Outreach Support
Karinya House provides outreach services to pregnant and
parenting women and their families who are in crisis. The service
operates on a twenty-four hour, seven days a week basis. Karinya
supports women from Canberra and surrounding regional areas. It is
the only residential and outreach service specifically for pregnant
and parenting women in the region.
Karinya provides casework support to between 30 and 40 outreach
Clients at any one time.
Casework support for all Karinya Clients is a fundamental
priority. Staff develop an individual support plan for each
client according to their specific needs and circumstances. The
support plan provides professional and practical support and
encourages residential and outreach Clients and their families to
access a range of life skills and opportunities.
Professional casework support can include:
- Casework management and counselling;
- Birth preparation support services;
- Prenatal education, counselling and support;
- General health care advice and advocacy including transport to
medical appointments;
- Support in birth plan, labour support and transport;
- Budgeting and financial planning advice;
- Advocacy and assistance with public housing applications;
- Assistance in obtaining appropriate and safe crisis
accommodation;
- Assistance in accessing a secure environment for women living
in violent situations;
- Assistance in developing and improving parenting and life
skills through participation in external courses and programs;
- Assistance accessing appropriate education, training or
employment with a particular focus on encouraging women who left
school at an early age to gain their Year 10 or Year 12
certificates;
- Reducing social exclusion by linking clients with other
community groups and support networks and assistance, where
appropriate, to reconnect with their family;
- Referral to and liaison with external medical, antenatal,
legal, housing and welfare agencies and organisations;
- Assistance moving and maintaining housing and sustaining a
tenancy;
- Practical assistance with household goods, baby goods and
clothing and maternity requirements;
- Practical assistance with women's clothing;
- Practical assistance with food parcels, nutritious meals and
support and practical assistance at special times such as Mother's
Day, Easter, Christmas and at the birth of a baby.
