OUR BOYS ST. VINCENT'S WESTMEAD

ST. VINCENT'S ADOLESCENT CARE

St. Vincent's is a social welfare agency functioning under the auspices

of the Marist Brothers. We offer medium to long term residential care

for boys from 12 years of age who attend high school and are having

serious difficulties at home and/or at school. The boys we take often have

behavioural problems and are in conflict with their families. These factors

render them very much at risk and placement in a structured and

supportive residential program is a positive option.

The St. Vincent's service comprises three units: Egan Cottage and Quinlan

House at Westmead which each accommodates up to six boys; and Minahan

at Toongabbie which provides accommodation for up to five residents.

All boys attend either a state or private school best suited to their needs and

are encouraged to participate in outside sporting and other activities to

boost self-esteem and widen their options.

St. Vincent's staff are committed to working closely with parents in the two

family restoration programs (Egan and Quinlan). Family contact is

maintained through weekends at home and school holidays, depending on

the case-plan for each boy.

An emphasis is placed on family reconciliation where possible in the

independent living program (Minahan).

Active support is given in all units to re-establishing and building family,

school and community links.

We also offer ongoing aftercare support as needed when a boy leaves

St. Vincent's.

29-33 Darcy Road, Westmead

P.O. Box 49 Westmead, NSW 2145

Phone: 635 5699 Fax: 635 5252

This 1995 edition of "Our Boys" will attempt to convey

many aspects of the St. Vincent's landscape, so I will let

the content of the following pages communicate what has

been St. Vincent's 1995! With this in mind my brief repOli will

focus on a few matters which are appropriate for special mention.

The Brothers' Community

Peter Ciezak joined 10hn Holdsworth, Geoff Kelly and myself this

yem: Peter is a full-time

member of the Minahan

team, Geoff is Assistant Director of St. Vincent's and

Social Worker at Minahan, with 10hn responsible for

implementing our Mtercare program. There is much

to be done with the four of us in residence so we

especially appreciate the thoughtfulness and

competence displayed by Margaret Hall who does so

much to make our house a warm and inviting home.

Incorporation of Marist Welfare

The incorporation of all the welfare works of the Marist Brothers under the organisational title

of Marist Community Services has been the key structural development of the past twelve

months. St. Vincent's is now a division of Marist Community Services together with The

Siding - Annexe at Emu Plains, Freehill at Merrylands and Marist Education Centre,

Blacktown.

There is a level of autonomy which enables the clay to day operation of St. Vincent's to go

on as before. However, incorporation facilitates a higher level of support in planning and

increased sharing of information and expertise. Even at this early stage it is clear that the

pooling of our resources willieaci to more creati ve responses to service provision in the

years ahead.

A Time of Transition We are still in a period of transition with respect to the reform of substitute care services in

NSW St. Vincent's has not moved to en tering into fully funded contracted services with the

Department of Community Services as yet. Consequently, our level of government funding is

expected to remain at eighty percent for the coming yeal: As far as future planning is

concerned, we intend to provide our current level of service whilst pursuing ways of en hancing

our pro'gram. This will involve continued negotiations with the department.

2 OUR BOYS - 1995

Working Together

St. Vincent's has a very long tradition of many

individuals working together for a com mon

purpose and 1995 has been no exception.

Since July 1994 we have been very committed

to developing Foxground. Pat and Cyril have

spent considerable time auending to

improvements and renovations

who is also responsible for the day to

day upkeep of the property. The pace of

progress would have slowed without th e

ongoing assistance of Jack Cronin and his

associates, Mark Joyce, and Cleary

Brothers. Once again, we have been reminded of

the valued place of generosity in translating ideas into reality.

1996 - Centenary of Involvement of Marist Brothers in Welfare

Next year we will celebrate 100 years of Marist connection with welfare in Australia. Our

hope is to commemorate this miles tone in a spec ial way by launching a new welfare initiative

which addresses a parti cular need of disadvantaged youth. Various projects are being

explored prior to consideration by the board of Marist Community Services, the Brother

Provincial and his Counc il.

