Rachel Holthouse
Chair of the Board
As we emerged from the constraints of COVID, new challenges awaited. A tense geopolitical landscape, economic pressure and skills shortages have impacted services and the cost of living. An unprecedented need for mental health support has been noted across Australia as people seek ways to help them navigate uncertain times.
Better Place Australia recognised this need early and was able to adapt and adjust services to reach out to more Victorians. 29,000 inbound calls were received and over 48,000 sessions were provided to clients while straddling the new hybrid approach to working. Our practitioners strove to achieve a balance between face to face and remote services, recognising the most vulnerable clients often needed to be with people in a safe and reassuring way.
The response from those we helped was positive with 95% of clients expressing satisfaction with our services and 97% of clients stating that they would recommend BPA. We are challenging ourselves at BPA to capture the client voice as often as possible to ensure our services and support are reflective of their expectation and needs. We are also exploring ways to integrate services across therapeutic interventions, to offer more mental health services at this time of high demand.
Taking the lead in caring for older members of our community has become a signature piece for BPA, and we are now recognised as a leader in elder abuse prevention advocacy. Ageism is a hidden phenomenon that is not yet fully recognised across Australia and attitudes towards older people need to change. BPA is contributing to building understanding by chairing Elder Abuse Prevention networks and advocating for change in the mental health and aged care sectors. In addition, we expanded our support of older people through our residential facility program and the Elder Abuse Prevention service to the Orange Doors as a way of reducing social isolation, addressing risks to elder abuse, and increasing mental well-being.
This year BPA also opened a Child Contact Centre at Narre Warren to increase family resilience. We have helped over 900 clients through children’s programs and presented at key conferences in the family and relationships sector. There is still much work that needs to be done, but we can see the difference services like the Contact Centre is making to the lives of many families. Another important initiative that BPA has cultivated is The Way Back Support Service, a non-clinical suicide prevention and support service which provides vital psychosocial support to those at a very vulnerable stage in their lives. The service helps participants remain safe in the crucial 12 weeks post an attempt, and to prosper beyond this time.
Financial sustainability is critical to ensure we can continue to respond to the needs of the community and BPA consistently performs well. Due to its reputation for delivering on the promise, we continue to attract funding to help us reach out to those in need. BPA has a strong record of prudent management of resources and for quality client service which our mid-term Quality Innovation Performance Limited (QIP) results confirm.
Our own community at BPA continue to be amongst our greatest ambassadors. Despite periods of restriction, our staff celebrated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Reconciliation Week, Pride month, IDAHOBIT day, R U OK? day and have been active in LGBTIQ+ Committee and Family Violence networks. We are beholden to the dedication of the many individuals that play a role, whether that is our empathetic and talented practitioners, managers and support staff, CEO and Executive or volunteer Board members and we are grateful for the professionalism and dedication each person brings. Together we can be proud of the difference we make in so many lives and the part we are playing in fostering a caring society.
