Forced adoption support services scoping study Daryl Higgins, Pauline Kenny, Reem Sweid and Lucy Ockenden Report for the Department of Social Services by the Australian Institute of Family Studies February 2014

List of tables

Strategic options for enhancing and expanding services 27

Table 1: Workshop attendees by state 137

Table 2: Services in the Australian Capital Territory 182

Table 3: The ACT service system measured against the good practice principles 191

Table 4: Services available in New South Wales 194

Table 5: The NSW service system measured against the good practice principles 204

Table 6: Services available in the Northern Territory 206

Table 7: Services available in Queensland 208

Table 8: The Queensland service system measured against the good practice principles 219

Table 9: Services available in South Australia 221

Table 10: The South Australia service system measured against the good practice principles 228

Table 11: Services available in Tasmania 230

Table 12: The Tasmanian service system measured against the good practice principles 235

Table 13: Services available in Victoria 237

Table 14: The Victorian service system measured against the good practice principles 247

Table 15: Services available in Western Australia 249

Table 16: The Western Australian service system measured against the good practice principles 256

Appendix A: Table 17: Summary of key options 295

Table 18: Enhancing mainstream services 299

Table 19: Expanding/enhancing existing post-adoption specific support services 302

Table 20: Resources for professional development and training 310

Table 21: Accessibility and coordination: A national web portal 312

Table 22: Community awareness and action 313

Strategic options for enhancing and expanding services 27

Table 1: Workshop attendees by state 137

Table 2: Services in the Australian Capital Territory 182

Table 3: The ACT service system measured against the good practice principles 191

Table 4: Services available in New South Wales 194

Table 5: The NSW service system measured against the good practice principles 204

Table 6: Services available in the Northern Territory 206

Table 7: Services available in Queensland 208

Table 8: The Queensland service system measured against the good practice principles 219

Table 9: Services available in South Australia 221

Table 10: The South Australia service system measured against the good practice principles 228

Table 11: Services available in Tasmania 230

Table 12: The Tasmanian service system measured against the good practice principles 235

Table 13: Services available in Victoria 237

Table 14: The Victorian service system measured against the good practice principles 247

Table 15: Services available in Western Australia 249

Table 16: The Western Australian service system measured against the good practice principles 256

Appendix A: Table 17: Summary of key options 295

Table 18: Enhancing mainstream services 299

Table 19: Expanding/enhancing existing post-adoption specific support services 302

Table 20: Resources for professional development and training 310

Table 21: Accessibility and coordination: A national web portal 312

Table 22: Community awareness and action 313

List of figures

Figure 1: Inter-relationships between proposed options. 297

Figure 2: Key areas for expanding/enhancing services 298

Figure 3: Draft program logic for a post-adoption knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) unit 312

Abbreviations

AASW: Australian Association of Social Workers

ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

ACF: Australian Childhood Foundation

ACPMH: Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health

ACT: Australian Capital Territory

AEC: Australian Electoral Commission

AFIS: Adoption and Family Information Service

AIFS: Australian Institute of Family Studies

AIHW: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

AIS: Adoption Information Services

ALAS: Adoption Loss Adult Support Group

APS: Australian Psychological Society

ARCS: Adoption Research and Counselling Services

ARi: Adoption Research initiative

ARMS: Association of Relinquishing Mothers (in Victoria). Association Representing Mothers Separated from their Children by Adoption (In South Australia and Western Australia)

ART: Assisted reproductive technology

ATAPS: Access to Allied Psychological Services

BDM: Births, Death and Marriages

CBT: Cognitive-behavioural therapy

CDSMC: Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference

COAG: Council of Australian Governments

CPD: Continuing professional development

DHS: Department of Human Services

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid

DoH: Department of Health

DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

DSS: Department of Social Services

EEG: Electroencephalograph

EMDR: Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

FaHCSIA: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Now Department of Social Services)

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

FIND: Family Information Network Discovery

FRC: Family Relationship Centres

FSP: Family Support Program (administered by the Australian Government Department of Social Services)

GP: General practitioners

ISS: International Social Service

KTE: Knowledge translation and exchange

NASASV: National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence

NGO: Non-government organisation

NHMRC: National Health and Medical Research Council

NSW: New South Wales

NT: Northern Territory

OOHC: Out of home care

PARC: Post Adoption Resource Centre

PASQ: Post Adoption Support Queensland

PASS: Post Adoption Support Services

PD: Professional development

PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder

Qld: Queensland

RACGP: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

RANZCP: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists

RASA: Relationships Australia South Australia

ROADS: Records of adoptions

SA: South Australia

SSRI: Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

STARTTS: NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors

Tas.: Tasmania

UK: United Kingdom

VADCAS: Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Client Access Strategy

VANISH: Victorian Adoption Network for Information and Self Help

Vic.: Victoria

VVCS: Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service

WA: Western Australia

WAEC: Western Australia Electoral Commission

WASH: White Australian Stolen Heritage

WESNET: The Women’s Services Network