General Information for Referrers

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The Bouverie Centre is funded by the Department of Human Services, Mental Health branch to provide family therapy for 200 new families each year. This service is free of charge.

Making a referral
 
Telephone the Intake Worker. This is important if the situation is complex, the family has high needs, or if you are unsure whether Bouverie is appropriate.
 
If their situation seems appropriate to The Bouverie Centre, in most cases it will also be necessary for the family to call the Intake Worker.
 
Referrals must be by phone and families can also self refer on 03 9385 5100.
 
Relevant information for the Intake Worker includes details of major issues according to both referrer and family, and why the family is seeking assistance now.
 
Intake is conducted by a clinically trained worker. This worker can provide alternative referral information where Bouverie is not able to assist.
 
What can The Bouverie Centre help with?
 
The Centre gives priority to families experiencing complex or long-standing difficulties related to serious mental illness and emotional difficulties.
 
They can include:
  • The impact of mental illness on carers, parenting and other relationships
  • Parent and child / adolescent difficulties which are entrenched
  • The impact of sexual abuse and trauma on family relationships
  • Where someone in the family has an acquired brain injury
  • Indigenous families experiencing any of the above
What can’t The Bouverie Centre help with?
  • Individual counselling
  • General couple counselling
  • Court reports or residency issues
  • Educational or psychological assessments
  • Acute crisis counselling
  • Individual case management
What are Training Program Appointments?
 
If you refer a family to The Bouverie Centre they may be offered an appointment in the training program. These are appointments with professionals who are doing postgraduate training in family therapy.
 
A small team (which includes an experienced supervisor) observes these appointments. At the end of the session the team may provide thoughts and ideas to the family about what might help.
 
What is Single Session Therapy (SSW)?
 
The Bouverie Centre is sometimes able to provide families with a “Single Session Work” appointment. In this session the therapist will take the position of asking “how could I be as helpful as possible in today’s session if we thought it was going to be a one off session”. Whilst families often do have a number of sessions with this approach, it might be a one off and sometimes that is all families want or need. The therapist will call the family a few weeks after the SSW session to follow up and make a decision together about further contact / additional appointments.
 
In some situations SST is offered to see whether there is a therapeutic agenda we can assist with.