It is our intention to work in the local community with local community members to ensure we provide services that best meet the needs of the people in the Upper Hunter.
As we consider our mission to build a stronger, fairer and kinder society that values children, young people and families, it is evident to us that one of the best ways we can do that for the Upper Hunter community is to provide programs and services that address vulnerabilities each of us faces in daily life. It is our hope that CatholicCare will be seen as a place that not only provides therapeutic interventions or delivers parenting courses or provides care and protection to children in out of home care. Ideally it also becomes a meeting place for like-minded people, be they mothers of toddlers who come together to support each other at a playgroup, men dealing with issues of job loss and uncertainty who need support from other men or young people struggling with identity and sense of self who just need a safe place to sit and have a confidential conversation.
Becoming members of the Upper Hunter community brings with it a level of responsibility to ensure that we don’t impose ourselves on the community. Rather, we integrate into the community over time in a considered and respectful manner. This means we need to ensure we connect with local people, communicate what we can offer, contribute positively and collaborate wherever possible. As part of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, we look forward to building strong links with the local parishes and local Catholic schools in the Upper Hunter to ensure children, young people and families are well supported. Likewise, it is our intention to develop relationships with other schools, community groups and government and non-government agencies and offer services that complement the social services already offered in the Upper Hunter.
Our office is located at 2 Francis Street Muswellbrook. We offer a range of services including counselling with registered psychologists, autism and cognitive assessments, parenting programs, foster care and disability programs as a registered NDIS provider.
Welcome! Please come in and say hello, meet our team and help us understand the needs of the local community so we can tailor our services and programs to meet those needs.
Gary Christensen is Acting Director, CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning. Please visit CatholicCare.
