Annual Report

2017

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3 Contents

4 About Wavecare

5 CEO’s Report

7 Chair Report

8 Service Snapshot

9 Counselling Team

10 Glencare Report

11 Volunteers & Staff Farewells

12 Strategic Priorities

13 Thank you Wavecare Supporters and Collaborative Partners

14 Financial Audit

19 Make a donation

Contents

Wavecare would like to thank: Board, staff and volunteers who contributed to this report. Special thanks to Ad Force (www.adforce.com.au) for production of this publication.

Privacy Statement: Wavecare acknowledges and respects the privacy of all individuals. The agency will comply with the Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Amendment Act 2012 (Commonwealth), the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). In order to protect client privacy, names and identifying details contained in this report have been excluded.

Notice of endorsement for charity tax concessions issued toWAVECARE INC. A.B.N. 42 596 167 919Certificate of Incorporation Registration No.: A 10165

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About us

Our VisionTo reduce the impact of mental health disorders, life, work and relationship stresses and social isolation in the community.

Our MissionWe are an organisation contributing to the wellbeing of Victorians with a priority for people living in the City of Monash. We provide counselling and support services.

Our ValuesCaring, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Excellence, Accountability, Partnership.

Our HistoryWavecare began in 1978 as a church based counselling and support agency initially supported by volunteers. In 1980 we became an Incorporated Association with a constitution governed by a Committee of Management and staffed by professional Counsellors and Psychologists. This has enabled us to provide support services including group based programs for women and children in particular. We have functioned for many years as a result of the support of volunteers and community groups who provide direct services and fundraising activities.

Thirty years ago we started Glencare, a planned activity group for the frail and elderly or those with a disability, which has been wholly government funded.

Monash City Council has provided substantial support for most of the years Wavecare has been established.

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“Glencare is an amazing program that brings joy to

many people”

CEO’s ReportRAY PATERSON

It has been another rewarding and challenging year at Wavecare. It’s been exciting because there have been many new developments. It’s been challenging because it takes a lot of hard work by many dedicated people to keep Wavecare functioning as a properly governed community-based organisation.

The RewardingWavecare offers counselling in English, Hindi and three Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien). Additionally, we are also providing learning and psychological assessments for children and adolescents. Later this year we hope will be providing counselling in Arabic and Telugu as well. We have moved from having physical case files to digital ones, which has been a big journey, but well worth it as we begin to dispense with filing cabinets, dividers, paper and folders. The digital system also enables us to quickly generate reports on our activities which frees up administrative time.

We have been running a parenting program called Tuning into Kids which is designed to assist parents to encourage the emotional development of their children. This evidence –based program provides a framework for parents to help their children better manage their emotions and prevent behavioural problems. Currently we are planning to run this program in a local women’s refuge. We have been having monthly professional development to ensure that our clinicians are up to date with the latest counselling techniques and research findings.

We have been conducting a sustained marketing campaign to promote our services and maintain a presence in the minds of our referring bodies. Some of the reasons why Wavecare is a good choice of service include:

• We won’t turn anyone away• We bulk-bill low income earners• That we can extend the number of sessions provided by Medicare due to our pro bono program• We have Chinese and Hindi speaking counsellors • We can see children and adolescents for learning and psychological assessments as well as counselling• We can spend time to accurately refer clients to the services that they require when there are more complex issues

As you will read in the report on Glencare, this program is running at full capacity. Glencare is an amazing program that brings joy to many people. It is its own community. Pari (the program coordinator) and Magda (the activities coordinator) are to be commended for their work in enabling a safe and welcoming environment for both program participants and volunteers. The volunteers need their own special acknowledgement as it is they who provide much of the direct contact to the participants. Being a volunteer is a complex role and is similar to a paid position in that there are job descriptions, mandatory police checks and other administrative requirements and hurdles as well as providing warm and caring support to the program participants.

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CEO’s ReportContinued...

“Wavecare is a smart choice that goes a long way towards

achieving greater mental

health and quality of life in this community”

Like any other business, whether it’s for profit or not-for-profit, Wavecare must be solvent and able to balance its books. This means that after all the financial obligations have been met, there must be some money left over to maintain and

The ChallengingFurther develop the business. Wavecare has normal business expenses such as wages, recruitment, IT, insurance, WorkCover and many more costs that must be met in order for it to stay professionally accountable and solvent. For many years Wavecare has relied on receiving a grant from the City of Monash for its continued existence. Across Australia such grants are becoming smaller and more difficult to access as ratepayers are, quite rightly, becoming more concerned and engaged around how their money is spent. So, along with the Wavecare board of directors, I have been introducing measures towards making us more self-sustaining. We believe that Wavecare must generate its own income at the same time as generating tangible community benefits, such as improving mental health and reducing social isolation. This resonates with one of my personal goals, which has been to ensure that Wavecare is an organisation that anybody can attend. I want our service to be responsive and reflective of the demographics of the surrounding community which is very mixed in terms of wealth, profession, culture and country of origin.