Br John Honan

OUR BOYS - 1995 a 3

Minahan has had a pretty settled year after a number of

quite significant changes, at the end of last year. Greg

resigned as coordinator, to initiate a new service,

under the Maris t Community

Services banner. We would like to

take this opportunity to wish him

well with this venture.

I returned to Minahan as

coordinatol~ after a short spell at

Egan Cottage.

Cathy returned to teac hing and

Br Peter joined the team. The

first time we have had a Brother

on the direct care team at

Minahan! Wayne and Lesley

have coped admirably with

these changes!

Three boys moved on in th e early part of the year. One to more independen t living and two

....... returned home to their famili es.

Four of our boys finish Year 10 this yeat~ so big decisions have to

be made about the future. It is a big part of our program to let

boys make decisions and cho ices for themselves, though Minahan

s tafT are always on hand to offer advice, gi ve options and support. At the

4 OUR BOYS - 1995

present time appointments are being made

with TAFE counsellors,

colleges and alternati ve

school s, for boys who

hope to further their

education and

perhaps gain ex peri ence

in th e work force.

Minahan promotes growth

[or the individual and

offers challenge. No-one

can escape, it is what we

do! However there are fun

times too , just for the sake

of it! All boys have been

involved in varioLis activities

throu ghout the yeal:.

Drama class, basketball, art workshop, poster-making, pool, table tennis and swimming

competitions, screen printing, camps, abseiling etc. The boys enjoyed indoor soccer one ni ght

per week las t te rm and three are enrolled at the local gym this term. One of the boys has also

been involved with an elde rly person in the community, popping in regularly [or a chat. We

hope to ex pand thi s community involvement with other boys in the future .

So, a very full year so fal~ with lots of planning to do for term 4. All o[ us at Minahan are

ready to meet th e challenge head on!!

Valerie, Wayne, Lesley, Br Peter & Br 6eoft (Social Worker) - Minahan Team

OUR BOYS - 1995 5

What an interes ting year '95 has been for all concerned

with Egan . Traditiona lly the house for " bigger boys",

Egan now has the joys of younger minds within its

walls. With so much energy around there has never been a

dull moment.

Organi sed "in house"

ac tivities have seen

the boys bring their

c reative talents to

the sUlface and in

so doing they have gained greater confidence to

tackle the ir own difficult life situations.

Communication be tween boys, staff and the

boys' families is at an all time

high. The regular barbecue

gatherings, weekend picni cs

and evening parent groups

have gone a long way to help

broaden the thi nking of

eve ryone significantly

involved in the boys' world.

In Egan this yeal; it has

been a high p riority to

eo ns tantly affi rm the

ach ievements of boys

wi Lh rewards such as

certificates of merit.

These were generally

gea red at imp rovi ng living

and social skills bu t,

judging-oy th e smiles on

th e boys' faces, served as

6 OUR BOYS - 1995

more than just a s imple acknowledgment of a

job well done.

The boys have had a chance this year to help

others in the community, especially the e lderly,

giving th em an opportunity to show too that their

ca ring nature has not been forgotte n.

Spec ial thanks are

ex tended to all who have

been su pporti ve over

some very awkward

moments during the

past year and we look

ahead to 1996 in

anticipation of

continued success .

Wayne, Mavis, Sam, Kay and Barbara (Social Worker) - Egan Team

OUR BOYS - 1995 7

Quinlan received a mini faceliftthis year which has

greatly improved the atmosphere, adding to the warmth

and comfort of our house.

Our boys are busy learning new sk ills to help them

appreciate and care for the home they are living in. This is done

with the a id of a living skills program and each boy learns all

the skills necessary to look after himself. They are taught to

cook, clean, wash, iron, basic sewing and to attend to the

outside areas of Quinlan.

up at the designated

time, organ ise

themselves and are

encouraged to take

pride in their

appearance. At the

same time, they are given

help to improve their behaviour and work

towards getting back home in the shortes t possible time.

