Whilst we wait for confirmation - the date - of the meeting with the Victorian Minister of Health to talk about the full implementation of recommendation 9.1 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, as pilots in Bayside Melbourne and the Ballarat region of Victoria, we've got time to engage with people who'd like to attend.

It is important for the Minister for Health to hear many voices from surivors, family members and community members, the difference more accessible and coordinated services would make now, and in the future.

The 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Report, Recommendation 9.1 iwhich the Victorian government has yet to implement, is as follows
: 
"The Australian Government and state and territory governments should fund dedicated community support services for victims and survivors in each jurisdiction, to provide an integrated model of advocacy and support and counselling to children and adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Funding and related agreements should require and enable these services to:

a. be trauma-informed and have an understanding of institutional child sexual abuse
b. be collaborative, available, accessible, acceptable and high quality
c. use case management and brokerage to coordinate and meet service needs
d. support and supervise peer-led support models.”

Prior to the meeting with Mary-Ann Thomas, we would can a pre-meeting catchup to share how integrated services work by operating on a principle of 'no wrong door' and where they already exist,, to enable everyone to talk to the benefits.

In addition to people who lived in/or are living in the Melbourne Bayside and greater Ballarat regions of Victoria, is including voices with lived experience of effective services too is important. Especially those that lack funding and/or are not easily accessible.

If you're interested in being part of the engagement with Mary-Ann Thomas, please email Karen Walker at karenwal@bigpond.net.au

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It took a lot of people over the past two and a half years, for our petition to get to this point, of being able to meet with the Victorian Minister of Health. Our 16,617 petition supporters, and three members of parliament, Stuart Grimley when he was a Victorian MP, Zoe Daniel MP and Rachel Payne MP. We are also still talking with the office of Catherine King MP.

Together we have overcome resistance with persistance, thank you!!