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ST. VINCENT'S ADOLESCENT CARE
St. Vincent's is a social welfare agency functioning under the auspices
of the Marist Brothers. We offer medium to long term residential care
for boys from 12 years of age who attend high school and are having
serious difficulties at home and/or at school. The boys we take often have
behavioural problems and are in conflict with their families. These factors
render them very much at risk and placement in a structured and
supportive residential program is a positive option.
The St. Vincent's service comprises three units: Egan Cottage and Quinlan
House at Westmead which each accommodates up to six boys; and Minahan
at Toongabbie which provides accommodation for up to five residents.
All boys attend either a state or private school best suited to their needs and
are encouraged to participate in outside sporting and other activities to
boost self-esteem and widen their options.
St. Vincent's staff are committed to working closely with parents in the two
family restoration programs (Egan and Quinlan). Family contact is
maintained through weekends at home and school holidays, depending on
the case-plan for each boy.
An emphasis is placed on family reconciliation where possible in the
independent living program (Minahan).
Active support is given in all units to re-establishing and building family,
school and community links.
We also offer ongoing aftercare support as needed when a boy leaves
St. Vincent's.
29-33 Darcy Road, Westmead
P.O. Box 49 Westmead, NSW 2145
Phone: 635 5699 Fax: 635 5252
This 1995 edition of "Our Boys" will attempt to convey
many aspects of the St. Vincent's landscape, so I will let
the content of the following pages communicate what has
been St. Vincent's 1995! With this in mind my brief repOli will
focus on a few matters which are appropriate for special mention.
The Brothers' Community
Peter Ciezak joined 10hn Holdsworth, Geoff Kelly and myself this
yem: Peter is a full-time
member of the Minahan
team, Geoff is Assistant Director of St. Vincent's and
Social Worker at Minahan, with 10hn responsible for
implementing our Mtercare program. There is much
to be done with the four of us in residence so we
especially appreciate the thoughtfulness and
competence displayed by Margaret Hall who does so
much to make our house a warm and inviting home.
Incorporation of Marist Welfare
The incorporation of all the welfare works of the Marist Brothers under the organisational title
of Marist Community Services has been the key structural development of the past twelve
months. St. Vincent's is now a division of Marist Community Services together with The
Siding - Annexe at Emu Plains, Freehill at Merrylands and Marist Education Centre,
Blacktown.
There is a level of autonomy which enables the clay to day operation of St. Vincent's to go
on as before. However, incorporation facilitates a higher level of support in planning and
increased sharing of information and expertise. Even at this early stage it is clear that the
pooling of our resources willieaci to more creati ve responses to service provision in the
years ahead.
A Time of Transition We are still in a period of transition with respect to the reform of substitute care services in
NSW St. Vincent's has not moved to en tering into fully funded contracted services with the
Department of Community Services as yet. Consequently, our level of government funding is
expected to remain at eighty percent for the coming yeal: As far as future planning is
concerned, we intend to provide our current level of service whilst pursuing ways of en hancing
our pro'gram. This will involve continued negotiations with the department.
2 OUR BOYS - 1995
Working Together
St. Vincent's has a very long tradition of many
individuals working together for a com mon
purpose and 1995 has been no exception.
Since July 1994 we have been very committed
to developing Foxground. Pat and Cyril have
spent considerable time auending to
improvements and renovations
who is also responsible for the day to
day upkeep of the property. The pace of
progress would have slowed without th e
ongoing assistance of Jack Cronin and his
associates, Mark Joyce, and Cleary
Brothers. Once again, we have been reminded of
the valued place of generosity in translating ideas into reality.
1996 - Centenary of Involvement of Marist Brothers in Welfare
Next year we will celebrate 100 years of Marist connection with welfare in Australia. Our
hope is to commemorate this miles tone in a spec ial way by launching a new welfare initiative
which addresses a parti cular need of disadvantaged youth. Various projects are being
explored prior to consideration by the board of Marist Community Services, the Brother
Provincial and his Counc il.
