TaskForce is committed to providing culturally safe, inclusive and accessible services and work environments where all individuals feel supported and affirmed.

We aspire to work in solidarity and alliance with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledge them as the traditional owners and  custodians of the land.

TaskForce values diversity, inclusion and social justice and is dedicated to actively addressing discrimination and ensuring every individual is treated with dignity and respect.

We honour and celebrate our differences and uniqueness in cultural and linguistic background, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, intersex status, sexual orientation, age, disability status, health status and religious or spiritual beliefs.

TaskForce sees diversity and inclusion as integral to who we are – as an employer, as a service provider, and as a part of the broader community in which we all live. Creating an environment that welcomes all and celebrates our differences not only helps us to deliver our vision, but makes us a stronger organisation.

In 2021 we prioritised this commitment through the initiation of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021 – 2023 and the formation of TaskForce Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, working across four strategic priorities:

Over the last year we have surveyed the views of our employees and clients, conducted organisational audits, and researched best practice in order to develop our strategic priorities. Our annual staff day in May was a colourful celebration of diversity and inclusion beginning with a welcome to country from Janet Galpin from the Boon Wurrung Foundation, a beautiful smoking ceremony from David Tournier, and a robust discussion of how we can make TaskForce a more inclusive organisation for our clients and staff.

We are making changes to our internal policies and procedures to promote equity for all prospective and current employees and ensure that no one is discriminated against. TaskForce has always valued flexibility in working arrangements and will continue to prioritise this as a way of promoting inclusion and attracting diversity.

For clients and employees, it is important that we have an educated, empathetic and confident workforce. Many clients are exposed to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation, making our wraparound model even more valuable in its ability to be flexible and responsive to individual
client needs.

In the last year all staff attended Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety training, and we have commenced the roll out of LGBTIQ Inclusive Practice training and Disability Awareness training across the organisation. This training is now embedded into our induction for all new staff, volunteers and students.

We also launched ‘TaskForce Pride’, an online internal newsletter to help build the knowledge and capacity of our staff on how we can all work together to make our organisation more inclusive for LGBTIQ people.

During the year TaskForce has continued to work directly with diverse communities to drive health and wellbeing outcomes.

On an organisational level, TaskForce is working to ensure that all systems, policies and forms support appropriate and sensitive data collection and management processes. We recognise the importance of accurately identifying, considering, and counting the diverse demographics within our staff and client groups, particularly for communities such as LGBTIQ people who have historically been invisible. We have started consultation processes with our communities and are developing a more strategic approach to consumer participation across all programs and services.

While we are aware that true cultural safety takes time, we have not forgotten the importance of signalling a welcoming place for our diverse consumer groups. We are updating our workplaces, website and printed materials to ensure that they are accessible and overtly display our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Approximately 40% were forensic clients, that is mandated cclients including those on bail, youth justice orders, and community corrections orders
• Cannabis was overwhelmingly the most common principle drug of concern (46%), followed by alcohol (17%) and methamphetamine (17%)
• 60% of our youth AOD clients had a diagnosed mental health condition, with the most common diagnosis being mood/affective disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. This emphasises the need for a wraparound model of care that addresses all barriers including mental health and AOD misuse
• 62% either successfully completed treatment, changed treatment type, or transferred to a different service

• Almost half were forensic clients, that is, mandated clients including those on Community Corrections Orders, bail, and diversion programs
• Methamphetamine was the most common principal drug of concern (38%), closely followed by alcohol (32%)
• Over half (53%) have a diagnosed mental health condition. Similar to our youth clients this is primarily mood/affective disorders.
• 66% either successfully completed treatment, changed treatment type, or transferred to a different service

Of 130 youth clients sampled who have been engaged with TaskForce AOD services for three months or more, and who have completed outcome surveys in the last financial year:

• 62% of clients registered an improved psychological wellbeing score – slightly lower than this time last year
• The average improvement in psychological wellbeing was 18% – similar to this time last year
• The average improvement amongst those who registered an improvement was 39% – greater than this time last year
• 60% registered an improvement in their quality of life – slightly lower than this time last year
• The average improvement in quality of life was 16% – slightly lower than this time last year
• The average improvement amongst those who registered an improvement was 34% – similar to this time last year

Of 184 adult clients sampled who have been engaged with TaskForce AOD services for one month or more, and who have completed outcome surveys in the last financial year:

• 57% registered an improved psychological wellbeing score – significantly greater than this time last year
• The average improvement in psychological wellbeing was 15% – greater than this time last year
• The average improvement among those who registered an improvement was 35% – significantly greater than this time last year
• 55% registered an improvement in their quality of life – slightly greater than this time last year
• The average improvement in quality of life was 13% – slightly greater than this time last year
• The average improvement amongst those who registered an improvement was 33% – greater than this time last year

Despite interruptions in the past financial year, we were excited to receive the final evaluation report of our U-Turn program, undertaken by researchers from Monash University’s Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre.

This innovative program, developed and delivered by TaskForce, is a men’s behaviour change style group program for male perpetrators of family violence who currently or historically have misused alcohol or other drugs. U-Turn aims to prevent civil offences escalating into the criminal justice system, while increasing the safety of the affected family members of the participants.

The evaluation found that the affected family members of the men in the U-Turn program experienced improved safety, noting:

• An improvement in men’s use of respectful communication;
• A reduction in experiences of controlling behaviours, such as social isolation, financial control and sexual jealousy
• A reduction in experiences of non-physical forms of harassment, such as verbal abuse, emotional abuse, humiliation, stalking behaviours and property damage; and
• A reduction in experiences of physical abuse (including threats with a weapon and threats to kill)

In addition to these positive outcomes, men reported changes to their problematic AOD use including:

• A reduction in AOD use
• Improved insight into the impact of AOD use on their behaviour
• Improved ability to moderate alcohol intake to avoid drinking to excess

Further, none of the U-Turn participants reappeared in court for new family violence matters over the 12 months follow-up timeframe, and two thirds of U-Turn participants did not appear in the court system for a family violence intervention order breach during the follow-up timeframe.

The success of the program for victim/survivors of family violence, and the behaviour change it led in male perpetrators, demonstrates the success of the combined intervention approach addressing the intersection of violent attitudes and behaviours as well as AOD misuse. We will draw on this evaluation to seek new funding for U-Turn from 2021.

Women in the justice system often present with unique needs and distinct pathways to offending such as trauma, mental health, alcohol and other drug use and often have a history of relationships marked with violence and abuse. Between 57% and 90% have experienced child sexual abuse and other forms of victimisation, 89% have a history of sexual abuse, and as many as 98% have experienced violence.

The Living Free Project is a place-based intervention operating in Frankston Mornington Peninsula with the aim of preventing young girls and women from entering the justice system by addressing these earlier harms. Combining wraparound, direct intervention – including family-inclusive counselling and case management using an outreach model – with system capacity building and advocacy, Living Free is able to significantly improve the lives of women and girls in the region.