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Spent conviction reform will support civic participation
The Victorian Government’s introduction of the Spent Convictions Bill 2020 into Victorian Parliament today will ultimately support people to reconnect with the community and reach their full potential, says Jesuit Social Services. “Victoria has been the only jurisdiction in Australia without a spent conviction scheme, so we welcome the introduction of this Bill which will…
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Mental health funding welcome, but more postvention funding needed
The Victorian Government’s $868.6m investment into fixing the state’s mental health system, announced ahead of the Victorian State Budget 2020/21, will improve outcomes for millions of Victorians according to Jesuit Social Services. “The Victorian Government has shown a strong commitment to transforming our mental health system, including the establishment of the Royal Commission which will…
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New place-based centre for research and action will support marginalised communities to flourish
Putting local communities at the heart of decision making, and empowering communities to give them the resources they need to reach their potential, will be key focus areas of Jesuit Social Services’ place-based centre for research and action, which will launch in early 2021. “The place-based centre for research and action will be a new…
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Victorian Budget 2020/21 creates a stronger, more cohesive state
The Victorian Government’s 2020/21 Budget, handed down today, provides unprecedented funding to vital social services and supports to help all Victorians to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, says Jesuit Social Services. “Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said today that COVID-19 has shone a bright light on some of the dark cracks in our society,…
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In his post for Social Inclusion Week, ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that social inclusion depends on social friendship – the readiness to welcome others into our lives. In recent years people have spoken much more openly about what it is like to be excluded. We are better informed about what it means to be racially…
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International Day of People with Disability
The International Day of People with Disability invites us to remember people who experience from different kinds of disability and to enter their lives compassionately, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. When we see the extraordinary agility and skills of tennis players and other athletes with a disability, the poetry written by people who experience mental illness,…
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Update on our engagement with the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
In July 2019, Jesuit Social Services made a written submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Our aim was to facilitate the voice and experience of our participants and program staff in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Jesuit Social Services’ submission made recommendations across a range of areas. These include broader…
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Putting passion into practice through Working for Victoria
Teyra Jasso is employed by Jesuit Social Services through the Working for Victoria initiative as a Project Officer. As part of our outreach work, Teyra’s focus has been on supporting one of our community partners, Africause, with their community engagement and wider organisational projects. Teyra has been able to gain invaluable experience, completing her degree…
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Christmas is marketed in fluffy and tinselling ways – in pastel colours, lots of emphasis on here today and gone tomorrow presents, chocolate and bubbly, friendly faces and cute children. The domestic reality, of course, is more mixed than that. It is certainly about showing children love, celebrations, and families coming together. But it is…
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New Years Day / World Day of Peace
New Years Day is also the World Day of Peace. It presents an opportunity to reflect on where we stand at the beginning of the new year, and to attend to how we wish to live personally and as a society in the coming year, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. It can be hard to be…