Duty of care for suicide and self-harm
MensLine Australia regularly receives calls from people who present with suicidal ideation or as a suicide in progress. In response to these callers, MensLine Australia counsellors have a duty of care to carry out a thorough risk assessment to:
- Assess the client’s level of distress and the degree of risk they pose to themselves
- Defuse the emotional distress and intervene appropriately to ensure safety
- Refer to local services to provide ongoing support and advice
- Link to emergency services when necessary.
Duty of care for domestic and family violence
MensLine Australia believes the use of physical, emotional, sexual, psychological or economic abuse in family and intimate relationships is always unacceptable and in some cases is against the law. We believe that any person using violence is solely responsible for their behaviour and we will work with people to accept that responsibility and connect with services in the community to facilitate behaviour change. In our work with callers, we will take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the person experiencing abuse and will encourage them to seek suitable support.
Duty of care for children
MensLine Australia work from a framework of being advocates for children. In the course of our work, the safety and welfare of children either under the care of callers or known to callers may come into question. As part of its service response, MensLine Australia will apply procedures to screen calls to identify and assess the presence of child welfare and safety issues.
If violence and or abuse of children is identified in a call, MensLine Australia will work with authorities Australia wide, guided by the principles of The Victorian Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, to ensure their ongoing safety.