WHEN a child has experienced sexual abuse they are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, anger and depression.
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When they step into Cassie’s Place in Moruya they find the helping hand they need to move out of the darkness and into recovery, with the help of specialised staff.
Cassie’s Place is a unique sexual assault counselling service that is supported by Anglicare.
It is the only service of its kind on the Far South Coast and one of only 11 services to cater to children and adolescents in NSW.
The doors of Cassie’s Place will remain open after it successfully secured funding in a state government reshuffle of Family and Community Services on the Far South Coast.
The service receives all of its funding from the state government and last year Anglicare NSW South held talks to secure its position in the region.
The counselling service was successfully transferred to the Child, Youth and Family Support Service Model and will continue to be funded through NSW Department of Family and Community Services.
Fifty-nine children aged between three and 18 currently utilise Cassie’s Place across the Eurobodalla Shire, with more than 40 new referrals for children who experienced sexual assault this year.
Anglicare’s acting coordinator of out of home care (OOHC) manager Danea Cowell, said Cassie’s Place provided a vital service.
“One in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual assault and the majority of offenders are usually known to the child and the family,” Ms Cowell said.
“The therapeutic cottage and garden setting in Moruya provides specialised sensory elements designed to assist traumatised children overcome complex assault and trauma.
“We are the only service of this kind on the Far South Coast.”
Cassie’s Place was established in the 1980s by a group of dedicated local women.
In 2004 Anglicare took over the project, providing counselling, information and support to children, young people and their non-offending family members who have been affected by sexual assault or trauma.
Children and adolescent sexual assault counsellor Jenny LeBreton is hopeful that Cassie’s Place will remain an important service on the Far South Coast.
“Cassie’s place is an incredibly helpful place to have as a therapeutic setting and because it’s a child focused service it provides a safe place,” Ms LeBreton said.
“NSW Police actually use our therapy room to interview victims of sexual assault and it’s a very important place.
“We work in partnership with a range of government and non-government organisations on a daily basis to provide the most appropriate and cohesive response to these vulnerable children.
“We hope that the service remains here on the Far South Coast and we have secured our funding until 2015.
“We hope that funding will continue. With the uncertainty in our the welfare sector, especially what has happened with a lot of homeless services in the region, we hope that Cassie’s Place remains a priority.”