Social Support Program

What is the Social Support Program?

Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation’s holistic approach to “Aboriginal health” means not just the physical well-being of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total well-being of their community.

It is a whole of life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life. As defined in NACCHO’s Constitution as amended 9 March 2006 also from the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) 1989.

Our community consists of generally large extended families that have multiple generations living with or within close proximity of each other.

There is no “one size fits all”, our family’s needs range and the level of support will differ from family to family. Many of our families have complex needs and a multitude of issues that span generations (Transgenerational Trauma)

The social support program is a program to assist people with various social issues working with internal and external services to provide the best service possible for individuals, families and the wider community. We provide support services, advocacy, referral pathways, emergency relief and more through the Social Support Program.

Emergency Relief

Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation have an Emergency Relief Program under the Social Support Program which assists community members experiencing financial difficulty. Eligibility will be determined based on the assessment. We provide Electricity and Gas Assistance (EAPA) Emergency Relief assistance at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation; This service has its own eligibility criteria and timeframes for eligibility based on policies and funding requirements.

What assistance is available in Emergency Relief?

ELECTRICITY AND GAS VOUCHERS EAPA (ENERGY ACCOUNTS PAYMENT ASSISTANCE) SCHEME:

The Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) Scheme helps people experiencing a short term financial crisis or emergency to pay their electricity or gas bill. The scheme helps people stay connected to essential energy services in a time of need. This scheme is not available on an ongoing basis.

Please Note: You may not be eligible for EAPA assistance if you have received EAPA within a 6-month period under the policy for the Department of Industry Resources and Energy. However, the Social Support Worker may be able to advocate on your behalf and arrange a suitable payment arrangement with your energy company or refer you to another company who may be able to provide alternative options.

We also offer referrals to other services for Emergency relief to assist with;

• Clothing/Materials
• EAPA (Electricity & Gas)
• As well referral pathways into internal Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation programs.

Contact the Social & Emotional Wellbeing team on 02 4628 4837 for more information on how we may be able to assist you.

Housing Outreach Service

An Aboriginal DCJ Housing specialist attends Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation every Tuesday between 9:00am-3:00pm. Please ring the SEWB reception to book an appointment time with the housing specialist.