Br John Honan
OUR BOYS - 1995 a 3
Minahan has had a pretty settled year after a number of
quite significant changes, at the end of last year. Greg
resigned as coordinator, to initiate a new service,
under the Maris t Community
Services banner. We would like to
take this opportunity to wish him
well with this venture.
I returned to Minahan as
coordinatol~ after a short spell at
Egan Cottage.
Cathy returned to teac hing and
Br Peter joined the team. The
first time we have had a Brother
on the direct care team at
Minahan! Wayne and Lesley
have coped admirably with
these changes!
Three boys moved on in th e early part of the year. One to more independen t living and two
....... returned home to their famili es.
Four of our boys finish Year 10 this yeat~ so big decisions have to
be made about the future. It is a big part of our program to let
boys make decisions and cho ices for themselves, though Minahan
s tafT are always on hand to offer advice, gi ve options and support. At the
4 OUR BOYS - 1995
present time appointments are being made
with TAFE counsellors,
colleges and alternati ve
school s, for boys who
hope to further their
education and
perhaps gain ex peri ence
in th e work force.
Minahan promotes growth
[or the individual and
offers challenge. No-one
can escape, it is what we
do! However there are fun
times too , just for the sake
of it! All boys have been
involved in varioLis activities
throu ghout the yeal:.
Drama class, basketball, art workshop, poster-making, pool, table tennis and swimming
competitions, screen printing, camps, abseiling etc. The boys enjoyed indoor soccer one ni ght
per week las t te rm and three are enrolled at the local gym this term. One of the boys has also
been involved with an elde rly person in the community, popping in regularly [or a chat. We
hope to ex pand thi s community involvement with other boys in the future .
So, a very full year so fal~ with lots of planning to do for term 4. All o[ us at Minahan are
ready to meet th e challenge head on!!
Valerie, Wayne, Lesley, Br Peter & Br 6eoft (Social Worker) - Minahan Team
OUR BOYS - 1995 5
What an interes ting year '95 has been for all concerned
with Egan . Traditiona lly the house for " bigger boys",
Egan now has the joys of younger minds within its
walls. With so much energy around there has never been a
dull moment.
Organi sed "in house"
ac tivities have seen
the boys bring their
c reative talents to
the sUlface and in
so doing they have gained greater confidence to
tackle the ir own difficult life situations.
Communication be tween boys, staff and the
boys' families is at an all time
high. The regular barbecue
gatherings, weekend picni cs
and evening parent groups
have gone a long way to help
broaden the thi nking of
eve ryone significantly
involved in the boys' world.
In Egan this yeal; it has
been a high p riority to
eo ns tantly affi rm the
ach ievements of boys
wi Lh rewards such as
certificates of merit.
These were generally
gea red at imp rovi ng living
and social skills bu t,
judging-oy th e smiles on
th e boys' faces, served as
6 OUR BOYS - 1995
more than just a s imple acknowledgment of a
job well done.
The boys have had a chance this year to help
others in the community, especially the e lderly,
giving th em an opportunity to show too that their
ca ring nature has not been forgotte n.
Spec ial thanks are
ex tended to all who have
been su pporti ve over
some very awkward
moments during the
past year and we look
ahead to 1996 in
anticipation of
continued success .
Wayne, Mavis, Sam, Kay and Barbara (Social Worker) - Egan Team
OUR BOYS - 1995 7
Quinlan received a mini faceliftthis year which has
greatly improved the atmosphere, adding to the warmth
and comfort of our house.
Our boys are busy learning new sk ills to help them
appreciate and care for the home they are living in. This is done
with the a id of a living skills program and each boy learns all
the skills necessary to look after himself. They are taught to
cook, clean, wash, iron, basic sewing and to attend to the
outside areas of Quinlan.
up at the designated
time, organ ise
themselves and are
encouraged to take
pride in their
appearance. At the
same time, they are given
help to improve their behaviour and work
towards getting back home in the shortes t possible time.
