early matters is our prevention and early intervention service for families with children 12 and under, offering a mix of parenting programs, community education and tailored family support around the early years and key transitions. It draws on evidence-based programs such as Circle of Security Parenting™ and Tuning in to Kids®, and uses the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM) to track change in parents’ confidence, coping and social connection.

PEEM results show broad improvements in parents’ ability to cope, find help and support others, with particularly strong gains in coping and resilience, navigating services and helping other families. Interviewed parents described feeling more confident, less pressured to be ‘perfect’ and more attuned to their children’s emotional needs. The facilitator relationship and flexible delivery (group or one-to-one) were central, and many parents reported a ripple effect where increased confidence helped them support other parents and feel better prepared for future challenges.

Our men’s behaviour change programs work with men who use violence and control in their relationships, helping them understand the impacts of their behaviour, take responsibility and practise safer, more respectful ways of relating in a structured group setting. A new survey was introduced in 2024 to measure shifts in victim blaming, readiness for change, help seeking and accountability.

Survey results indicate that most participants moved towards attitudes that support non-violence, with the largest changes occurring around rejecting victim-blaming and accepting responsibility. By the end of the program, nearly nine in ten participants disagreed with statements that justified violence, and many showed stronger recognition of harm and awareness of relapse risk. Open-ended responses highlighted skill gains in emotional regulation and communication, alongside deeper shifts in values such as respect, empathy and responsibility. Participants identified the group environment as a key driver of change, with peer challenge and support helping them reshape their identities and aspirations as partners, fathers and community members.

AMPLIFY began when LGBTIQA+ young people in South Gippsland and Bass Coast asked headspace Wonthaggi for a space to connect, talk about identity and mental health, and feel safe being themselves. With staff support, the group has grown into a youth-led platform for creative and community work, running public events such as film screenings, panels and drag performances, and establishing a queer library that now holds more than 130 books.

Surveys show that all participating young people report feel accepted, safe, more confident and less alone through their involvement in AMPLIFY. Public events have drawn families, allies and community members, helping to normalise queer visibility in a regional setting and contributing to an increase in LGBTIQA+ young people accessing headspace. Members have developed skills in public speaking, budgeting, event planning and collaborative decision making, and describe pride in seeing their ideas realised. The group’s work illustrates youth-led, place-based prevention in practice, where young people create the inclusive environments and connections they need, rather than simply receiving services.

RAV’s counselling services support people who are often juggling multiple pressures at once, including mental health concerns, family violence, parenting worries, grief, trauma and financial or housing stress. Many arrive feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. Counsellors describe the first task as creating a sense of safety and respect, so that people can tell their story at their own pace and begin to sort through what they need.

Over time, clients and counsellors work together to understand patterns in relationships, build practical coping tools and explore options that fit each person’s circumstances. Survey data shows that, on average, people feel less distressed and more able to manage by the end of counselling, with the biggest shifts for those who started out struggling most. Practitioners see counselling not only as support during crisis, but as a way of strengthening people’s confidence, self-understanding and willingness to seek help earlier in the future.