In 2017 we are on our way to achieving this as anyone can access Wavecare services. If you are employed, we ask that you contribute a maximum of $35.20 per counselling session. If you are a holder of a Health Care Card or tell us that you are suffering from financial hardship, we will reduce or waive all fees. The money we make from fees, we use for our pro bono work which this year amounted to over 150 counselling sessions, over 40 reports, as well as countless letters and phone calls to the Magistrate’s Court, Victims of Crime, Child Protection or other similar authorities.

This is a major point of difference that sets Wavecare apart from services that are fully funded by Government to provide counselling as these tend to be time-limited and restricted to a category of service user. At the cost of $0.67 per Monash resident per year* I believe that investing in Wavecare is a smart choice that goes a long way towards achieving greater mental health and quality of life in this community and I would be most surprised if there are other organisations that can match this.

*Based upon ABS estimated resident population in 2016 (http://profile.id.com.au/monash/about)

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We are now fast approaching the end of yet another productive year in terms of the achievements of Wavecare in what continues to be a very challenging environment. There are of course always changes and adjustments to be made but both staff and volunteers have contributed in a very positive manner to the organisation. As a result, Wavecare continues to deliver a very valuable service to the members of the Monash community in 2017.

This is now the second year of service for CEO, Ray Patterson, and his enthusiasm and commitment to the organisation is much appreciated by Board Members. Ray continues to be pro-active in forming positivie and productive working relationships with others both inside and outside of the organisation. His vast knowledge and experience of the mental health sector has been a tremendous asset for this agency.

The Board has continued to work closely with Ray with the aim of exploring new ideas and opportunities and implementing new and diverse programs. There is an acute awareness within the organisation that in order to thrive as a business and reach a greater number of the more vulnerable members of our community, Wave-care must adopt a dynamic and innovative method of operating. Not only in its day to day operation but also with its Strategic and Business Plan going forward.

We have been fortunate to have stability in terms of Board membership over the last 12 months and there is a core group of four that have travelled the tumultuous but fruitful journey over the last five years. Moreover, we have always remained cohesive in our decision making and optimistic about the future of Wavecare Inc. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank both Staff and Volunteers for their ongoing commitment and hard work. As a Board of Management, we value their loyalty and dedication to the organisation.

Finally, there are many things that would not be possible without the ongoing finan-cial and moral support that Wavecare receives from the City of Monash. On behalf of this organisation I would like to sincerely thank CEO, Dr Andi Diamond, Director of Community Development and Services, Ms Julie Salomon and Mayor and all Councillors for recognising that Wavecare delivers a unique and valuable service to our local community.

Joy BanerjiWavecare Board of Management

“Wavecare continues to

deliver a very valuable service to the members of the Monash community in

2017”

Chair ReportJOY BANERJI

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Service Snapshot

Graphforservicesnapshot

Wheredoourclientslive

GlenWaverley

MtWaverley

WheelersHill

Mulgrave

Springvale

Oakleigh

Ashwood

Chadstone

Clayton

No?ngHill

Burwood

Where do our clients live?

Over 4,400 hours Activity Group

Clients from 22 Different countries of origin

3500 hours of Volunteer contribution

Introduction of Education Testing

English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Hindi speaking staff

Over 5070counselling sessions

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Counselling Team

Mary Ann Griffin is a registered senior clinical and counselling psychologist. Mary Ann’s practice as a psychologist has been varied and extensive her experience includes the corporate environment, education, community health, psychiatric settings and private practice.

Mary Ann Griffin

Senior Psychologist

Yvonne Schroder

Senior Psychologist

Yvonne’s specialty focus is relationship therapy/counselling. However she has extensive skills in CBT and interpersonal psychotherapy that enable her to work effectively with a broad range of presenting problems.

Tania Wallace

Psychologist

Tania works primarily with individuals, adolescents and adults, with a variety of concerns. These include but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, domestic violence, low self-esteem, body image/eating disorders, relationship/family problems and grief.

Sue Troupakis

Psychologist

Sue works with individuals who present predominately with anxiety/depression, grief, relationship issues, trauma and problems with anger. She also works with couples and has recently commenced a specialist course in Couples Counselling at Relationships Australia in order to up-skill herself.

Pari Balsara-Mistry

Counsellor

Pari enjoys working with clients of all age groups and adopts an eclectic stance of therapy that incorporates CBT, Mindfulness and Person Centred Therapy.

Yvonne Toh

Psychologist

Yvonne Toh is a Mandarin and Cantonese speaking Psychologist, who works with early school-age children, teenagers, and adults. Her areas of psychology work include: stress, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, and schizophrenia. Specific areas of skills coaching include: social skills training, anger management, mindfulness relaxation, parenting strategies and behaviour management.

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Over the past 12 months, Glencare has grown positively in its number of participants and after several years, we are running at full capacity. Our participants have enjoyed an array of activities which included theme days, musical entertainment, light exercises and Tai Chi, inspirational and educational guest speakers and monthly outings.

