Paul’s story

Paul* is an Aboriginal young person who was referred to Supervised Community Accommodation Townsville (SCAT) after his first offence – a domestic violence matter involving his mother and sister. Paul’s initial assessment identified that he was at risk of homelessness due to his long-term, threatening and abusive behaviour towards his female family members. As part of his case plan process, Paul and his family identified that SCAT was the most appropriate housing service for him.

SCAT team members worked with Paul to identify his goals and develop strategies to achieve them. These included training in life skills; appropriate, non-violent, respectful, culturally appropriate relationships between male and females; anger management techniques; and communication skills. With the right support, Paul was able to develop strong relationships at the local PCYC boxing program, connect with Aboriginal mentors, and become involved in billycart building and other local community initiatives. Over the course of the six-month program, Paul’s confidence grew rapidly. He began speaking to female staff, and then respectfully engaging with the females in his family. During his stay at SCAT, Paul also took part in the first Cultural Camp run by Mission Australia and ATSILS.

Following this process, Paul has not re-offended, his relationships with his family members continue to improve, and he continues to have a strong relationship with three of the camp volunteers. He has highlighted his cultural and spiritual needs with these volunteer mentors, and has re-established connections with elders from his family.

Help young men like Paul

When you invest in the life of someone like Paul, you change not only the course of his life, but also the lives of many more people in his family and his community.

Please donate today or consider leaving a gift in your Will to help Australian families affected by domestic and family violence.

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Know someone affected by domestic and family violence?

If you are experiencing abuse or violence it is not your fault. There are support services that can help you. If your life is in danger, call 000. For 24/7 domestic violence counselling call the National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Where to get help

Acknowledging that one of your relationships may be unhealthy or potentially harmful can be overwhelming to cope on your own. It can also be difficult to see the bigger context when trying to look at a relationship outside of our own lens. Whether it’s a relationship you need help navigating, a behaviour you want to change or advice to support a loved one involved in an unhealthy relationship, reach out to: