‘Maria’ first heard about Family Life’s Early Help (Brief Support) program through her son’s school. As a mum of three boys, she had been feeling overwhelmed, her middle son had an ADHD diagnosis, and her youngest was showing signs of anxiety and possible ADHD too. What worried Maria most was his anger and aggressive behaviour, which was starting to affect the whole family. Their interactions were escalating into shouting matches, and she knew something needed to change.
Maria had a clear sense of the behaviours she wanted to shift in herself, but she felt stuck and unsupported. Working together with an Early Help Practitioner, Maria developed support goals using an all of family approach. One simple but powerful step was a family support phone call that brought Maria and her husband Jack together. It gave them space to talk honestly about how they were feeling and introduced psychoeducational strategies to help them better understand their own reactions, and their children’s.
Over the following weeks, Maria and Jack received more resources and support. They began to notice fewer arguments and felt more confident as a parenting team. Jack shared that he had learned to recognise when Maria was feeling overwhelmed and how he could support her to take time for herself.
As part of their support goals, their youngest son was connected to Family Life’s Heartlinks program for individual counselling support, and the Early Help program funded an ASD assessment. Maria and Jack were also given information about parenting programs like Family Life’s Tuning into Teens, which could help them stay united as they raised their boys.
Brief Support Program – Family Life
Is This Program for Me?
This program may be right for you if:
- You live in Bayside Peninsula
- You care for children under 18
- You need early intervention support
- You’re not currently with Family Services
- You want to strengthen your family
If you require support for more complex challenges (such as current family violence, high risk mental health concerns or concerns around physical and sexual abuse) please contact The Orange Door on 1800 319 353.
