Supporting people through the pandemic

Charlotte Day, Family and Relationship Counsellor, tells us about some of the challenges during this time of need.

COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for many of us and brought about changes to virtually every aspect of daily life, but there are services that can help families and individuals cope with the changes this year has brought.

Charlotte Day is a Family and Relationship Counsellor who says it’s important to know you can reach out for support and advice.

“Since the pandemic outbreak our helpline has experienced unprecedented demand from families and individuals who are looking for support with their mood, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, parenting problems, financial problems and other mental health problems,” Ms Day said.

“And with people being confined at home we’re seeing an increase in the use of substances to dull the fear of job security and financial pressures. People are turning more to alcohol and we are seeing how that can lead onto family and domestic violence.”

Another consequence of the pandemic is the breakdown of marriages and relationships.

“What we want people to know is you don’t have to go through this alone. We are here to help you find services, advice and programs so you can navigate these complex challenges. It’s okay to feel scared or frustrated and you shouldn’t be embarrassed to reach out for support because we are here to help.”

Our Client Care Teamreceives more than 20,000 calls a year from people who are struggling in our community and provides a number of programs that help support those in need.

“Our Client Care Team offers a really good umbrella of services to families and individuals in need,” Ms Day said.

“In the instance that we don’t provide a support service, we refer onto other services to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. When we speak to a client we always have our ears open for what other services we might be able to put into place, along with counselling to support this person.

“For example, if I’m talking to a parent who is struggling with a child who is refusing to go to school, I’m thinking about Parent Line as an option for that parent to contact when they are not having a counselling session.

“So in between counselling it offers a great resource because they are specialists in parenting and can support you on-the-spot for free most times of the day.”

Ms Day said another good example was marriage counselling.

 “If the relationship is sadly at an end, we have a really great team of post-separation managers who can work with the couple and suggest some really good parenting courses to help parents understand the impact of the separation on the children.”

If you are in need of help or need help accessing social services, call our Client Care Team team on 13 18 19 or contact us online.