Supporting families in crisis

[Lucie Stephens]

You might be interested in the 'Family by Family' approach developed in South Australia as an alternative to removing children from families. 

This short film describes the approach.

The approach was co-designed with the families it supports.

It develops a family to family peer network - linking 'seeking families' (those experiencing crisis) with 'sharing families' (those with an experience to share) who live nearby.

Famillies provide practical support and friendship, they 'walk beside' families for up to 30 weeks. 

Family coaches support the linked families and help identify and access wider community resources.

As 'seeking families' feel stronger they become 'sharing families' too. 

A recent (first) evaluation using data from 66 families shows that people are experiencing positive outcomes in acheiving the goals and outcomes they have set themselves. People involved are reporting significant changes ('heaps better') in their confidence and self-esteem. The model appears to engage families in genuine need of support, including those who may be considered ‘difficult’ in traditional services and including those with child protection concerns.