AN important local program dealing with men that are using violence in their relationships has received a funding lifeline... for the short-term.
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It is called the Kempsey Engaging Men Project, and is run by Heath Addison from the Kempsey Family Support Service.
It has received $16,000 from the NSW Men’s Behaviour Change Network to continue some of its work.
Mr Addison said the funding was welcome but it was only a small portion of what was required to run the project to its full potential.
“The $16,000, inclusive of GST, will enable us to see one or two men a week for about seven hours over the next 10 months or so,” he said.
“We won’t be able to run the group sessions at all.
“And crucially it is only one-off funding, so when it runs out we will be in the same position we were in before this money came through.”
A Victorian study found it cost about $140,000 per year to run a men’s behavioural change program to the required standards.
Mr Addison said the cost of a program like his was miniscule compared to the savings it could contribute to the whole the community.
“If we stop one man being incarcerated or support two women into safety or a child not having to be placed in out-of-home care, the project effectively pays for itself,” he said.
“It really seems like a no-brainer to me that this sort of project should be funded to its full capacity.
“It would also send a strong signal from the NSW government about its commitment to men’s violence issues.
“One of the startling statistics is that some form of men’s violence is a factor in eight out of 10 cases where a child is removed from their home.”
Mr Addison said that the constant struggle for funding was one of the most difficult aspects of his job.
“It isn’t dealing with the men who use violence, or the women and children who are usually the victims that keeps me awake at night, it is worrying about how we can find the money to keep going,” he said.
If any men or women are struggling with relationship abuse or violence issues they can contact Kempsey Family Support Services on 6563 1588.