A service positively transforming the mental health trajectories of Central Queensland children will need to grow to continue providing life-changing outreach trauma counselling.
For the past three years, child protection organisation Act for Kids and QCoal Foundation have partnered to deliver the Re-ACT CQ program, providing vital therapy to Central Queensland children who have experienced trauma through abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Re-ACT CQ provides flexible face-to-face therapy sessions to children and families at outreach locations such as Rockhampton, Biloela, Emerald and the Central Highlands, as well as telehealth where needed, ensuring children in regional areas have an opportunity to access support.
Through the initial three-year partnership, the trial program has identified strong and consistent need for support services right across the region. The partnership has also developed an effective model to contribute to addressing this need.
QCoal Foundation has recently pledged an additional year of support to further test the model and enhance its sustainability so the program can grow further to reflect the increased need in the region.
Act for Kids Executive Director Tom McIntyre said feedback from families, schools and GPs has shown how valuable the program is to Central Queensland.
“Their message is that this program fills a critical gap in regions where children have limited access to specialist trauma support and where telehealth alone cannot meet their needs,” Mr McIntyre said.
“Without such support, rural and regional children can carry the impact of trauma into adulthood, widening the gap between regional and metropolitan mental health outcomes.
“Unaddressed childhood trauma increases lifetime risk of mental illness, school disengagement, family breakdown and system involvement,” Mr McIntyre said.
“We’re seeking new partners and supporters to come on board so we can continue Re-ACT CQ, which is making a big difference in helping to address a preventable community issue with significant long-term consequences.
“This is a pivotal moment to ensure rural children are not left without the care they need to recover, thrive and build strong futures in the communities they call home.”
QCoal Foundation CEO Sylvia Bhatia said QCoal Foundation was proud to partner with Act for Kids as the Founding Partner of Re-ACT CQ and was pleased to be able to provide an additional year of support for the program.
“Over the past three years, we have developed an effective approach that enhances efficient therapy delivery and has universal application in regional areas across Australia,” Ms Bhatia said.
“In line with our social venture model of partnership, we have supported Act for Kids to trial a solution and we are now focused on identifying further funding sustainability.
“Most critically, this partnership has also highlighted a significant gap in the delivery of trauma-informed therapy for children, young people and their families across regional Queensland.”
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For interview opportunities, please reach out to:
Act for Kids media contact:
Melanie Whiting
0427 794 666
QCoal Foundation media contact:
Nicole Ireland
0409 207 672
Background
Data from the QCoal Foundation Community Grant program identified youth mental health and suicide prevention as the top priorities identified by communities in regional and remote Queensland.
The Central Queensland city of Rockhampton is among the most disadvantaged locations in Queensland, according to the Dropping off the Edge 2021 report.
A Country to Coast report also found Rockhampton children aged 0 to 14 years have a significantly higher prevalence of long-term mental health conditions (3.2%) compared to the average for children in Australia (2.1%).