The purpose of this program is to encourage "ownership" of, and pride in the house, in

themselves and in their achi evements. All of this takes place under the umbre lla of normal

everyday living, or as close to thi s as we can make it.

The boys also need to lea rn to ge t on wi th others - to share - to

care - and to be tolerant of the differences in people. To thi s e nd

we have had a cul tural evening where the food and customs of

another race of people were presented, sampled and discussed.

8 OUR BOYS - 1995

Earlier in the year the boys were introduced to the arts

via "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Sydney

Botanical Gardens.

Many craft skills, including silk screening T shilts were

taught throughout '95 by people willing to give of their

lime and talent to our boys and

staff. We would like to take this

opportunity to thank each and

everyone of these people who

have contributed in so many

ways to enhance our boys'

lives, il is very much

appreciated.

Staff ... we have a vety good

team - all of whom are very

dedicated to helping the

boys achieve their goals.

We look forward to 1996

wilh confidence,

knowing that we have

.crossed many difficult

bridges successfully and

ready to face whatever

challenges may come

our way.

Maggie, Sharon, Steve, Peter, Andrew & Anne (Social Worker) - Quinlan Team

OUR BOYS - 1995 9

HOW A BOY . COMES TO

BEAT ST. VINeENTIS

The ,-efmal and asse"ment pmce" at St. Vincent's is a

very important aspect of the total program. From the

outset this process attempts to promote the building of

a relationship between St. Vincent 's, the boy, his family and

the refe rring agent. It is th e first stage, with the family, in

developing the case plan. It es tablishes the concept of working

togethel~ where famili es and boys are acti ve parti ci pants in the

decision-making process.

Our referral and assessment

process attempts to be

both child and family focused - families' needs

are considered in conjunction with the bes t

inte res ts of the child. Although initial referrals

are taken from families, anothe r agency is also

asked to be involved, as residential placement is

cons ide red a major step for famili es .

Briefl y, th e process is as follows:

• A referral is made with the family's knowledge and may come from many sources -

Dept. Community Services, school counsellors, psychiatrists, health centres, etc.

• St. Vincent's ask for detailed information with formal consent.

• Having received detailed information and determined the vacancy s ituation, a social

worker vi sits the family in their home, to ascerta in the suitability of placement and

introduce expectations of the program.

• If co nsidered appropriate, an assessment inte rview is organi sed at St. Vincent's . Thi s is

not only for St. Vincent 's to get further assessment information, but also for th e families

and boys to see the place, meet staff and ask questions ..... .. to get a feel for whe ther th ey

would be comfortable about being involved in th e program.

• A final dec ision is made by St. Vincent's staff, and families having had the opportunity for

a vis it, are asked whether they want to be part of the program. It is important that boys

and families see themselves as having some choice in being admitted to St. Vincent's,

even th ough their options may be limited.

There a re many things to consider in the referral and assessment process - from that first

contact with a famil y a relationship s ta rts . It is impera tive that relationships begin on a

pos itive, respectful basis.

Barbara McCann Snr Social Worker

10 OUR BOYS - 1995

This is a story about a boy who I will call Tom. Tom was

referred to St. Vincent's when he was twelve years old

because of his behaviour at home and at school.

Tom is an only child and was living at home with his mother. His

parents were divorced and his father had remarried.

Tom was often in conDict with his mothel: He would do things to

stir his mothel; like smoking in the hOLlse, spitting, lying and

stealing. This behaviour caused a lot of arguments and resulted

in Tom being physically and verbally abusive to hi s mother.

ONE OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES

Tom didn't see his father very often after he reman-i ed . Tom tried to live with hi s Dad but

things didn' t work out and he went back to his Mum.

At school Tom was described as difficult and disruptive. He had started truanting and was

mixing with kids who were a lot oldet:

Tom was very angry about having to come SL. Vincent's. His mother said that it was the

hardest decision she had ever had to make, but she fell she had tried everything she could

at home.