The purpose of this program is to encourage "ownership" of, and pride in the house, in
themselves and in their achi evements. All of this takes place under the umbre lla of normal
everyday living, or as close to thi s as we can make it.
The boys also need to lea rn to ge t on wi th others - to share - to
care - and to be tolerant of the differences in people. To thi s e nd
we have had a cul tural evening where the food and customs of
another race of people were presented, sampled and discussed.
8 OUR BOYS - 1995
Earlier in the year the boys were introduced to the arts
via "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Sydney
Botanical Gardens.
Many craft skills, including silk screening T shilts were
taught throughout '95 by people willing to give of their
lime and talent to our boys and
staff. We would like to take this
opportunity to thank each and
everyone of these people who
have contributed in so many
ways to enhance our boys'
lives, il is very much
appreciated.
Staff ... we have a vety good
team - all of whom are very
dedicated to helping the
boys achieve their goals.
We look forward to 1996
wilh confidence,
knowing that we have
.crossed many difficult
bridges successfully and
ready to face whatever
challenges may come
our way.
Maggie, Sharon, Steve, Peter, Andrew & Anne (Social Worker) - Quinlan Team
OUR BOYS - 1995 9
HOW A BOY . COMES TO
BEAT ST. VINeENTIS
The ,-efmal and asse"ment pmce" at St. Vincent's is a
very important aspect of the total program. From the
outset this process attempts to promote the building of
a relationship between St. Vincent 's, the boy, his family and
the refe rring agent. It is th e first stage, with the family, in
developing the case plan. It es tablishes the concept of working
togethel~ where famili es and boys are acti ve parti ci pants in the
decision-making process.
Our referral and assessment
process attempts to be
both child and family focused - families' needs
are considered in conjunction with the bes t
inte res ts of the child. Although initial referrals
are taken from families, anothe r agency is also
asked to be involved, as residential placement is
cons ide red a major step for famili es .
Briefl y, th e process is as follows:
• A referral is made with the family's knowledge and may come from many sources -
Dept. Community Services, school counsellors, psychiatrists, health centres, etc.
• St. Vincent's ask for detailed information with formal consent.
• Having received detailed information and determined the vacancy s ituation, a social
worker vi sits the family in their home, to ascerta in the suitability of placement and
introduce expectations of the program.
• If co nsidered appropriate, an assessment inte rview is organi sed at St. Vincent's . Thi s is
not only for St. Vincent 's to get further assessment information, but also for th e families
and boys to see the place, meet staff and ask questions ..... .. to get a feel for whe ther th ey
would be comfortable about being involved in th e program.
• A final dec ision is made by St. Vincent's staff, and families having had the opportunity for
a vis it, are asked whether they want to be part of the program. It is important that boys
and families see themselves as having some choice in being admitted to St. Vincent's,
even th ough their options may be limited.
There a re many things to consider in the referral and assessment process - from that first
contact with a famil y a relationship s ta rts . It is impera tive that relationships begin on a
pos itive, respectful basis.
Barbara McCann Snr Social Worker
10 OUR BOYS - 1995
This is a story about a boy who I will call Tom. Tom was
referred to St. Vincent's when he was twelve years old
because of his behaviour at home and at school.
Tom is an only child and was living at home with his mother. His
parents were divorced and his father had remarried.
Tom was often in conDict with his mothel: He would do things to
stir his mothel; like smoking in the hOLlse, spitting, lying and
stealing. This behaviour caused a lot of arguments and resulted
in Tom being physically and verbally abusive to hi s mother.
ONE OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES
Tom didn't see his father very often after he reman-i ed . Tom tried to live with hi s Dad but
things didn' t work out and he went back to his Mum.
At school Tom was described as difficult and disruptive. He had started truanting and was
mixing with kids who were a lot oldet:
Tom was very angry about having to come SL. Vincent's. His mother said that it was the
hardest decision she had ever had to make, but she fell she had tried everything she could
at home.
