week or two and then it becomes like a self-replicating cycle,” he said.
His turning point came when he finally decided to visit his GP.
“I booked him for a 15-minute appointment, but I reckoned that lasted about 45 minutes,” he said.
“It was just me in his room sobbing and just the things that I was holding inside of me that I’ve never really said, even to myself, before they just came out … like a word vomit.”
Mr Rigby says he tries to spend as much quality time as he can with his four-year-old daughter.(Supplied: Luke Rigby)
Luke Rigby isn’t alone when it comes to dealing with peri- and postnatal depression and anxiety.
An increasing number of fathers report similar experiences.
Dadbooster to help fathers
Jeannette Milgrom, executive director of Melbourne’s Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), said, through her research and development of treatment programs for women, it became apparent there was an obvious gap in treatment options for men.
“What we found is that this has not been addressed in the literature,” Professor Milgrom said.
“There have been some involvement of men and trials of providing education, but there hasn’t been any targeted treatment for depression in men.”
That’s about to change.
Jeannette Milgrom developed Dadbooster to help fill the void in treatment options for fathers with postnatal depression.(Supplied: Jeannette Milgrom)
Professor Milgrom and her team are working on a world-first specialized web-based treatment program for depressed or anxious fathers.
Dadbooster involves six sessions along with SMS messages, regular contact, advice and encouragement to keep motivated participants.
Changes in symptoms are also closely monitored.
Professor Milgrom said the treatment was comparable to face-to-face therapy and was modified to appeal to men.
“There’s similarities in the sense that the core treatment for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy… we’ve made it very easily accessible for men… it’s a very mobile, responsive program and it’s shorter and sharper,” she said.
‘Even rocks crumble’
Julie Borninkhof says more than one in 10 dads may experience perinatal depression.(Supplied: PANDA)
Australia’s mental health system to date has not been great at picking up on vulnerability in men, according to PANDA CEO Julie Borninkhof.
“Organizations like ours are really trying to break down the barriers and remind people that even rocks crumble,” Dr Borninkhof said.
“We don’t screen as readily and ask as many questions as we do of women… so the one in 10 is probably under-reported, because we also know that screening dads in the perinatal period is not as great as it is when we screen our mums.”
Dr Borninkhof said data collected through PANDA’s annual mental health checklist for expectant fathers had revealed some alarming data.
“There’s about 60 per cent of those that really do fear that they’re not going to be great dads,” she said.
Professor Milgrom said her research had identified the importance of giving a voice to the issue.
“Once men start hearing other men talking about it, it becomes very enabling to be able to share the experience and feel that it’s so common,” she said.
hanging out together
It’s a sentiment shared by Tom Docking, founder of Dads Group, an organization promoting positive parenting for men by combining dads, their kids, a cup of coffee and a playground.
Since establishing the Toowoomba chapter a few years ago, Mr Docking said getting fathers together with their children created a supportive environment.
Dads Group offers support to fathers around Australia.(Supplied: Tom Docking)
“From our research, it’s the presence of the child which helps to keep the focus on being better as a father, a partner, a community leader, and a benefit to himself and his own identity,” he said.
Mr Docking said the group was letting fathers know about Dadbooster and other services available.
“It’s important to realize that we can only do this together collaboratively to really address the needs of our community,” Mr Docking said.
For Mr Rigby, help from his GP and connecting with a local dads’ group gave him the support he needed.
Now, he shares his experience with others to raise awareness of perinatal and postnatal depression.
“My biggest bit of advice is to be radically honest with yourself … and ask the question about why you don’t feel 100 per cent and then go from there,” he said.
Jeremey Gunning admits he is worried people will think the worst of him.
He sits on a chair in the center of Ballarat’s Trades Hall, surrounded by a display of photographs which share the most personal and darkest moments of his life with the world.
“I seem confident, but on the inside, I worry about the judgement,” he said.
The photograph display shows Mr Gunning, with wild hair and a long beard, his dog, a large stack of firewood and his car and a 1970s van parked in the bush near Creswick.
Next to those images taken during his 18 months living homeless are others from some of his proudest and happiest moments.
Jeremey Gunning is sharing his journey through photos in a Ballarat exhibition. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
He accepts a scholarship at a Federation University event in one image and smiles with a group of people he is now working with in his role as a peer support worker at Uniting Ballarat.
Mr Gunning receives a study scholarship at a Federation University event. (Supplied: Federation University)
Homelessness Week exhibition
Mr Gunning’s story is part of the Experiencing Homelessness exhibition open to the public this week.
It aims to break down the stigmas of homelessness and encourage community action.
Mr Gunning took this photo on his first day of homelessness in the bush near Creswick. (Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)
He said his photo selection highlighted his journey from the bush to a unit in Creswick and how support from Uniting’s Street 2 Home program got his life back on track.
“I thought it was important to show people the generosity that is required to help people out of homelessness. It works,” Mr Gunning said.
Mr Gunning’s experience of homelessness began three years ago when he was battling depression, experiencing deteriorating physical health and lost his job.
