* Cultural Warning
People of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent should be aware that the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service website may contain images and names of people who are deceased or images of places that could cause sorrow.
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VAHS AGM 2011
The VAHS annual general meeting will be held on March 28 2011.
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FOLLOW VAHS ON FACEBOOK!
Join the VAHS Facebook group to be kept informed of our activies!
SOCIAL NETWORKS
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Full-time positions are currently availabe for:
- Dental Assistant
- Home Visiting Nurse
- Family Partnership Worker
Please refer to the employment section of this site for more information.
FAMILY COUNSELLING
ABOUT
Family Counselling Services
Address: 279 High St, Northcote, Vic
Ph: 03 9403 3300 || Fax: 03 9403 3333
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 4pm
AFFILIATIONS
The Family Counselling services at VAHS operate as part of the Victorian Aboriginal Adult Mental Health Network (VAAMHN). We have 5 Koori beds located in the psychiatric ward at St Vincent Hospital.
VAAMHN provide a range of programs that have partnerships with:
- St Vincent Hospital and Community Psychiatric Service
- Northern Hospital (Epping)
- Darebin (CMHS)
- Cat & MST Teams (Metropolitan)
- The nationwide cannabis project
OUR VISION
- The VAHS Family Counselling Service strives to work towards an integrated culturally appropriate team approach
- Flexible and informal way of engaging clients
- An informal language & story telling-based approach that reflects Aboriginal oral tradition
- We practice a number of interventions that are the basis of an holistic approach
- Assist people to link back into family and community
- Direct access to VAHS medical, dental, community and womens & children's programs
MAIN SHARED VALUES
- Community Controlled
- Culturally embedded
- Accessible
- Family and community focused
- Respect the rights and dignity of each individual
COMMUNITY CONTROLLED
- Safe and belonging environment for Community
- Intakes are conducted by Aboriginal Mental Health Workers
- Non Aboriginal practitioners are more approachable & accepted by clients due to endorsement by management
- An alternative to mainstream service approaches that may be unsuitable to Aboriginal people
- Sensitivity to the effect of trans Ðgenerational trauma, grief & loss and cultural dislocation
ABORIGINAL DEFINITION OF HEALTH
- Health does not simply mean the physical well being of an individual but also refers to the social, emotional, spiritual and cultural well being for the individual and the whole community.
- For Aboriginal people this is seen in terms of the whole of life view which is the cycle concept of Life-Death-Life and the relationship to the land.
RISK FACTORS
- Cultural disruption
- Trans generational trauma
- Unresolved grief and loss
- Dislocated upbringing
- Family history of suicide
- Chronic Physical Illness
- Chronic Substance Abuse