Tom ran away to his father but was returned in less than a week with his father saying he
~ould not manage lbm. Tom tried to run to fri ends' houses but each time they returned him to
SL. Vincent's.
Tom was started in a new school and staff would drive him to and from school to ensure that
he altended.
Mter three months at St. Vincent's Tom attended his first review where reports were given on his
behaviour. Changes in Tom's attitude and ability to follow directions had been dramatic. By that
stage he had almost stopped running away and had only jigged twice. It seems that all doors had
to be closed for Tom before he could stop running and stmt facing up to his problems.
Tom and his mother attended counselling regularly and his mother participated in the parent
group. Tom's mother gained more confidence in dealing with her son's behaviour and
appreciated the support she recei ved from unit staff.
Tom was discharged home after an eight month stay at St. Vincent's. He has now been home
with his mother for nearly twelve months and despite a few problems, both report the situation
to be much improved.
OUR BOYS - 1995 11
Whether th e aim is res toration to th e family through the
Egan or Quinlan program, or alternatively a boy is
working towards independe nt I iving through th e
Minahan program, it is always hoped opportunities ca n be
created to improve relationships between boys and fa milies.
There is of course a focus 011 boys and th e ir behaviour and we
try to help them und ers tand thei r difficu lties and to cons ider
different ways of handling confli ct.
Families also need to work on unde rstanding th e problem and
need assistance to consider different approaches. Family work occurs at St. Vincen L's in many
ways - regular telephone
calls, home visits, family
mee tings, a c ha t over coffee
in th e units ..... families are
involved in admission,
rev iews and othe r meetin gs
through to discharge.
Often the extreme stresses
prior to boys com ing to SL.
Vincent's lead to both boys
and ramil ies feeling very angry
and negative towards each
oth er: Sometimes families need
help to red iscover th e posit ives abou t th e ir
sons, thi s is a s tep towards building up th e
re lationship with them. For this to occur
families need to be made feel comfortable
about SL. Vincen t's a nd to feel they are
aC Live ly wo rk ing with us towa rds c hange.
More posi ti ve experie nces wi th the i I' sons
are encou raged such as involvement in
family barbecues and other outings.
One Sunday in Jun e this year a major
ex pedition was organised. Famili es of Egan
and Qu inl an boys we re invited to the
SL. Vincent 's [arm property at Foxground
where Lhe boys spend quite a lot of Lime
engaged in outdoor acti viti es. The boys prepared well for the ir
12 OUR BOYS - 1995
famili es' visit - they showed
them the property, described
th e ac tiviti es a nd prepared a
great barbecue lunch. To
ass is t the famili es ge t an
idea of some of the more
adventurous activities the
and pride at having overcome th e.ir fea r
and having done some thing very different and a
liLLIe risky. It was a most successful day.
The Pal"enl Group, run by Anne and Br. Geoff,
has received much positive comm ent again thi s
year. It comp lements work done in units and
family meetings, in that the purpose is to ass is t
pare nts to look a t diffe ren t s trategies for
unders tanding and dealing with problems. It also serves the function of mutual support -
parents are much re lieved to meet with others
experiencing similar diffi culties .
Working with famili es in partnership towards
positi ve change for th emse lves and their sons is
a key feature of work at St. Vincent's. As well
as tried and tested ways of involving families,
headed up to th e escarpme nt
be hind the property to do so me
abse iling. Several parents (four
mums and one dad) also went
over th e cliff!!! There was much
apprehension, then great e lati on
we are vely open to considering more c reative ways of helping famili es be part
of th e process of change.
OUR BOYS - 1995 13
The majority of boys who come to St. Vincent's have school
problems ranging through learning difficulties, gaps in
learning, attention deficit, condu ct disorders, truancy.
This means that the boys' high school experi ences are often
unpleasant. They experi ence detention , suspension, excl usion
and change of schools more frequently than the average you ng
person. Nevertheless, most of the boys express a clear desire to
obtain th e school certifi cate - a goal they often make quite
difficult to obtain.