Mr Gunning wants to break down stigmas of homelessness to encourage more kindness. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
He had worked his whole life but said he gave up when his issues felt overwhelming.
He bought a rundown van for $400 and headed out to the bush near Creswick, then Mount Franklin and Slaty Creek, with his dog.
Mr Gunning lived in a 1970s van he bought for $400.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)
He had no income and didn’t sign up for Centrelink benefits until Uniting Street 2 Home workers found him camped out and offered practical help and ultimately, a home.
Collecting firewood became a daily job to fuel the large fire that heated his van and cooked his food.
The smell of smoke masked his body odour.
Mr Gunning’s fire was his only cooking source while he was living in the bush.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)
“So many of my photos are of my fire,” Mr Gunning said. “It was pretty cold out there.”
He said his disability made it harder to get firewood so he adapted as he went along.
“The fire was a big part of my journey,” he said.
Mr Gunning’s dog was his companion while he lived in the bush.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)
Mr Gunning was diagnosed with spinocerebellar ataxia, a degenerative condition which causes problems with balance, co-ordination, slurred speech, muscle stiffness and cramps.
Uniting’s support to move into a unit led to improvements in his physical and mental health, a new study venture in community services and a job as a peer support worker with the program that helped him.
Mr Gunning’s exhibition features pictures taken while he was living rough.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
“It has been a funny week for me,” Mr Gunning said while looking at his display of photos with his son.
“There has been a lot of reflection and a lot of memories that have come up.”
He said everyone’s journey into, through and out of homelessness was completely different. Yo
“It is emotional, it is ours, we own it,” he said.
“By me doing this, I hope I am challenging the stigma that is attached to homelessness. I need to tell my story because there is stigma, and it needs to go.
Community call to action
Juelz Sanders organized the Experiencing Homelessness exhibition.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
Street 2 Home case worker and homelessness exhibition coordinator Juelz Sanders said the exhibition was an “incredible opportunity” for the community to listen and understand.
She said the situation was dire and services needed community help because they could not meet demand on their own.
Uniting Ballarat has had to turn away 570 people who were seeking help at reception so far this year, because there were no appointments left to meet them.
Senior manager homelessness Adam Liversage said it was concerning and heartbreaking for staff.
“That unmet demand is increasing, and we are projecting that there will be 1200 people we aren’t going to get to [by the end of the year],” he said.
“This is the first time we are seeing such a demand on our services.”
Adam Liversage says the demand for services is unprecedented.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
There are currently almost 180 households waiting for housing and support on the over 25s priority list in Ballarat, including 84 families.
“We are seeing interest rate increases and the median rental prices increase to $419 in Ballarat,” Mr Liversage said.
“That is unaffordable on any Centrelink benefit and for those on the average incomes as well.”
People feel judged
The Ballarat Experiencing Homelessness exhibition shares many other heartbreaking stories of homelessness.
Beck, not their real name, spent three years living in her car with her two dogs after a family relationship breakdown and violence and trauma in the family home.
“I think one of the hardest things for me when I was homeless was the way people look at you,” she wrote in a display for the exhibition.
“The way they would stare, or point, or mutter things, or look at you with pity or disgust.
“Many people assume you’re a drug addict or I hear them say ‘something is wrong with her that she is homeless’, but they have no idea what’s happened or is happening in your life.”
Mr Gunning’s photos show how support helped him through homelessness. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
Uniting Ballarat is hosting a Take Action Day on Friday to encourage residents to sign up to volunteer and donate items like sleeping bags, non-perishable food and blankets.
Ms Sanders said her biggest wish was for people to be kind and understanding of people experiencing homelessness.
“It is an incredible opportunity for us to listen as a community and for the community to really understand,” she said.
Losing her leg to cancer was a traumatic enough experience for Anthea Corbett — but having no home to recover in made things much worse from a psychological and emotional perspective.
Key points:
The StayWitch’s program offers beds for homeless people leaving hospital
It aims to ensure they don’t end up back in hospital soon after being discharged
StayWitch is based on a program having some success in Boston
“It was hard because, you know, the same time, when you’re homeless, you just want to stay alive,” she said.
“Basically, you’ve got to protect yourself and you got to be careful, because some people are rough, especially guys, when it comes to a woman being homeless.”
A new Perth program is offering respite for homeless people who have just come out of hospital, addressing the “revolving door” issue that sees them struggle to recover on the streets.
The respite center caters for homeless people leaving hospital.(ABC News: David Weber )
Inspired by how the US city of Boston, Massachusetts tackles health care for the homeless, an old backpacker accommodation in Northbridge has been transformed into a short-stay facility for homeless people who have been discharged from hospital.
The Medical Respite Center is funded by the Department of Health with philanthropic support and offers 20 medical and 10 non-medical beds, providing a safe place to sleep and recover and helping connect people with health care services and support to get housing and accommodation.
homeless people die younger
Homeless Healthcare chief executive Andrew Davies, who initiated the set up of the StayWitch’s service, said the interaction between health and homelessness was “huge.”
“We’re finding that the average age of death is about 48 years old, which is incredibly poor when you compare it to the mainstream community,” he said.
