1. Drummond Street’s Complex Trauma Practitioners are highly experienced in working with survivors of institutional child sexual, psychological, emotional and physical abuse. Each of them holds recognised qualifications, credentials, accreditation, and registration with a recognised professional body for their area of expertise.
Our support is inclusive of all – including abilities, identities and experiences.
When you are supported by a Drummond Street Complex Trauma Practitioner, you will work with a professional who draws from evidence-based practice, a complex trauma-informed framework and who understands the impacts of all forms of institutional abuse. This means:
- You will be believed and heard.
- Your support will be tailored to your goals.
- You will be supported to move towards greater safety and stabilisation.
- You will be supported through facilitated trauma processing with a view to encourage connection and compassion to self.
- You will be supported to strengthen relationships that are meaningful for your healing and recovery.
- We will uphold your rights for social inclusion and community participation.
National Redress Scheme
Drummond Street has a Redress Support Service. We offer free and confidential counselling and support to anyone considering applying to the National Redress Scheme. Recognising that many people connect with family, friends and other people to get support with completing an application, we can also provide assistance to the supporters of survivors.
The National Redress Scheme offers acknowledgement and support to people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. It was created in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated that 60,000 people experienced institutional child sexual abuse in Australia.
Redress is an alternative to seeking compensation through the courts.
Drummond Street’s Complex Trauma Practitioners can assist in the process of making an application as well as providing practical and emotional support including:
- Information and resources.
- Assistance with considering an application to the National Redress Scheme.
- Support throughout the Redress application process.
- Counselling and emotional support before, during and after you submit your application.
- Ongoing support for those waiting for an offer from the National Redress Scheme.
- Connections and referrals to support from other services, including free legal and financial counselling services.
Redress Counselling and Psychological Care Service (formerly known as Restore Counselling)
If you have accepted a formal offer of counselling from the National Redress Scheme, you are eligible for Drummond Street’s free Redress Counselling and Psychological Care Service, which is staffed by Drummond Street’s Complex Trauma specialists.
You are automatically entitled to an initial 20 sessions; after which your practitioner can apply for additional sessions, on your behalf. Your sessions can include prescribed ‘alternative therapies’ and therapeutic case work. If we do not have a practitioner who has expertise in your preferred modality, we will refer you back to the National Redress Counselling and Psychological Care Service Victoria, who will then identify an appropriate provider.
Free counselling (up to 20 sessions) is also available to your family members and others close to you, such as extended kin, close friendships or family-like connections.
This service is funded by the Victorian State government – for more information go to: www.vic.gov.au/national-redress-counselling-psychological-care
Victorian Redress for Historical Institutional Abuse
Drummond Street’s Complex Trauma Practitioners can help you apply for Redress if you experienced non-sexual abuse in a Victorian institution.
The Victorian Government is offering Redress for Victorians who experienced abuse and neglect as children in institutions before 1990.
Redress has been set up to recognise and acknowledge what happened, and the harm caused.
To apply, you must have:
- lived as a child (before the age of 18) in a Victorian institution for at least 6 months (in total) before 1 January 1990.
- experienced physical, psychological, or emotional abuse or neglect in the Victorian institution.
Redress includes a payment of up to $20,000, a personal acknowledgement or apology and counselling. Eligible people will be able to choose one or all these options.
Applications are expected to be open for 18 months from December 2024.
For more State Government information visit the Victorian Redress for Historical Abuse webpage on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) website.