Glencare has been supported by grants, sponsors and community groups over the last financial year. I would like to sincerely thank Monash City Council for their support “in-kind” by providing us with a hall to use, Monash City Council for the grant towards our Art Therapist, the Lion’s Club of Wheelers Hill for their grant towards our clay-work, The Country Woman’s Association for putting together all the wonderful blankets, Bendigo Bank’s grant for the retreat and Hearing Australia for conducting free hearing checks for our seniors.

Last year we were privileged to obtain a grant from The Bendigo Bank (Pinewood Branch) to use towards a well-being project for Glencare. We thought of having a half-day retreat for Glencare’s participants, volunteers and staff and after several weeks, this idea culminated into a successful event. The Glencare Retreat was held at the Ibis Hotel on 22nd November 2016 and encompassed activities such as free hand massages from the students at Holmesglen, a nutritionist who spoke about senior’s health, laughter yoga and a mindfulness session with our CEO, Ray Paterson.

To provide our artistic group with some more inspiration, we invited an experienced Art Therapist who worked with our participants to express themselves through painting. Some of the other interesting art activities included clay-work and mosaics with my wonderful activities assistant, Magda Benko. It gives me immense joy to watch the participants bond during these activities.

I would like to thank the following organisations for taking the time to come to Glencare and speaking our group: Royal Flying Doctors, Guide Dogs Victoria, St. John Ambulance Victoria, Senior’s Rights Victoria, Melbourne Fire Brigade and Victoria Police.

Finally, our program would not be so successful if it weren’t for our team of devoted volunteers and bus drivers. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your dedication, commitment, support and hard work.

Pari Balsara Mistry, Glencare Co-ordinator

Glencare Report

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We are always thankful for the commitment and hard work of our volunteers who help with Glencare and Wavecare. Without their dedication, we would not be able to provide this amazing service to the community:

Thank you to:

We would like to thank them all for the support and collaboration they have provided to Wavecare for its work in the community.

• Helen Hor• Susan Chan • Pauline Chow • Anjula Kumari • Ian Bjorkman • Des Butler • Bryan Paten • Jane Karantonis • Mary Parker

• Rosalind See• Saranga Waduge• Tong Lv• Marilia Fernandes• Dianne White• Graham Gordon• June Ho• Wanda Filippelli• Xinyi Xie Alva.

This year we said farewell to highly valued staff members.

Mary Burke joined Wavecare as a student in 2006. Mary was employed in 2008 as a psychologist and became very well regarded for her work in the area of family violence until her retirement earlier this year.

Jacinta Bose was employed as a counselling psychologist in 2014; her specialty was working with children and adolescents. Jacinta left Wavecare on maternity leave in 2016 and during that time she decided not to return to Wavecare.

Our Volunteers

Staff Farewells

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Strategic Priorities

Responsiveness

Viability &Sustainability

Quality Services

Reputation & Partnerships

Ensuring that Wavecare provides services that reflects the needs of this community.

Continuing to provide services that are valued and relevant.

Maintaining good governance and an evidence-based response to mental health issues.

Offering services to everybody who lives in the City of Monash.

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Wavecare relies on the generosity of many individuals, organisations and community groups to provide services.

Ad Force Graphic Design

Australian Hearing

Bendigo Bank

Beyond Blue

Carers Victoria

Centrelink

City of Monash

Commonwealth Government

Country Womens’ Association (Glen Waverley)

Department of Health

Each

Eastern Health

Eastern Access Community Health

Home & Community Care (HACC)

Glen Waverley Secondary School

Link

Lions Club (Wheelers Hill)

Monash Men’s Shed

Monash Family Youth Services

Mulgrave Country Club

New Computers

Partners In Recovery

PH Financial Services

Port Phillip Housing

Rotary Club (Glen Waverley)

South East Volunteers

Traffic Accident Commission

Victims of Crime

Victorian Government Department of Health

Work Cover Victoria

We would like to thank them all for the support and collaboration they have provided to Wavecare for its work in the community.

PROCESS COLOURS

C 0% M 76% Y 38% K 0%

K 100%

FONTS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

M O N A S HM E N SS H E D

Thank you to our Supportersand Collaborative Partners

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Financial Audit2016-2017

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Financial Audit2016-2017

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Financial Audit2016-2017

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Financial Audit2016-2017

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Financial Audit2016-2017

Please consider leaving a bequest (a gift) in your Will to Wavecare. It can contribute to the ongoing support programs of Wavecare and make a positive difference to the lives of those using our services. If you are able to help us through a donation in your Will, you may wish to consult your solicitor, trustee company or the Public Trustee regarding the wording. They will be able to help you choose the best way for you for you to make your bequest.

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Thank you for your support

Wavecare receives wonderful support from the City of Monash and the Department of Health

Wavecare: 155 Coleman Pde., Glen Waverley, Vic. 3150

Phone: 9560 6722 Fax: 9560 6861 Email: admin@wavecare.org.au

www.wavecare.org.au