The team at St. Vincent's operates
on the belief that a ll young people have a right to ed ucation and
th at th e outcomes for those who are disadvantaged should be
equal to th e outcomes of those who are not. It is with gratitude I
acknowledge how often Principals and staff of the schools our
boys attend go to great lengths to SUppOlt th em and keep them
in schoo l.
There are other programs that St. Vincent's also uses to help
boys make the transi tion from school to work, but generally our
boys attend school until they have at leas t __ --:---------:~i obtained the sc hool certifi cate - more of
ow boys are continuing on to Yr 11/12 or
furth er study.
Most of the boys' parents are act ive with
their input into th ei r sons' ed ucation and
have a genuine desire for th eir sons to
succeed .
1 find the parents' commitment and interest
in their sons' sc hooling very suppOltive and
hearten ing and would like to thank them for making my role as Education Liaison Offi cer
with St. Vincent's eas iel:
Along with the parents, I would like to thank th e staff at St. Vincent's . The Egan and Quinlan
teams, Br Peter who works with Minahan, and the Minahan team have all contributed to the
ed ucational success of our boys, organised tutoring where needed, travel trained, advocated
for and overseen Quiet Time. The staff have helped boys plan a future and have hope - overall
1995 has been a good yem:
Beryl Ho'are Education Liaison OHicer
14 OUR BOYS - 1995
Mos t boys who come to live a t St. Vincent's, if not all of
the m, have some funny ideas about the things we call
living skills. For ins tance good food only comes out of
Maccas or KFC or "someone else cooks it" . Clothes only need
washing wh en th ey are dirty and smelly, not just dirty, and
toil e ts are always cleaned by someone else.
Our program aims to develop these bas ic life skills which will
not only prepare the boys for the ir future, but also enhance their
self es teem. Thi s is done by teaching and modelling the
following life s kills.
• Cooking and Menu Selecti on • Budge ting and Banking
• Care of Clothes • Consumer Sk ills and Shopping
• Hygiene • utrition
• Washing • Maintenance of the House
• Job Searc h Sk ills • Networking Skills
Menu selection i done each week prior to shopp ing and all boys are involved in this process.
Boys a re encouraged Lo prepare and cook a variety of different
types of meals . All boys do th e shoppi ng
with staff on a regular rostered bas is . Each
boy is respons ible for cooking a nutritional
meal once a week with staff assistance.
All boys are helped to prepare a weekly
budget and to organise their banking and to
develop th e habit of sav ing for th e future.
Each boy is also taught the benefits of daily
personal hygiene and c leanliness and how
thi s a ffects the people he lives with. Boys
must shower every day and they are
encouragcd to take pride in their own
personal appearance.
All boys a re made aware of the resources that
exist in th e ir loca l comm unity and are taught how to use them [or their indi vidual benefit.
Eac h boy is expec ted to keep hi s own bedroom neat and tidy, yet at the same time they are
encou raged to personalise the ir room to suit their own particular interests and hobb ies with
posters, pictures and photos.
OUR BOYS - 1995 15
The activity weekends are a vital part of the St. Vincent's
program. Normally we have five ac tivity weekends per
term. A considerable amounL of planning goes inLo these
weekend s, with th e aim be ing to provide a safe environment
where the boys can be involved in challenging risk-taking
ac ti viti es such as abse iling, caving, canoeing. We beli eve these
ac tivities promote self-es teem and build confide nce. As each
boy at St. Vincent's has an indi vidual case plan , thi s is a lways
taken into cons ide ration when planning a weekend .
As part of our ac tivity weekends th e
boys are expected to parti c ipate in
some preparation and he lp out with
these ac tivities as just having
a fun holiday with "everything laid on"
for the boys, but more as something
where the boys are challenged to
parti c ipate and contribute.
A team of young volunteers is
involved on these weekends. Our volunteers have a
varie ty of skills which are of great value to the boys and staff. The ir role
is Lo interac t with the boys in a positi ve way, role modelling such things as : having fun ,
teamwo"rk , pa rtic ipa tion and so forth.
