VACCA Services and Support in Ovens Murray during COVID-19

These essential services include: 

• Child and Family Services – Family Services and Child FIRST
• Child Protection Services – includes Lakidjeka (ACSASS)
• Homelessness Services
• Family Violence Services – includes Orange Door 
• Leaving Care 
• Nugel
• Out of Home Care – includes Kinship Care, Foster Care, Residential Care
• Orana Gunyah
• Targeted Care Packages
• Youth Justice
• Emergency Relief
• Koorie Connect

We are also reviewing a suite of services to ensure all clients at high risk continue to receive an essential service response. 

As we assess our services, we are also exploring new and different ways to connect with our clients.

It is important for anyone experiencing family violence to know that family violence is never ok, no matter the circumstances or situation.

If you or a person you know is in immediate danger — please call 000 now.

At VACCA, we have two programs if you are experiencing family violence and need support:  

• Click here for information about our Family Violence Program
• Click here for information about Orana Gunyah

We also strongly encourage you to contact support services such as the numbers below:

Emergency Services - Police, Ambulance, Fire

• Phone: 000
• 24 hours, seven days

Safe Steps - Family Violence Response

• Phone: 1800 015 188
• 24 hours, seven days

1800RESPECT

• Phone: 1800 737 732
• 24 hours, seven days
• Online chat here

Sexual Assault Crisis Line

• Phone: 1800 806 292
• 24 hours, seven days

VACCA Family Violence Programs

• Phone: (03) 9287 8800
• 9am-5pm, Mon - Fri

Djirra - Aboriginal Family Violence Response & Support Service

• Phone: (03) 9244 3333
• 9am - 9pm, Mon - Fri

Lifeline

• Phone: 13 11 14
• 24 hours, seven days
• Online chat here

SuicideLine Victoria

• 1300 651 251
• 24 hours, seven days

Relationships Australia

• 1300 364 277

Men's Referral Service

• 1300 766 491
• 9am - 9pm, seven days

MensLine Australia

• 1300 789 978
• 24 hours, seven days
• Online chat here

eHeadspace

• 1800 650 890
• 9am - 1am, seven days
• Online chat here

Beyond Blue

• 1300 224 636
• 24 hours, seven days
• Online chat here

Kids Helpline

• 1800 551 800
• 24 hours, seven days
• Online chat here

QLife

• 1800 184 527
• 3pm - midnight, seven days
• Online chat here

Emergency relief packs will be distributed to isolated and vulnerable people in quarantine who have no family or friends that can help out. If you are unable to access goods or medicines due to hardship or vulnerability while being directed to self-isolate, you can access a relief pack.

Relief packs contain a box of groceries for 14 days and can be tailored for various needs to include items such as baby formula, nappies and toilet paper.

To access a relief pack, call: 1800 675 398.

These relief packs are being provided by the Victorian State Government.

Some supermarkets have introduced priority home deliveries to help elderly people, people with a disability, those with compromised immunity and those in mandatory isolation.

Find out more:

• Woolworths
• Coles
• Aldi
• Metcash

Woolworths have also developed a Basics Box for vulnerable families and individuals. Learn more here.

There is now a free home delivery service for medicine for people who are sick, vulnerable or self-isolating.

People who are eligible include:

• People who are sick,
• People who are self-isolating,
• Anybody over 70,
• First Nations people over the age of 50,
• People with chronic health conditions or whose immune systems are compromised, and
• Women who are pregnant or have a new baby.

How it works:

• Pharmacies can now use Australia Post to mail essential medications to your door,
• The service is for PBS medications; however, you can ask the pharmacy to add other over-the-counter medications to the delivery,
• You can have a delivery once per month, and
• To order, call your local pharmacy (different pharmacies will have different ordering systems).

You can find more information here.

For more services available:

• Visit: dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
• Call: 1800 675 398

For all Centrelink and Federal government support packages announced, visit Department of Social Service.

Stay up to date

To stay up to date with the latest information relating to COVID-19, visit:

• dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
• health.gov.au
• vaccho.org.au

Remote learning has brought with it much change for children, young people, carers and families that we support and we understand that this is a challenging time for everyone.

For more information about changes in education and information to support carers and young people, click here.

Here are a few points of clarification about the rights of our children and the responsibilities associated with their education:

• Every vulnerable Aboriginal child in Victoria aged 6-17 years has the right to attend their local state school and if for some reason they have been excluded from a school, it is the role of that school and the Department of Education to continue to oversee the education of that child until an alternative schooling arrangement is found.
• Every Aboriginal child of compulsory school age (6-17 years) should have and be overseen by a Student Support Group (SSG) organised by the school that meets each term to work out how to best support the child at school (this needs to include the family, community, VACCA or relevant agencies too)
• Every Aboriginal child of compulsory school age (6-17 years) should have an updated Individual Education Plan (IEP) developed by the SSG at the school, that is implemented and followed — action that is especially important during the COVID-19 crisis.
• If a student does not have internet access and has yet to receive a dongle, it is the requirement of the school to continue to provide a hard copy of their work until internet access is available. You can ask your worker to request this for a young person if it has not yet occurred.

If you need any support with education please contact your VACCA case worker or call your nearest VACCA office.