Introducing the Community
Centacare Catholic Country SA
Centacare Catholic Country SA (CCCSA) is a large non-government organisation that provides targeted support to individuals, families and communities across regional, rural and remote South Australia. Their locally embedded footprint covers communities across the Eyre and Western, Northern, Barossa and Mid North areas of South Australia, with offices located in Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy and Port Pirie.
A high proportion of their clients have underlying backgrounds of trauma, which is associated with increased risks for social exclusion, negative mental health impacts and intergenerational effects. CCCSA sought to implement and embed a best-practice approach for all of their staff to understand trauma and its impact, and then develop the core skills to respond and work with communities through trauma-responsive approaches and practices, where growth and healing processes are supported at every point of client contact.
The intent (or outcomes) and actions of this work is summarised below.
Intent ('What')
Build a Trauma Responsive Agency
As Made Practical Through the Following Co-Designed Outcomes
System
To embed a sustainable trauma-responsive practice and service delivery culture.
Administrative and Staff Team
To embed core capabilities of trauma-responsive practice.
These include the five key intents of trauma-responsive practice and the deeper IMPACT based tools and strategies (for additional information click here).
Community (Clients)
To experience intentionally delivered relational and support experiences that grow feelings of safety, trust and unconditional acceptance at all times, and provide the foundation for future growth and healing.
Actions ('How')
Positioning
The capacity building support has been personalised to the service context of Centacare Catholic Country SA.
Summary Actions
- Entire capacity building initiative is founded upon the science, research and practice of intentional practice (see this research article).
- Implementation underpinned by the Care IMPACT capacity building strategy.
- LBI Foundation Community Lead: Ivan Raymond.
- Whole-of-agency foundational training – all service delivery and administrative staff received foundational IMPACT training (specialist 3-hour workshop) on responding to trauma and its impact.
- Key staff extension training to the ‘IMPACT Respond Rather Than React’ accreditation level to support peer-to-peer mentoring and organisational knowledge and practice capability.
- Practice leaders trained and accredited to the IMPACT Coach level to coach foundational IMPACT content within supervision and mentoring roles.
- IMPACT Coaches receive bi-monthly clinical coaching by LBI to deepen and extend embedding.
- Staff access to online specialist and extension IMPACT workshops (see upcoming events).
CCCSA Port Lincoln IMPACT Coaches.
Commentary and Further Information
Local Quote
Why Did We Do This Work?
A high proportion of community members we support have experienced trauma, which is associated with limiting human potential and compromising quality of life. A whole of agency approach offers an opportunity to influence an individual’s response to the long term impact of trauma and seek to strengthen their ability to achieve wellness and connection.