Tom ran away to his father but was returned in less than a week with his father saying he

~ould not manage lbm. Tom tried to run to fri ends' houses but each time they returned him to

SL. Vincent's.

Tom was started in a new school and staff would drive him to and from school to ensure that

he altended.

Mter three months at St. Vincent's Tom attended his first review where reports were given on his

behaviour. Changes in Tom's attitude and ability to follow directions had been dramatic. By that

stage he had almost stopped running away and had only jigged twice. It seems that all doors had

to be closed for Tom before he could stop running and stmt facing up to his problems.

Tom and his mother attended counselling regularly and his mother participated in the parent

group. Tom's mother gained more confidence in dealing with her son's behaviour and

appreciated the support she recei ved from unit staff.

Tom was discharged home after an eight month stay at St. Vincent's. He has now been home

with his mother for nearly twelve months and despite a few problems, both report the situation

to be much improved.

OUR BOYS - 1995 11

Whether th e aim is res toration to th e family through the

Egan or Quinlan program, or alternatively a boy is

working towards independe nt I iving through th e

Minahan program, it is always hoped opportunities ca n be

created to improve relationships between boys and fa milies.

There is of course a focus 011 boys and th e ir behaviour and we

try to help them und ers tand thei r difficu lties and to cons ider

different ways of handling confli ct.

Families also need to work on unde rstanding th e problem and

need assistance to consider different approaches. Family work occurs at St. Vincen L's in many

ways - regular telephone

calls, home visits, family

mee tings, a c ha t over coffee

in th e units ..... families are

involved in admission,

rev iews and othe r meetin gs

through to discharge.

Often the extreme stresses

prior to boys com ing to SL.

Vincent's lead to both boys

and ramil ies feeling very angry

and negative towards each

oth er: Sometimes families need

help to red iscover th e posit ives abou t th e ir

sons, thi s is a s tep towards building up th e

re lationship with them. For this to occur

families need to be made feel comfortable

about SL. Vincen t's a nd to feel they are

aC Live ly wo rk ing with us towa rds c hange.

More posi ti ve experie nces wi th the i I' sons

are encou raged such as involvement in

family barbecues and other outings.

One Sunday in Jun e this year a major

ex pedition was organised. Famili es of Egan

and Qu inl an boys we re invited to the

SL. Vincent 's [arm property at Foxground

where Lhe boys spend quite a lot of Lime

engaged in outdoor acti viti es. The boys prepared well for the ir

12 OUR BOYS - 1995

famili es' visit - they showed

them the property, described

th e ac tiviti es a nd prepared a

great barbecue lunch. To

ass is t the famili es ge t an

idea of some of the more

adventurous activities the

and pride at having overcome th e.ir fea r

and having done some thing very different and a

liLLIe risky. It was a most successful day.

The Pal"enl Group, run by Anne and Br. Geoff,

has received much positive comm ent again thi s

year. It comp lements work done in units and

family meetings, in that the purpose is to ass is t

pare nts to look a t diffe ren t s trategies for

unders tanding and dealing with problems. It also serves the function of mutual support -

parents are much re lieved to meet with others

experiencing similar diffi culties .

Working with famili es in partnership towards

positi ve change for th emse lves and their sons is

a key feature of work at St. Vincent's. As well

as tried and tested ways of involving families,

headed up to th e escarpme nt

be hind the property to do so me

abse iling. Several parents (four

mums and one dad) also went

over th e cliff!!! There was much

apprehension, then great e lati on

we are vely open to considering more c reative ways of helping famili es be part

of th e process of change.

OUR BOYS - 1995 13

The majority of boys who come to St. Vincent's have school

problems ranging through learning difficulties, gaps in

learning, attention deficit, condu ct disorders, truancy.

This means that the boys' high school experi ences are often

unpleasant. They experi ence detention , suspension, excl usion

and change of schools more frequently than the average you ng

person. Nevertheless, most of the boys express a clear desire to

obtain th e school certifi cate - a goal they often make quite

difficult to obtain.

