How the men’s centre has transformed the lives of more than a dozen women
By Karen KellyThe women’s health centre opened in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD in September last year to serve a diverse clientele including domestic violence survivors, families dealing with trauma and young women seeking to escape domestic violence.
As a new facility, the centre was designed to offer a range of services and to provide the most appropriate and affordable options for the women who needed it most.
But as the facility opened its doors to a diverse population, the services offered were also more diverse than any other women’s clinic in Australia.
For starters, the women’s centre offered many services that had never been offered in a women’s refuge before, including counselling, sexual health and birth control, mental health support, and HIV/AIDS testing and counselling.
“The women have an opportunity to be more independent, to be a part of their own healing process, and to make decisions that will make them feel more confident and secure in their own lives,” Dr Susan Cusiter, the founder and executive director of the Women’s Centre of Brisbane, said.
But for many of the women at the Women on the Block, the experience was a chance to make the most of what they already had.
“It’s really great to be in a place that offers a safe space for women to have their own space and to get their life back on track,” Dr Cusitor said.
“And it’s also great to feel like you’re part of a community.”
The Women on The Block has been running since 2010, when it was established by women in the community, but the Women have always been part of the network.
“We’ve been there since the start and have seen the impact it has had on people’s lives,” Ms Roussa said.
The women were also happy to share what they learnt from the experience.
“One of the things that was really important to us was that we learnt how to work with each other to support each other, and it helped us to be so much better friends,” Ms Koehler said.
“We were able to work together and have conversations, because we knew each other.
We knew our own history, and we knew what it was like for others, so we could be more effective at working together.”
Ms Koehl, Ms Roula, and Ms Rucka are currently part of an eight-person women’s support group for domestic violence victims.
“If someone was going through something really tough, it was really helpful to have someone that we could talk to and share that experience with,” Ms Cusit said.
For the men, the transition from the women-only refuge to the women and men’s care unit was a gradual one.
The Men’s Health Centre opened in a new building in August 2017, to provide services for women who were facing domestic violence and other trauma.
Its founder, Dr Susan Crandall, said the women in their care centre were the backbone of the group.
“Women have such a great impact on our lives and they make it so easy for us to make a difference in their lives,” she said.
As the men were more familiar with the women, Dr Crandill said the men felt more comfortable and at ease, which led to a better relationship with the community.
“I think for most of the men who were there, it’s just been a really welcoming, inclusive, supportive environment,” she told ABC Brisbane.
The Women’s Health Center opened in Brisbane’s city centre in September, and was expanded to a third building, the Men’s Centre in the CBD, which opened in March 2018.
Topics:health,community-and-society,community,women,brisbane-4000,brisbane-beltside-4007,qld,brispergon-3450,perth-6000More stories from Queensland
By Karen KellyThe women’s health centre opened in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD in September last year to serve a…
