Case managers to support Victorian Families

The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, Federal Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin, and Victorian Minister for Community Services, Lisa Neville, today announced a case manager would be assigned to each Victorian family affected by the bushfires.

“Many Victorian families are facing the task of having to rebuild their lives after the devastating loss and the Victorian Government and the Australian Government will be providing every possible assistance,” Mr Brumby said.

“Each affected family will be given a name and phone number of a person they can call who can give them the help they need to get their lives back on track.

“We are committed to supporting Victorian families and communities to recover and rebuild.”

Ms Macklin said case managers would be sourced from the Department of Human Services, Centrelink, other government agencies and community organisations.

“Managers will work with families to meet their individual needs; whether that is putting children back in school, financial support, and access to health services, accommodation, counselling, and employment, legal and insurance matters,” Ms Macklin said.

“Centrelink will play a crucial role in the delivery of case management for bushfire victims. Centrelink social workers will be taking requests for assistance on the phone and also contributing a large number of case workers on the ground.”

Ms Neville said the appointment of case managers would better enable people to access the services they need, regardless of whether they are Federal, State or local government services.

“The Victorian Bushfires are the worst natural disaster Australia has faced,” Ms Neville said.

“Communities have been devastated, the human cost of these fires has been horrific, lives have been lost and homes destroyed.

“With the appointment of case managers, we can get on with the job of providing much needed services to people affected by the bushfires.”

Ms Neville said that bushfires were still burning, but once the threat eased and people started to return to their homes, the role of agencies would move from emergency relief, to recovery and support.

Families can access case managers through Relief Centres or via the phone by calling the Victorian Bushfire Case Management Hotline on 1800 050 400.