16 OUR BOYS - 1995
Quite a range of activities has taken place this year, including abseiling, caving, canoeing,
fishing, bushwalking and survival camps. The activities team are currently enhancing their
survival camp skills to enable them to provide a more challenging and interesting experience.
The use of OUT prope rty at Foxground has also been a regular occurrence. Mid-year some of
th e boys' families were invited to a family barbecue at Foxground where they enjoyed
bushwalking and abseiling. This proved to be a vety successful gathering and we would like
to provide more opportunities of this nature in 1996.
While much staff contact with the boys is in itself
group work, there is however, a place for a more
focu sed approach. Group work at St. Vincent's
consis ts of formal gro ups where the boys address particular
iss ues such as sex education, racism, violence etc. Informal
groups involving inte rac tion around activities such as painting,
screen printing, pool and table tennis compe titions, swimming
carni vals and cultural even ings also take place. This year the
boys have a lso participated in comm unity care for some elderly
people in neer! of assistance. The aim is for the boys to develop
an appreciation or oth ers in need. We hope the boys will be able
to build on their skills and life experiences in a non-threatening
env ironment, where fun is part of belonging, and hopefully
reflec ts some needs which are identified in the unit
Group work at St. Vincent's aims to provide group experiences by which the boys explore and
develop th eir values and attitudes, acquire valuable information and better cOlllmunication skills.
Karen Howarth Activifies/Groupwork Coordinator
OUR BOYS - 1995 17
Supporting Boys and Families after they leave St. Vincent's
Late in 1994 Lisa Haskew took up a position in the newly
es tablished "Freehill" Unit. While wishing her well in her
new role, we take thi s opportunity to thank Lisa for her
tireless ded ication and concern. This year Brother 10hn
Holdsworth has assumed the full-tim e post in Aftercare. This
has enabled the maintenance of ongoing care this position
req uires. Eventually former residents will be invited to attend
th e annual Old Boys re-union held on the fourth Sunday in Novembel~ linking them to those
others who remember "The Old Home" as thei r residence. The younger former
residents, obviously knew only life in the cottages in Darcy Rd and will be invited to the
ann ual re-u nion held in February.
A great deal of Brother 10hn's
time has been directed towards
" networking" ,vj th a range of
adolescent agencies in the
ParramaLLa and Holroyd districts.
This is a two-way benefit as it
alerts agencies to our presence
and keeps us informed
regarding holiday function s,
other activities that are
available in the region and a
sense of what options there are in meeting housing needs.
Likewise much time has been devoted to assisting boys who come before the 1 ustice system.
In some instances parents are unable, or don' t care, to attend with their son. The presence of
an adult, indeed a Brothel~ with the accused is reassuring for the lad and indicates to the
magistrate that we are concerned and willing to assist him with ongoing support.
The workers in the three cottages co-operate willingly in the scheme of contacts we initiate
when each boy leaves our program. Even without crises, this amounts to nine phone calls in
the first year after departure, along with recognition of his birthday, welcoming back to the
unit and invitations to any barbecues.
We are always looking for employment opportunities for our old boys . Should anyone reading
this be in a posit ion to offer help in some way, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Br John Holdsworth
18 OUR BOYS - 1995
The Auxiliary is a term that attempts to capture the role of
a dedicated group of people who work tirelessly on our
behalf. Weekly they meet to exploit their craft skills and
to organi se th e array of clothing and bric-a-brac ready for sale at
the regular stalls in Pan'amatta Mall. Gwennie's Market in late
Octobel; wh en their top quality, home-made items are on sale, is
deserving of our support. Their industry enables the purchase of
a range of necessary items for St. Vincent's houses such as the
new ca rpet and vinyl floor covering which was bought this year.
We are indeed indebted to this faithful band of qui et achievers.