The team at St. Vincent's operates

on the belief that a ll young people have a right to ed ucation and

th at th e outcomes for those who are disadvantaged should be

equal to th e outcomes of those who are not. It is with gratitude I

acknowledge how often Principals and staff of the schools our

boys attend go to great lengths to SUppOlt th em and keep them

in schoo l.

There are other programs that St. Vincent's also uses to help

boys make the transi tion from school to work, but generally our

boys attend school until they have at leas t __ --:---------:~i obtained the sc hool certifi cate - more of

ow boys are continuing on to Yr 11/12 or

furth er study.

Most of the boys' parents are act ive with

their input into th ei r sons' ed ucation and

have a genuine desire for th eir sons to

succeed .

1 find the parents' commitment and interest

in their sons' sc hooling very suppOltive and

hearten ing and would like to thank them for making my role as Education Liaison Offi cer

with St. Vincent's eas iel:

Along with the parents, I would like to thank th e staff at St. Vincent's . The Egan and Quinlan

teams, Br Peter who works with Minahan, and the Minahan team have all contributed to the

ed ucational success of our boys, organised tutoring where needed, travel trained, advocated

for and overseen Quiet Time. The staff have helped boys plan a future and have hope - overall

1995 has been a good yem:

Beryl Ho'are Education Liaison OHicer

14 OUR BOYS - 1995

Mos t boys who come to live a t St. Vincent's, if not all of

the m, have some funny ideas about the things we call

living skills. For ins tance good food only comes out of

Maccas or KFC or "someone else cooks it" . Clothes only need

washing wh en th ey are dirty and smelly, not just dirty, and

toil e ts are always cleaned by someone else.

Our program aims to develop these bas ic life skills which will

not only prepare the boys for the ir future, but also enhance their

self es teem. Thi s is done by teaching and modelling the

following life s kills.

• Cooking and Menu Selecti on • Budge ting and Banking

• Care of Clothes • Consumer Sk ills and Shopping

• Hygiene • utrition

• Washing • Maintenance of the House

• Job Searc h Sk ills • Networking Skills

Menu selection i done each week prior to shopp ing and all boys are involved in this process.

Boys a re encouraged Lo prepare and cook a variety of different

types of meals . All boys do th e shoppi ng

with staff on a regular rostered bas is . Each

boy is respons ible for cooking a nutritional

meal once a week with staff assistance.

All boys are helped to prepare a weekly

budget and to organise their banking and to

develop th e habit of sav ing for th e future.

Each boy is also taught the benefits of daily

personal hygiene and c leanliness and how

thi s a ffects the people he lives with. Boys

must shower every day and they are

encouragcd to take pride in their own

personal appearance.

All boys a re made aware of the resources that

exist in th e ir loca l comm unity and are taught how to use them [or their indi vidual benefit.

Eac h boy is expec ted to keep hi s own bedroom neat and tidy, yet at the same time they are

encou raged to personalise the ir room to suit their own particular interests and hobb ies with

posters, pictures and photos.

OUR BOYS - 1995 15

The activity weekends are a vital part of the St. Vincent's

program. Normally we have five ac tivity weekends per

term. A considerable amounL of planning goes inLo these

weekend s, with th e aim be ing to provide a safe environment

where the boys can be involved in challenging risk-taking

ac ti viti es such as abse iling, caving, canoeing. We beli eve these

ac tivities promote self-es teem and build confide nce. As each

boy at St. Vincent's has an indi vidual case plan , thi s is a lways

taken into cons ide ration when planning a weekend .

As part of our ac tivity weekends th e

boys are expected to parti c ipate in

some preparation and he lp out with

these ac tivities as just having

a fun holiday with "everything laid on"

for the boys, but more as something

where the boys are challenged to

parti c ipate and contribute.

A team of young volunteers is

involved on these weekends. Our volunteers have a

varie ty of skills which are of great value to the boys and staff. The ir role

is Lo interac t with the boys in a positi ve way, role modelling such things as : having fun ,

teamwo"rk , pa rtic ipa tion and so forth.

