Report - 2007
The Bouverie Centre, Victoria’s Family Institute
This year has seen the culmination of more than five years of hard work by many: initial planning submissions then lobbying for funding followed by the designing and building phase so that in mid November somewhat later than planned we moved into our new sparkling building in Brunswick. The amenities, technical advances in terms of IT and AV systems, the access and parking and spaces for teaching significantly improve our capacity to provide our core services. We look forward to officially launching the building in the New Year. While waiting to move we were still able to be productive on a number of fronts and also experience a significant staff movement over the course of the year.
Professorial Appointments, significant retirements, other staff recognitions
This year we co-hosted La Trobe University, Institute of Advanced Studies, Visiting Distinguished Scholar Professor Charlotte Patterson — University of Virginia who worked closely with Bouverie Centre staff and the Division of Nursing and Midwifery in the provision of teaching sessions on gay & lesbian parenting, and in research discussions. Dr. Kerry Proctor won the Faculty of Health Sciences Award for most outstanding PhD Thesis in 2007. We farewelled our Clinical Program Manager Dr Kitty Vivekenanda who is taking up a senior role in RMIT student counselling, Jenny Dwyer, a foundational member and coordinator of the sexual abuse team, Karen Holl team leader of the innovations project and Catherine Ingram who designed the Wisdoms project and coordinated the inaugural Graduate Certificate in Narrative Therapy.
Key Developments in Research
We secured the grant for the Implementation & Evaluation of Internship for Aboriginal Child and Family Services Workers $339,220 over 3 years.
Dr Kerry Proctor was awarded a Menzies Foundation Allied Health Sciences Grant for $25 000. Brendan O’Hanlon secured a special annual research grant of $50,000 awarded by a panel from the DHS Mental Health Branch to explore implementation of the Building Family Skills Together project at NW AMHS. The Bouverie Centre sponsored an evening and full day symposium on Gay & Lesbian Parenting, with a Public Lecture given by Professor Charlotte Patterson — University of Virginia — La Trobe University, Institute of Advance Studies, Visiting Distinguished Scholar. The Centre has 10 students enrolled in PhDs, 2 Master of Applied Science and 4 students enrolled in minor masters theses with three completions in 2007. There have been 7 publications (DEST).
Key Developments in Community Service
The Drought Project has attracted close to $300,000 for 2007 with funding continuing into next year. This capacity building rural project has included, a number of 2 day best practice forums, 4 editions of a newsletter called No Bull, and 15 No Bullshit Therapy workshops across the state training over 450 rural counsellors. No Bullshit Therapy (developed by Jeff Young) provides a conceptual framework that has helped open up counselling to people usually suspicious of it.
Two state-wide newer projects have grown from the core project: NB Support workshop for lay people such as vets, business people, farmers unsure how to help others directly affected by drought, and Neighbours, a joint project with the Victorian Farmers Federation. Community Health Counselling and AOD clinical supervision projects continue to be funded with strong research findings supporting implementation of the Single Session Therapy approach within Community services. The Mental Health Program expanded its work in Behavioural Family Therapy working with Mind(ex Richmond fellowship)in BFST- Mind supporting the work with families in marginalised communities supported by FACSIA funding.
Direct Clinical Services and Clinical Partnerships
The Bouverie Centre provided 3200 clinical consultations and saw 230 new families for family therapy. The ABI team applied for a Maddox Foundation Grant of $25,000 to conduct Family 2 Family Link ups- each region is being approached for involvement in the project with several signed up. This program links a family struggling with adjusting to an acquired brain injury with another family who may be further down the track. Brain link is providing $5000 as well as providing resources to manage the program after the first year.
Key developments in Teaching and Clinical Education
2007 was another successful year for the Academic Program at The Bouverie Centre. Four separate courses were conducted: The Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy, Master of Couple and Relationship Counselling (with Relationships Australia), Master of Clinical Family Therapy and a new Graduate Certificate in Narrative Therapy. This latest innovation was developed by Catherine Ingram and Dr. Ron Findlay. Feedback on the course was very positive and we have another more enrolments for 2008. In all there were 88 students enrolled across these courses and a further 60 completing the Introduction to Family Therapy workshops. Towards the end of the year Banu Moloney(lecturer) began collaboration with Shaun Coade(an indigenous manager and trainer from Take Two) to develop training for indigenous family support workers in family therapy which is likely to be conducted in 2008.