Project: Life Transformation Program
Received: $43,050 from a total project cost of $86,100
100 Women funds will cover community nursing services and art therapy for homeless and marginalised women.
Who is the organisation and what is their mission?
Cana Communities began in Sydney in 1975, providing shelters and transitional accommodation for homeless and other marginalised people. In 2016, they established a hub in Mosman Park, Western Australia from which they currently deliver a range of support
services. Their programs are designed to foster a sense of belonging and build relationships for women experiencing poverty and hopelessness, including but not limited to individuals who have been incarcerated, lived on the streets, are fleeing domestic violence or are
seeking asylum.
What is the project that the 100 Women grant will support?
This proposed project will be run from Anstead House, a safe house for homeless women in Mosman Park, and it includes two key initiatives.
Firstly, the project will appoint a part time Community Nurse to conduct health assessments, arrange access to relevant care options and provide ongoing patient management for women at the safe house.
Secondly, it will offer art therapy as a form of psychological treatment for groups and/or individuals.
Participants will be coached by a trained instructor in using non-verbal artistic expression to explore, process and resolve their experience of trauma and any related negative associations.
Who is the project for? Who else will benefit?
20 women will directly benefit from this initial project, though their families will also be positively impacted from the support provided.
Why is the project needed?
The women who will be supported by this project are aged between 20 and 60 years, and they have complex needs and backgrounds. They may be fleeing domestic violence, seeking asylum, living on the streets or recently incarcerated. They are often experiencing – or have
experienced – drug and/or alcohol addictions and many suffer from mental and/or physical illnesses. They are often poorly educated and with limited employment skills, and in many cases, they have indigenous heritage. This project is important because whatever their profile, the women supported at Anstead House generally have complex health needs and untreated trauma. The most effective support is a single, holistic health care solution that can establish a trusted relationship and offer continuous care.
What are the planned outcomes for the project?
The participants are expend to experience:
● Significant improvement in mental and physical health;
● Reduced reliance on alcohol and other drugs;
● Increased ability to live independently and maintain tenancies, including sourcing safe accommodation;
● Improved relational skills and social cohesion;
● Re-establishment of familial relationships, where appropriate;
● Reduced rate of reoffending, which would otherwise result in re-incarceration;
● Access to work experience opportunities with Cana’s social enterprises (e.g. food and coffee van).
