Housing & Homelessness Services

Bob’s Place – 35 Robinson Street, Dandenong 3175, 03 97920750

Viv’s Place:

60 apartment permanent housing for women and children experiencing homelessness and/or family violence.

Collaboration with Uniting Family Services

A range of programs are delivered on site from external organisations to address client need

All programs can only be accessed by clients who reside at Viv’s Place.

Bob’s Place:

Launch Housing Dandenong Bob’s Place is a crisis accommodation facility for single people, childless couples and families who are experiencing homelessness. The service offers short term accommodation for up to 12 weeks for singles and couples, and 24 weeks for families.

Accommodation options include:

4 family units, 9 single units, 2 rooms for couples and 3 women’s only rooms. Staff are on site 24/7 to provide assistance and care for residents.

Transitional Support:

Transitional support aims to achieve long-term housing, employment, education, health, and wellbeing outcomes for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Transitional support provides case management support, which may include counselling, crisis resolution, personal care, life skills training, information, and advocacy and/or assistance with accessing appropriate long-term housing and training and employment opportunities.

Interim Response support:

Short term case management support to clients 18 years and over, experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Intensive Case Management Initiative:

The Intensive Case Management Initiative (ICMI) is designed to assist people who are chronically homeless and require intensive support within an intensive case management framework. This dynamic practice model of individualised service delivery is built upon an ongoing process of client focused assessment. The intensive Case Management processes ensures that multiple services are delivered in a coordinated and timely manner, and with the use of both therapeutic and non-therapeutic interventions are aimed to enhance clients support and engagement.

Men’s Options Program:

The Men’s Options Program is a partnership between Bob’s Place and Victoria Police. The shared goal is to provide an integrated service response to males who are homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness resulting from family violence circumstances. The program provides an immediate service response to men who cannot remain in, or return to, the family home following a family violence incident where they would otherwise be homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness.

AoD support:

Drug and Alcohol support is available to any client who have a willingness to engage with it. Support can be offered for the duration of stay or for brief periods of intervention and can continue in a transitional capacity after exit from crisis accommodation. Some key areas of support include: AoD screening and assessment tools and referrals, Brief Intervention- risk assessments and Harm Reduction practices, Support to access pharmacotherapy and other relevant medications, Community connection and integration, Case Management.

Melbourne Zero campaign:

Melbourne Zero seeks to build a movement of Melbournians, like you who know we should and can end homelessness in our city. The campaign is all about enabling people, business and organisations to voice their support and take action to help end homelessness in our city.

Case Management Support

• Specialist family violence case management response including advocacy, support and referrals for women and their children escaping family violence.

Rapid Response (After Hours)

• Provides assistance to women and their children in emergency accommodation provided by Safe Steps, The Orange Door, or a local specialist FV organisation, due to FV crisis. Telephone and face-to-face support provided between 5pm and 9am. The Rapid Response team also support women and their children while they are waiting to be allocated to a FV case worker

No Wrong Door

• Family Violence intake at wayss, for women who experience barriers in accessing The Orange Door

Family Violence Refuge

• Refuge accommodation for women and their children escaping family violence. Intensive case management provided, with therapeutic supports for children

Family Advocacy and Support Services (FASS)

• Family Violence support to women and their children who are attending the Family Law Courts in relation to their FV case. Non-legal supports provided and linkages to a duty lawyer

wayss holds the portfolios for Risk Assessment and Management Panel (RAMP) coordinator and Personal Safety Initiative (PSI) coordinator, and has specialist family violence practitioners embedded into:

• Child Protection Southern Melbourne
• Maternal Child Health Nurse (Dandenong)
• Family Violence Investigation Unit at MDC Dandenong (Alexis position)
• The Orange Door

Housing and Homelessness
Initial Assessment and Planning

• The primary entry point for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The IA&P team provides and assessment of housing and support needs, provides information, advice and advocacy

Women’s Outreach Program (WOP)

• Supports single women, or women with children over the age of 16 who have a history of homelessness or housing insecurity, alongside complex support needs such as a history of family violence, mental ill health, alcohol or drug dependency, and disengagement with services.

Accommodation Options for Families (AOF)

• Provides housing support to families at risk of, or currently experiencing, homelessness. Supports families to access, establish and maintain private rentals. Suitable for all family groups with children in their care, who are private rental ready

Tenancy Plus

• Support and advocacy for social housing tenants to establish a new tenancy, achieve sustainable tenancies, and support to avoid housing breakdown.

Drug Court Homelessness Assistance Program (DCHAP)

• Homelessness/housing support for people on a drug treatment order. The program addresses the underlying factors contributing to homelessness beyond AoD dependency

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tenants at Risk (ITAR)

• Provides supports to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are tenants, or prospective tenants, of Aboriginal Housing Victoria, or OoH. Support provided to maintain sustainable housing, support with priority transfers and new applications, and assistance for issues that may place tenancy at risk.