16 OUR BOYS - 1995

Quite a range of activities has taken place this year, including abseiling, caving, canoeing,

fishing, bushwalking and survival camps. The activities team are currently enhancing their

survival camp skills to enable them to provide a more challenging and interesting experience.

The use of OUT prope rty at Foxground has also been a regular occurrence. Mid-year some of

th e boys' families were invited to a family barbecue at Foxground where they enjoyed

bushwalking and abseiling. This proved to be a vety successful gathering and we would like

to provide more opportunities of this nature in 1996.

While much staff contact with the boys is in itself

group work, there is however, a place for a more

focu sed approach. Group work at St. Vincent's

consis ts of formal gro ups where the boys address particular

iss ues such as sex education, racism, violence etc. Informal

groups involving inte rac tion around activities such as painting,

screen printing, pool and table tennis compe titions, swimming

carni vals and cultural even ings also take place. This year the

boys have a lso participated in comm unity care for some elderly

people in neer! of assistance. The aim is for the boys to develop

an appreciation or oth ers in need. We hope the boys will be able

to build on their skills and life experiences in a non-threatening

env ironment, where fun is part of belonging, and hopefully

reflec ts some needs which are identified in the unit

Group work at St. Vincent's aims to provide group experiences by which the boys explore and

develop th eir values and attitudes, acquire valuable information and better cOlllmunication skills.

Karen Howarth Activifies/Groupwork Coordinator

OUR BOYS - 1995 17

Supporting Boys and Families after they leave St. Vincent's

Late in 1994 Lisa Haskew took up a position in the newly

es tablished "Freehill" Unit. While wishing her well in her

new role, we take thi s opportunity to thank Lisa for her

tireless ded ication and concern. This year Brother 10hn

Holdsworth has assumed the full-tim e post in Aftercare. This

has enabled the maintenance of ongoing care this position

req uires. Eventually former residents will be invited to attend

th e annual Old Boys re-union held on the fourth Sunday in Novembel~ linking them to those

others who remember "The Old Home" as thei r residence. The younger former

residents, obviously knew only life in the cottages in Darcy Rd and will be invited to the

ann ual re-u nion held in February.

A great deal of Brother 10hn's

time has been directed towards

" networking" ,vj th a range of

adolescent agencies in the

ParramaLLa and Holroyd districts.

This is a two-way benefit as it

alerts agencies to our presence

and keeps us informed

regarding holiday function s,

other activities that are

available in the region and a

sense of what options there are in meeting housing needs.

Likewise much time has been devoted to assisting boys who come before the 1 ustice system.

In some instances parents are unable, or don' t care, to attend with their son. The presence of

an adult, indeed a Brothel~ with the accused is reassuring for the lad and indicates to the

magistrate that we are concerned and willing to assist him with ongoing support.

The workers in the three cottages co-operate willingly in the scheme of contacts we initiate

when each boy leaves our program. Even without crises, this amounts to nine phone calls in

the first year after departure, along with recognition of his birthday, welcoming back to the

unit and invitations to any barbecues.

We are always looking for employment opportunities for our old boys . Should anyone reading

this be in a posit ion to offer help in some way, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Br John Holdsworth

18 OUR BOYS - 1995

The Auxiliary is a term that attempts to capture the role of

a dedicated group of people who work tirelessly on our

behalf. Weekly they meet to exploit their craft skills and

to organi se th e array of clothing and bric-a-brac ready for sale at

the regular stalls in Pan'amatta Mall. Gwennie's Market in late

Octobel; wh en their top quality, home-made items are on sale, is

deserving of our support. Their industry enables the purchase of

a range of necessary items for St. Vincent's houses such as the

new ca rpet and vinyl floor covering which was bought this year.

We are indeed indebted to this faithful band of qui et achievers.

