Referral and Intake
Referrals are received from a wide range of service providers across the public, private and NGO sectors via the SWCC referral form which can be obtained by telephoning or emailing the Centre.
Clients may also contact the Centre directly to request counselling.
SWCC Referral Form (Click on link to open)
Case Management Referral Intake Form (LinKINg Hearts) (click on link to open)
The demand for counselling is often beyond the current resources of the Centre and wait times can sometimes be lengthy. When wait lists are closed referrals are made to other services, or Intake for Referral only may be considered as an option.
Our priority is to ensure that clients always receive the most appropriate service for their needs in the most timely manner.
Referral to other services may also occur at intake and at anytime during counselling if client needs for case management or crisis care are required.
SWCC seeks to work as cooperatively with other agencies as is possible and often has interagency care plans with other services to ensure clients and their families are receiving appropriate and integrated care to meet their needs.
All clients are required to have a telephone intake assessment which is usually organized within 10 days of a request for counselling being received.
Intake assessment is not counselling. The purpose of intake is to ascertain the appropriateness of our service to the woman’s needs, to assess readiness for counselling and to assess the treatment needs for appropriate referral if required.
This will generally take 30-45 minutes and is undertaken by one of our experienced Counsellors. The assessment process is designed to gain an overall sense of areas that are most troubling to the client especially any issues of safety. Key areas of concern are not discussed in great depth unless a crisis situation is identified.
At the intake assessment the counsellor will explain how holistic counselling works at the centre across all programs, the various entry pathways into counselling and will conduct a comprehensive psycho-social assessment with screening for domestic violence, mental health, addictions and trauma issues past and present.
Times and days that most suit the Client are discussed and any child care requirements. *
After intake assessment is completed the Client will be contacted by the Centre a few days later to advise the possible wait time before commencing counselling and/or other options explored with possible referrals to other services.
* It should be noted that the Centre does not have child minding facilities, however, Carrington Occasional Child Care is located next-door for children up to the age of 6 years.
Empowering women to improve the quality of their lives and fulfill their potential.