Services for Young People

• Primary entry point for young people (16-25) who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

Transitional Support Program

• Case management supports for young people (16-25) at risk of homelessness

Step Ahead

• Supported accommodation for single young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. Clients must be studying, working or in training and be willing to engage in intensive case management to be eligible for this program

Emergency Youth Accommodation (EYA)

• Short-term crisis accommodation (up to 6 weeks) for young people (aged 16-25). EYA is staffed 24/7 and is free from violence, aggression, drugs and alcohol

Housing
IAP clients can self-refer by presenting to head office or calling 9791 6111. External referrals can be made via [email protected]

AoF – internal referral after IAP assessment

WoP – internal referral after IAP assessment

Tenancy Plus – Referral through OoH or Community Housing worker, or internal referrals after

IAP assessment – Email [email protected]

DCHAP – Can only be made by the Drug Court by a specialist Community Corrections Officer

ITAR – Referrals from Aboriginal Housing Victoria, OoH, or self-referral through Community. Email [email protected]

Services for Young People
Internal referrals after IAP assessment, and external referrals below:
Step Ahead – email [email protected] (referral form required – contact the team to obtain)

Transitional Support Program – Email [email protected] (referral form required – contact the team to obtain)

EYA – [email protected] with IAP assessment tool. Vacancies are listed on the Victorian Homelessness Database

Family Violence
Case Management – Referrals are received from The Orange Door, or made internally through No Wrong Door

Rapid Response – The Orange Door, Safe Steps and specialised FV services within SMA can refer victim-survivors to the Rapid Response service. Call the team on 8797 1800 to check eligibility/notify of incoming referral and then email [email protected] with referral form

No Wrong Door- clients can self-refer by presenting to head office or calling 9791 6111. Professionals referrals via email [email protected]

Family Violence Refuge – all refuge referrals are made through Safe Steps

FASS – Contact the Victoria Legal Aid help line on 1300 792 387 between 8am and 5pm, and ask to speak to the FASS information referral officer

Additional funding:

• Clients may be eligible to access to Housing Establishment Fund (HEF) for crisis accommodation, or support to establish or maintain tenancy
• Clients may be eligible to access the Private Rental Access Program (PRAP) to support in establishing a tenancy
• Family violence clients may be eligible to access Flexible Support Packages (funding held by Windermere) and Escaping Violence Payments (funded by Uniting)
• Clients engaged with Services for Young People programs may be eligible to access brokerage for education and training purposes
• ITAR clients may be eligible for brokerage to support in establishing or maintaining a tenancy
• AoF clients may be eligible for brokerage to support establishing a tenancy including access to whitegoods

ITAR provides secondary consultation regarding housing options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait clients – [email protected]

The below family violence programs also provide specialised secondary consultation

Family Violence and Disability Practice Leader [email protected] or 0422 588 284 (email preferred). Secondary consultations provided where clients have experienced family violence or sexual assault, when there is an intersect of disability (diagnosed or undiagnosed, including mental health). Consultation can be around any family member who has a disability – victim survivor, child victim survivor or perpetrator. Clients must reside in SMA catchment area.

No Wrong Door – contact 9791 6111 or email [email protected]
Secondary consultations regarding family violence, risk, safety planning, referral pathways

RAMP – [email protected]Secondary consultation regarding high-risk family violence clients who are being considered for referral to RAMP panel

FV Child Protection specialist worker – [email protected]
Secondary consultations where families who are experiencing family violence are involved in the Child Protection system

PSI coordinator – [email protected]
Secondary consultation regarding appropriateness of a personal safety, security and technology response for victim-survivors.

All information requests must meet the relevant guidelines.

• English Literacy
• Numeracy
• Computer and digital literacy
• Study Support for Primary School Students (homework club)
• Refugee Education Support Program
• School Partnerships

Employment Pathways and Support:

• Pathways to Employment Courses
• Employment Support Program

Community Support Programs:

• Dari for Afghan Women
• Road Safety
• Gardening
• Choir
• A range of social groups – Women’s Friendship Cafe, Bounce Back, Women’s Group
• Family Learning Partnership
• Playgroups
• Craft
• Walking group
• Learn to Ride

Family Violence – Prevention:

• Parenting support program
• Education on gender equality
• A range of resources
• Self-Care
• Girls on the Move
• Co-design projects

Family Violence – Response:

• Case management
• Advocacy
• Small amount of material aid

Volunteering opportunities and student placementsOur volunteering program includes student placements, work placements and general volunteering in all aspects of our organisation.

Other Services include:

• Accredited Mental Health First Aid Training
• Women’s Support Provides Case Management to women impacted by mental health, isolation, family violence, poverty and homelessness.  The services include, safety plans, risk assessment, intake assessment, emergency relief, supported referrals, material aid, support in accessing other services.
• Safety and Equity Programs Education on human rights, gender equality, prevention of family violence, parenting, self care, respectful relationships, mental health and physical wellbeing
• Youth and Children’s Services These programs support the skills and wellbeing of children and young women and include playgroups, study support.
• Housing Support Wellsprings has a dedicated Housing Support Practitioner who assists women and children at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness. Priority is given to women and children impacted by family violence

• Client referrals can be referred from programs at Wellsprings for Women
• Referred from external agencies
• Self referrals through reception and or via email

• Flexible Support Packages
• Escaping Family Violence Payment
• Red Cross payments – Givit
• material aide and Voucher support
• Referral to services that provide material aide / financial support such as emergency relief services and Zakat Foundation (Support with rent)

Call reception and request to speak to the Women Support Team – Team leader Aimee Greenstein at [email protected] or on 0413 860 176 to access a secondary consultation.

Alternatively, you can contact the Intake Worker:

Fatima Ali at [email protected] or on 0468 735 834 to request a secondary consultation.