| About The Esther Centre
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The Esther Centre (Centre for Addressing Abuse in Human Services and Faith Communities) provides support for people who have experienced physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual abuse in church institutions, faith communities and human services.
Despite an increased awareness of the issues surrounding abuses of power and vulnerable people, there is still an unacceptable silence that needs to be broken.
The Centre promotes strategies that seek to ensure prevention of future abuse by professionals and carers. The Centre seeks to raise awareness within the community of the issues of abuse of power and how that impacts on people.
Where abuse has occurred it provides appropriate intervention and support.
The Esther Centre is probably the only organisation in Australia that seeks to help people through the process of formally making complaints outside the criminal justice system.
Esther Centre staff assist people who have experienced abuse make a complaint whether it is through the criminal or civil justice systems or the internal processes of the Churches. This can often be extremely difficult.
In cases where it is an employee of an organisation that has enacted the abuse, often people have little trust in the internal processes of the organisation.
Civil or criminal remedies may also not be open to them due to the statute of limitations or a loss or paucity of evidence.
Centre staff have been successful in helping negotiate for people where it is evident that abuse has occurred.
The Centre also houses a 'cyber' peer support service that will link former residents living outside Brisbane.
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| HAN - Former Residents of Queensland Institutions and Former Children In Care |
The Historical Abuse Network provides a strong framework for developing and advancing the issues for ex-residents of Queensland’s institutions. The three Peer Leaders continue to meet with the Ministers of Departments of Communities and Child Safety on a monthly basis.
Peer Leaders have been involved in the ongoing training of Queensland Child Safety Officers. They have also been invited to contribute to the development of a new Workplace Learning Guide. There has been great interest in feedback from those who have had the experience of institutionalisation and who can provide a first hand account of the effects which this experience has had in their lives.
The Wilson Memorial Committee has worked consistently on the production of a memorial art work for those who suffered abuse in Youth Detention Centres. Its work is near completion and should see the placement of a significant piece at Kurilpa Point on the Brisbane River next year.
Weekly HAN Peer Leader meetings have provided an opportunity to reflect on progress in the articulation of Network business. Monthly Network meetings provide a forum for members to give feedback and inform the development of new directions.
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| The Esther Centre Team |
ESTHER CENTRE
Addressing Issues of Power in Human Services and Faith Communities
Esther Centre Team
- Coordinator/Advocate: Karyn Walsh
Team Leader: John Lucas
Advocate/Counsellor: Vacant
Outreach Worker: Jo Bennett
Information & Referral: Brendan Tuckerman
Information & Referral: Laureen Kelly
Support and Advocacy Worker: Tania Schmakeit
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| Activities |
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Each Tuesday is drop in day. All are welcome to a nourishing lunch with activities. We continue to provide a range of support and advocacy programs. And have seen a gradual increase of numbers this year.
The current services offered are :
- Advocacy and support for people to process complaints through internal church protocols, professional bodies or organisational and criminal justice processes.
“Walking Together, Valuing Children, Engaging Parents”, a program designed to support parents, who have themselves been in care, in the parenting of their own children.
Centre based crisis support and outreach
Facilitation and support for the Historical Abuse Network.
Abuse prevention, training, education and networking.
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| Adress |
26 Merivale Street
South Brisbane 4101
Catch a bus to the Cultural Centre Busway or a QR Train to South Brisbane Station. Merivale Street is the street that runs alongside the Brisbane Convention Centre.Walk up towards the river end of the street.
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