Family Wellbeing Services

Together with our non-government partners, we are committed to provide services to improve the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, children and young people.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who may be experiencing vulnerability across the state.

The Family Wellbeing Services make it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in communities across Queensland to access culturally responsive support to improve their social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and build their capacity to safely care for and protect their children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations lead the design and delivery of these services to ensure support and responses are culturally safe and responsive, reflect community and family strengths, local needs and aspirations, leadership and cultural knowledge.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services workers collaborate with a wide range of culturally appropriate universal, secondary and specialist services, Family Participation Program services, placement services, and with each individual family, to plan and provide a tailored, holistic and coordinated response to their specific needs. This includes working with families with diverse needs — from prevention and early intervention support to help families at the earliest possible opportunity to prevent concerns and worries from escalating, through to intensive support for families already in contact with the child protection system.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services are a critical component of implementing Our Way and Changing Tracks.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services are operational across these locations in Queensland.

Mums, Dads and other caregivers are encouraged to include themselves in the referral process, reaching out to receive confidential and personalised support whether they just need a little bit of support to feel better about their day to day parenting, if they are sorting through some family challenges, or even if Child Safety is involved with their family.

Referrals can also be made by members of the public, community members, professionals, other government agencies, non-government organisations and by Child Safety in a number of ways, including:

• in person or by phone.
• by on-line referral form located at familysupportreferral.org.au
• by other funded non-government services delivering programs (i.e. Family Participation Program, Family and Child Connect, or Intensive Family Support) using ARC - Advice, Referrals and Case management system

Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services may have some specific initiatives that sit within their services (i.e. Indigenous Youth and Family Workers, and the Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Workers).

Indigenous Youth and Family Workers

17 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services have Indigenous Youth and Family Workers (IYFWs) embedded in them. IYFWs support young people under 18 years of age who are at risk of involvement in the Youth Justice system and their families. IFYWs deliver family-based early intervention programs with a focus on strengthening cultural connections, building skills and reducing young people's involvement in offending. They engage families and connect them with more specialised services when appropriate.

Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Workers

A number of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services have a Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Worker (SDFVW). The SDFVW roles are an additional resource to help identify families where Domestic and Family Violence is a potential concern, provide support through the local Domestic and Family Violence service system, and develop strong referral pathways with mainstream services to ensure families are able to access the right services and be better supported.