Article - Criticism Of Catholic Agencies'Involvement In Family Relationship Centres Misguided

25 JANUARY 2007

FR JOE CADDY
BOARD CHAIR
CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES AUSTRALIA

CRITICISM OF CATHOLIC AGENCIES' INVOLVEMENT IN FAMILY RELATIONSHIP CENTRES MISGUIDED

Yesterday the Government announced that a number of Catholic Social Services Australia's member agencies, including Centacare agencies will be involved in ten of the 25 new Family Relationship Centres to be rolled out nationally in July this year.

The Family Relationship Centres will provide support for couples before and during marriage and will also help separating couples focus on the interests of children through mediation rather than litigation.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert's criticism of the Government's decision to award some of these contracts to Catholic and other faith-based organisations, including Centacare agencies, pedals the tired, ill informed view that such services are incapable of providing professional counselling. (Family Centre Contract Row, p.8 The Age 25/1/07).

Catholic agencies have been chosen specifically because they measure up to the Governments stringent standards.

Our counsellors are professionally qualified and supervised. The suggestion that they are not is misinformed and potentially very damaging for the services themselves and for the communities who need to access the services, often under very difficult circumstances.

All organisations delivering government funded family relationship services, whether in Family Relationship Centres, or through other programs, are exposed to very tight approval standards. The Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services audits all these programs. This ensures professionalism and consistent quality for the Australian public.

Our agencies are known and respected in their local communities and will continue to provide services in areas that larger providers often find less attractive.

And while we value the contribution of the volunteers who work in some of our agencies, these dedicated people do not provide counselling or mediation services, unless they are professionally qualified to do so.

In the event that they do provide these services, they are held to account by the same standards and requirements for professional development, which apply to other professional staff.

Far from hiding our philosophical base, Catholic Social Services Australia is a strong advocate for transparency when it comes to disclosing values.

Senator Siewert's comments reflect a misunderstanding of the nature of the counselling services provided by Centacares and other Catholic agencies.

These services aim to help individuals and families come to a decision - not to make that decision for them. 

This is done by talking through the options and providing emotional support, time and space so that individuals and families can make a considered decision.

The Church's opposition to crime does not limit its capacity to support prisoners and its opposition to the abuse of drugs and alcohol does not limit its desire to accompany and support those caught in the traps of addiction.

Equally its opposition to divorce does not limit its capacity to support men, women and children going through the pain of separation.

Through its various welfare services the Church does more than any organisation across Australia to reach out to and treat with dignity and respect, people in distressing situations such as these.

To suggest that Centacares and other Catholic agencies should not be involved in family relationship services is to misunderstand the practice of non-directive counselling and to mistrust the well established professionalism of Centacare and other Catholic agencies.

Catholic Social Services Australia is the Catholic Church's national peak body for social services. Its 63 member provide social services to over a million Australians each year in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. Thirty of these members operate under the Centacare banner. 

Fr Joe Caddy is Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia and Chief Executive Officer of Centacare Melbourne

25 January 2007                                                                                  

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