Daisy and Jim Keogh have worked for the Marist Brothers over a span of forty years.This
incredible association res ulted in their receiving Australian affiliation. We pay tribute here to
Jim, a double amputee, who died in May of thi s yeac His life of uncomplaining servi ce has
been an inspiration to us all. May he be at peace.
The main event on the Old Boys' calendar continues to be
the annua l Mass and barbecue. Thi s highlight attracts
around one hundred folk , some of whom can boast of
attending nearly all the reuni ons s ince its inception. It's a great
time for renewing contac t; examining photos of the time and
adding to the commentary, les t th e memory of it all should fade.
In preparation for the event, th e Exec uti ve meets regularly
throughout th e yeal: On the day, some of the Old Boys and their
partners s tep forward to prepa re th e tas ty --.::..----,
I
lunch, while the Executive
attends to regis tration and the
smooth running of the day.
Old Boys appreciate th e use
of the Maris t Brothers'
Pa rramatta-Westmead
chape l, pool and other
faciliti es; while the trek-up to the old
Home and its inspec tion is facilitated by the Uni versity authOliti es . Our
th anks are extended to these two bodies for the ir consis tent co-operation. Brother Coman has
for some time been our untiring link in setting-up tables, chairs etc . We will miss him in this
phase when he transfers to Mittagong for 1996 .
OUR BOYS - 1995 19
MARISI
COMMUNITY
SERVICES
In October 1994 the Marist B~oothers incorporated their welfare operationso Effectively this means that the operations of the Brothers such as SL. Vincent's will be answerable to a registered
company - Mat;st Community Services (MCS) - which will have responsibility for some aspects of the works.
It is very important that the people whom we help in the centres do not see us as being an impersonal, bureaucratic organisation where there at°e people "at the top" pulling strings, a thousand miles away from where the work is being done.
There at'e some advantages, howe vel; in having a central organisation body, especially in matters such as negotiating with the government regatoding funding and licensing, carrying out financial repOlting and
auditing, deal ing with local cou ncils etc. This kind of negotiating work is all the more impOltant at this time in New South Wales, when most of the provision of care for young people and families is being handed over to the non-government organisations on a contract basiso
Mcu-ist Community Serv ices is very much involved in this planning and negotiation with government, and the future of St. Vincent's itself is very dependent on such negotiations. We believe strongly that there me good reasons why non-govemment organisations are often better planned to run chiLcL-en's services than the state. However it is still the government who decides which services at-e needed and which ones they will fund.
Under this new contracting system MCS has already established a house at Greystanes which is providing catoe for five young people who were previously in departmental care. Negotiations at°e currently beginning for the possibility of futther contracts.
I really like to be alone
I don't like to talk on the phone
I've been to a lot of schools
Most of them full of fools
People try to talk to me
I just want them to let me be
I don't like talking, sometimes I don't smile
People try to talk to me but only fOl' a while
People try to get me to talk
But I turn around and go for a walk
At school, I walk aroIDld all day
Trying to stay as far away
I really like to be alone
WIlen I get invited to parties I'm always alone
People don't undel'stand why I don't talk
Some people think I'm a dork
Even girls try to start a convel'sation
W1rile I'm at the station
But I just hu'n al'oll11d and walk the other way
But they will be there the next day
I really like to be alone! s,
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20 OUR BOYS - 1995
THANKS Our work at St. Vincent 's owes
thanks to many people who help us in a variety of ways. To all these people we extend
our sincere thanks.
To the Princ ipals and sLaff of the schools our boys have aLLended
during the year
To our supplie rs, many of whom give us spec ial conside ra tion
To profess ionals in health and ~~eHare agencies who give special care
to our boys
To those church groups and others who offer our boys places on holiday camps
To the volunteers who have helped wiLh weekend programs
Our spec ial thanks to Lhe members of our Auxilia ry for their continued interes t in the Home a nd their fund-rai sing efforts
for the year
A copy of the full audited s tateme nt of our finances is ava ilable to any of our supporters
simply by co ntacting the offi ce at SI. Vincent 's . Phone : (02) 635 5699