Berry Street Web Docs Berry Street Annual Report 2011 | Page 23

Established in 2003, Take Two has
subsequently doubled in size and has
played a unique leadership role in
understanding the impact of the
trauma of child abuse and neglect,
both within Berry Street, across
Victoria and nationally.
Through Take Two’s advocacy,
training and professional development,
our skilled clinicians demonstrate time
and time again the value of good
assessment which informs intervention.
There is now general acceptance that
a therapeutic lens should be part of all
work with children and young people
who have suffered child abuse and
neglect. Currently less than 10% of the
substantiated cases of significant abuse
in Victoria receive therapeutic counselling
through Take Two and it is a similar story
with therapeutic residential and foster
care. While we understand financial
constraints, it makes good economic
sense to intervene as early as possible.
We also think children have a right to the
help they need to recover.
Our inaugural Director, Ric Pawsey,
moved to the Director of Services role
and Annette Jackson, our Knowledge
Manager in Take Two, took on the Director
role. Both Ric and Annette joined Berry
Street in 2003 to establish Take Two
and its success reflects their enormous
commitment and hard work.

Highlights included:
• The national tour of Dr Bruce Perry
and entering the second phase of
accreditation in the ChildTrauma
Academy Neurosequential Model
of Therapeutics (NMT)
• Providing intensive therapy for 601
children and young people, 20% of
whom were Aboriginal
• Acting as the therapeutic specialist for
five new family coaching programs, 14
therapeutic residential care programs
and five therapeutic foster care
programs
• Accreditation through the Australian
Council on Healthcare Standards.
Feedback was very positive and
comments included:

“From the time of first contact it was apparent
to the surveyors that Take Two was no ordinary
organisation. The two strongest signals about
the type of organisation being reviewed were
the exemplary state of its buildings and a
strong values-laden culture”…. “A nurturing
and caring culture was also very apparent
to the surveyors as reflected in the respectful
friendly approach from the front line reception
staff, the genuine high staff morale at both
sites visited to the plethora of high quality
staff support systems in place including
regular supervision, an expansive and needsrelated education and training program, a
comprehensive orientation program and
generous administrative support.”
• Providing training and workshops
for over 2,000 foster carers, Child
Protection workers, family service and
mental health workers and teachers.
In particular: over 300 Aboriginal
staff participated in workshops on
Yarning up on Trauma; we presented
Calmer Classrooms to 20 schools and
over 300 teachers; in partnership
with Westcare, 240 residential care
staff learned about trauma and
attachment; and over 300 Child
Protection workers in leadership
and trauma
• Taking over the management of the
Sexual Abuse Prevention Program in
Hume which worked with 37 young
people
• Hosting international visitors from
China, Norway, Japan and Scotland,
and spending a week in Macau
helping staff in a children’s orphanage
• Launching our 3rd Evaluation Report –
‘More than Words – the Language of
Relationships’ at La Trobe University
• The continued support, advice and
participation of our Take Two partners
– La Trobe University’s Department of
Social Work and Social Policy, Mindful
and the Victorian Aboriginal Child
Care Agency

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