Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday I was very pleased to attend the opening of the new Parramatta office of the Advocates for Survivors of Childhood Abuse, or ASCA. The location of the office near Parramatta, the geographical centre of Sydney, will, hopefully, allow more survivors of childhood abuse in Sydney to participate in ASCA’s activities and allow their excellent staff to assist in their recovery and healing processes.

ASCA encourages its members to break free from the trauma of childhood abuse by giving them access to a nationwide telephone counselling service, monthly newsletters and support groups, both face to face and online. They run workshops, week-long retreats and, importantly, allow survivors to get in touch with other survivors to break the insidious isolation many of these brave adults suffer.

ASCA is also an important advocacy group for these survivors. It runs public awareness and educational campaigns on television and in other media, and it raises funds and educates health professionals to assist in understanding the effects of child abuse in adult life. Its membership of the Mental Health Council of Australia also allows it to lobby state and federal governments on policy issues, and its current focus is on having child abuse recognised as a mental health issue and on assistance for adult survivors being considered as part of early intervention policy.

ASCA does wonderful, essential work for its members. It assists members to break free of the scourge of abuse suffered many years ago. It helps them to keep going for themselves and for other survivors who have not been able to find the inner strength to break the silence of their abuse. I commend the Jansen Newman Institute for offering to house the service initially, and I congratulate ASCA on the opening of its new office. (Time expired)