Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) is very pleased to release its final report Prisoner-caregiving Programs: Supporting Older Prisoners, which CSSV hopes will provide a path forward for improving Victorian prisoner care. This is an exciting project which CSSV believes can bring considerable benefit to a group that experiences double vulnerability – aged and imprisoned.

Catholic Social Services Victoria is eager to promote job opportunities on offer within the sector. Each month we gather and highlight a number of job, board (or other) vacancies that we encourage you to spread among your networks. We hope this 'Job List' will become a valuable resource among our network. Please email us with any future job vacancies so that we can help share and promote this. 

Catholic Social Services Victoria's latest book, Serving Communities with Courage and Compassion was launched virtually on November 11 by Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Published by Connor Court, the book draws together an edited collection of keynotes, workshops and panel discussions that were presented at the national Catholic social services conference held earlier this year in Melbourne, which saw more than 280 participants attend from across Australia and New Zealand. Purchase the book here. 

The 2020 Knox Public Lecture will feature Sheree Limbrick, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Professional Standards Ltd (CPSL) speaking on the topic 'Safe Church: Commitment, awareness and action for cultural change'. The free event will be held online on Thursday 5th November 2020, 7:00pm-8:30pm. Register here.

As we face the devastating impact of COVID-19 in Australia and its compounding effects on the most vulnerable within our communities, Catholic social services are called more than ever to be bearers of hope, to serve with courage and compassion, and to draw strength from our collective and collaborative approach to advocating for a more just and equitable society. More than ever we are called to being living signs of the Gospel, wherever we are, in the services and care we provide. A new book, Serving Communities with Courage and Compassion will be an invaluable tool to assist us in this mission.

More than 300 organisations, including Catholic Social Services Victoria and a number of our member organisations, have signed an open letter calling for a social housing construction boom, similar to that of the post-war era. The initiative has been led by the Everybody’s Home campaign, which is pushing for the Federal government to build 30,000 new homes in Australia in the next four years, not only to deliver families much needed secure housing but to also in a bid to create some 18,000 jobs.

Mental Health Week is a national week celebrated each year in October kicking off with World Mental Health Day on October 10. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is Strengthening Our Community – Live, Learn, Work, Play and we are continuing to aim at increasing mental wellbeing across Australia. With this in mind, and acknolwedging the Bishops' 2020 Social Justice Statement on mental health and wellbeing, Catholic Social Services Victoria, is pleased to facilitate a specialised online course for Victorian parishioners together with Neal Murphy, an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer.

​On 20th September 2020 the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne celebrated Social Services Sunday where we recognised in a particular way the work of parish communities and the staff of Catholic social services agencies, who work so hard to care for those in need of practical expressions of God’s love and healing. "We are very limited as individuals in what rewards we can deliver for those who are suffering deeply. But as a community in the Church - the Body of Christ - we can do infinitely more," stated Fr Joe Caddy, Episcopal Vicar of Social Services, in his homily for this special Sunday.

September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a day that aims to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. In these difficult days of extended COVID-19 restrictions and the subsequent loss of jobs and housing security, the devastating impact of isolation and loneliness, more than ever the spotlight has been shone on mental health, reinforcing the importance of keeping this issue at the forefront of our concerns, and our advocacy work.

Catholic Social Services Victoria has released two reports, which outline the social service and infrastructure needs of rural and regional communities living in the Great South Coast and surrounds, and in Gippsland. Building on long standing engagement and recent consultation work conducted in the Warrnambool and Gippsland areas in 2019, the reports reflect the experience of people working in their local communities with individuals and groups who face isolation and disadvantage; circumstances that have been further exacerbated by the devastating impact of COVID-19, and the bushfires in Gippsland.