Renee Goetz has pioneered the introduction of the ICDP program in Australia. She has sent us this report by Anne Moore who is now looking after the implementation of the program. Anne writes…

Hi Renee

I am sorry I did not get back to you I have been away delivering training in Gympie and just got back.

I am delivering another program at Moonyah starting in 2 weeks and there are 20 participants. This is the first opportunity I have had this year as I am now delivering workplace training and I am all over Queensland.

There is some good news though, I got a phone call from one of the ladies who completed the course at the end of last year.  She had her children taken away from her by Child Safety because of her drug problems.  She had overdosed and passed out on the floor of the house.  Her 8 year old daughter found her and ran to the local shop to get help.  She was taken into hospital and then sent to Moonyah.

When I had her in the program she had only completed about 6 weeks of the 10 month program and I can’t begin to tell you about the shame she felt that it was her 8 year old daughter who saved her life and had to deal with such a traumatic event.

During the ICDP program, she made a mural for her daughter telling her how strong she was and how grateful she was and said all the things she felt she could not say to her face but managed to convey in pictures. As a result of the rebuilding of the relationship and strategies she learnt from participating in the program  she was given supervised access to her children.

Child safety monitored her progress with her children (she has 3 , her 8 year old a six year old and a 4 year old) and she has now in recovery and has all her children back with her.  She wants to do the Community Services Program at TAFE so that she can help others who have been in addiction.

She is the 4th person who has come from Moonyah and the ICDP progam to make a full recovery and come back into education in order to work in the sector and help others.

The blessing of the ICDP program is that it teaches people not to be judgemental of others, to feel empathy and understanding and makes them want to get into our services and work rom the ICDP framework of empathy and gently leading, not the jackboot mentality that is sometimes demonstrated in our sector.

I am eternally grateful to have been part of the ICDP family and to have the opportunity to use the skills I learnt in all of my training which includes mental health, disability, aged care, youth work and alcohol and other drugs, homelessness and social housing and community services.

Workers across all of these disciplines can use the ICDP framework to inform their practice and work holistically with people on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.

I am blessed, thank you so much for having faith in me and giving me the opportunity.

Much love

Anne