Daisy and Jim Keogh have worked for the Marist Brothers over a span of forty years.This

incredible association res ulted in their receiving Australian affiliation. We pay tribute here to

Jim, a double amputee, who died in May of thi s yeac His life of uncomplaining servi ce has

been an inspiration to us all. May he be at peace.

The main event on the Old Boys' calendar continues to be

the annua l Mass and barbecue. Thi s highlight attracts

around one hundred folk , some of whom can boast of

attending nearly all the reuni ons s ince its inception. It's a great

time for renewing contac t; examining photos of the time and

adding to the commentary, les t th e memory of it all should fade.

In preparation for the event, th e Exec uti ve meets regularly

throughout th e yeal: On the day, some of the Old Boys and their

partners s tep forward to prepa re th e tas ty --.::..----,

I

lunch, while the Executive

attends to regis tration and the

smooth running of the day.

Old Boys appreciate th e use

of the Maris t Brothers'

Pa rramatta-Westmead

chape l, pool and other

faciliti es; while the trek-up to the old

Home and its inspec tion is facilitated by the Uni versity authOliti es . Our

th anks are extended to these two bodies for the ir consis tent co-operation. Brother Coman has

for some time been our untiring link in setting-up tables, chairs etc . We will miss him in this

phase when he transfers to Mittagong for 1996 .

OUR BOYS - 1995 19

MARISI

COMMUNITY

SERVICES

In October 1994 the Marist B~oothers incorporated their welfare operationso Effectively this means that the operations of the Brothers such as SL. Vincent's will be answerable to a registered

company - Mat;st Community Services (MCS) - which will have responsibility for some aspects of the works.

It is very important that the people whom we help in the centres do not see us as being an impersonal, bureaucratic organisation where there at°e people "at the top" pulling strings, a thousand miles away from where the work is being done.

There at'e some advantages, howe vel; in having a central organisation body, especially in matters such as negotiating with the government regatoding funding and licensing, carrying out financial repOlting and

auditing, deal ing with local cou ncils etc. This kind of negotiating work is all the more impOltant at this time in New South Wales, when most of the provision of care for young people and families is being handed over to the non-government organisations on a contract basiso

Mcu-ist Community Serv ices is very much involved in this planning and negotiation with government, and the future of St. Vincent's itself is very dependent on such negotiations. We believe strongly that there me good reasons why non-govemment organisations are often better planned to run chiLcL-en's services than the state. However it is still the government who decides which services at-e needed and which ones they will fund.

Under this new contracting system MCS has already established a house at Greystanes which is providing catoe for five young people who were previously in departmental care. Negotiations at°e currently beginning for the possibility of futther contracts.

I really like to be alone

I don't like to talk on the phone

I've been to a lot of schools

Most of them full of fools

People try to talk to me

I just want them to let me be

I don't like talking, sometimes I don't smile

People try to talk to me but only fOl' a while

People try to get me to talk

But I turn around and go for a walk

At school, I walk aroIDld all day

Trying to stay as far away

I really like to be alone

WIlen I get invited to parties I'm always alone

People don't undel'stand why I don't talk

Some people think I'm a dork

Even girls try to start a convel'sation

W1rile I'm at the station

But I just hu'n al'oll11d and walk the other way

But they will be there the next day

I really like to be alone! s,

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20 OUR BOYS - 1995

THANKS Our work at St. Vincent 's owes

thanks to many people who help us in a variety of ways. To all these people we extend

our sincere thanks.

To the Princ ipals and sLaff of the schools our boys have aLLended

during the year

To our supplie rs, many of whom give us spec ial conside ra tion

To profess ionals in health and ~~eHare agencies who give special care

to our boys

To those church groups and others who offer our boys places on holiday camps

To the volunteers who have helped wiLh weekend programs

Our spec ial thanks to Lhe members of our Auxilia ry for their continued interes t in the Home a nd their fund-rai sing efforts

for the year

A copy of the full audited s tateme nt of our finances is ava ilable to any of our supporters

simply by co ntacting the offi ce at SI. Vincent 's . Phone : (02) 635 5699