The Keeping Families Safe (KFS) is a State-funded program that focuses on the safety needs of families when an adolescent is using violence or abusive behaviour in the home.
The program is available to parents, carers, family members and adolescents aged 12-18 years who live in the Bayside Peninsula area.
We work with families in a way that is non-blaming and non-shaming, and seek to understand the different viewpoints within the family.
What is adolescent violence in the home?
Adolescent violence in the home means adolescents threaten, intimidate or use force to get their own way. The most common behaviours are physical violence, destruction of property, threats and intimidation, psychological, emotional and financial abuse.
Parents can feel afraid, embarrassed, ashamed and guilty. They may also feel they no longer have any control over the situation in the family.
Keeping Families Safe focuses on the safety of the family
- We encourage adolescents to stop using abusive behaviour and really understand their emotions and the impacts of their behaviours.
- We help them to address problems like dropping out of education, alcohol and drug use, and poor mental health.
- We encourage the use of a variety of skills to manage conflict, and be able to communicate without the use of violence.
- We also support families to expand their parenting approaches to assist their relationships and communication.
What we offer
We provide outreach to meet with families in their home as well as office or community appointments, as preferred.
We provide a combination of family work and case management to increase safety and help adolescents and their families resolve conflicts without violence occurring.
We also support families to make links to other community-based services when needed.
In addition, parents and adolescents can be offered the opportunity to engage in group work.
To join our program phone ACCESS on 1300 665 781