Family Group Conferencing Canberra
Family group conferencing is designed to hand the decision-making over to the family, with clear guidelines and bottom liners to work from.
Caseworkers, Doctors, Specialists, Police etc can be involved in the process for support however the family group conferencing facilitator will be the person they speak to.
It should not be a process that exacerbates fear or anxiety – it is a space for keeping everyone physically and emotionally safe. The group facilitator will outline the expectations for communication on the day and there will be a statement made explaining what is acceptable and unacceptable communication. We like to call it “above the line behaviors.”
DIPAC offers family group conferencing services for the Canberra, Queanbeyan and ACT region from our offices at Level 1-18 The Realm,
National Circuit, Barton, ACT, 2600. If you would like to see a therapist in Canberra or just want to talk to someone, we can help. Call today on: 02 6198 3423 or complete our contact form.
DIPAC offer Zoom sessions for people who are unable to make it into the office or live outside of the ACT. DIPAC supports people across the globe – technology has made it easier to access many services, particularly in remote areas.
You might also like to view our mediation page.
Who does it help?
Family group conferences are a successful innovation for empowering families.
It is used in many areas where families need to make decisions and perhaps have found it difficult to all be on the same page. Decisions where children could be potentially at risk or aged and disability care where decisions need to be made on behalf of a loved one or loved ones. Where children are involved, family group conferencing ensures all members of a child’s extended family are contacted and encouraged to be involved in the decision-making process about their child’s situation. This process is considered in line with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural values of family and community responsibility.
Families group conferencing can also be facilitated for those who have initiated a crime and those affected by that crime. It involves the community of people most affected by the crime—the victim and the offender and the family, friends, and key supporters of both—in deciding the resolution of a criminal or delinquent act.