Bringing Them Home
This is a spiritual and emotional wellbeing program that provides a dedicated service to the Stolen Generation, addressing concerns and issues from individuals and families. Our Bringing Them Home staff are trauma informed social workers with experience working with Aboriginal communities.
The BTH Workers at Wathaurong Co-Op focus on supporting clients who are engaged in their healing journey, by creating opportunities to heal and connect to community, country, culture, and identity through group work, brief counseling, referrals, community events, and activities.
The BTH Workers work closely with community cultural leaders and elders, to ensure these services are culturally appropriate and provided in a culturally safe manner.
To be eligible to access services through the Bringing Them Home program, the client:
- Must be residing in the Wathaurong service region.
- Must be 18 years or over. (Consideration may be given to a family member or legal guardian who can act on behalf of a child regarding family tracing).
- Must have either,
- Been removed from family, community and or country due to past government policies of removal
- Had a parent removed (as above)
- Had a grandparent removed (as above)
- Introductory group activities
- Yarning Circles
- Therapeutic groups
- Brief informal counselling
- Referrals to services including Koorie Heritage Trust, Link Up, Connecting Home, National Redress Scheme, Department of Justice (Stolen generation reparations), mental health services and other relevant agencies
- Linking clients in with community events, Apology Day, Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
The BTH Workers at Wathaurong do not offer a research service, however, BTH Workers will support clients who are actively involved in their own research journey by, linking them in with research workshops and connecting them with other research services.
BTH Workers do not provide membership to Wathaurong or confirmation of Aboriginality, however, BTH Workers can supply community members with further information and assistance in relation to their applications for both membership to Wathaurong and confirmation of Aboriginality. BTH Workers can also support people seeking to apply for the National Redress Scheme and or the Victorian Stolen Generation Reparations, (available via Department of Justice as of March 31st 2022).
BTH clients have the right to:
- Information about the services of the BTH program and any other relevant services to their needs
- Receive assistance that is culturally appropriate and safe, reliable and of a high quality
- Receive support and assistance in a timely manner
- Provide feedback regarding services
- Make written complaints
BTH Clients have a responsibility to:
- Treat Wathaurong staff in a respectful and courteous manner
- To keep their contact details up to date with BTH Staff
- To advise BTH staff of any issues (health or otherwise) that may impact on their ability to participate in BTH activities
- Be respectful of other BTH clients
- Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative has a zero tolerance policy for violence of any kind.