The Carer Assistance Program (CAP) offers free, short-term counselling to eligible carers across Victoria.
The CAP is available to all Foster Carers and PCA Families Carers, which include Permanent Carers, Adoptive Parents, and Kinship Carers with Family Law Court Orders who are receiving the DFFH Care Allowance. Other Kinship Carers, including those with Children’s Court Orders, are not eligible for CAP and are encouraged to contact Kinship Carers Victoria or the Carer Gateway for Support.
Please note that the CAP service is unable to provide immediate crisis support. For urgent issues related to an immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please refer to our Emergency Contacts/Support page.
Through CAP, carers can access individual, couple, and group counselling to address a wide range of issues impacting their mental health and wellbeing. CAP provides professional therapeutic support focused specifically on the wellbeing of carers, covering a range of concerns such as:
Anxiety and depression
Grief and loss
Emotional support during a CIMS investigative process
Parental stress
System stress
Risk of placement breakdown or relinquishment
Thoughts of exiting the system
Relationship issues requiring joint/couple sessions
For issues requiring long-term specialist support, carers will be advised and encouraged to refer to relevant community-based and/or specialist mental health services.
Appointments for the CAP service are available Monday to Friday (excluding Thursdays) from 9am to 5pm.
If CAP sounds right for you, fill out the referral form to be contacted directly by the CAP team to arrange an appointment.
Both FCAV and PCAF have a range of support services focused on delivering information, advice and advocacy to carers. CAP however is designed specifically to provide therapeutic intervention to support carers mental health and wellbeing. There may be times when the CAP provides support to carers alongside other support services within the FCAV or PCAF.
The CAP’s therapeutic model is a short-term intervention. All eligible carers are able to access therapeutic sessions. For issues requiring long-term specialist support, carers will be advised and encouraged to refer to relevant community-based and/or specialist mental health services.
The CAP offers a confidential therapeutic service to carers. Limits to confidentiality may apply however, if you or another person are identified as being at risk of harm. In this circumstance, you can expect full transparency should the CAP counsellors need to discuss your situation with an external person. Similarly, your permission will be sought if it is necessary to share information with other support services within the FCAV or PCAF, where they are involved.
An online referral submission is required to access the CAP. The referral form is quick and will ask some basic questions outlining your concerns.
A referral can either be self-referred, made by your agency case worker or by an FCAV support worker/PCAF advisor.
Once a referral is received you will receive a confirmation email with a scheduled appointment, with the option of a phone session or zoom link. In some circumstances your referral may be redirected for other FCAV/PCAF support in the first instance.
The Carer Assistance Program is currently delivered by two counsellors, Tonya and Jake.
Tonya joined FCAV in 2016 and worked as a Carer Advocate with the Carer Support team until September 2020.
Since the launch of the FCAV Carer Assistance Program (CAP), Tonya has been developing and delivering counselling and therapeutic support to Victorian carers.
With over 25 years experience in the sector, Tonya has extensive knowledge and expertise in the delivery of therapeutic support to families impacted by abuse and trauma.
She is a strong advocate for children in home based care and is committed to delivering a unique and targeted therapeutic program focussed on the wellbeing of carers, in recognition of the critical role they play in the lives of these children.
Jake has been with the Carer Assistance Program (CAP) since 2023 providing therapeutic support to Victorian carers. He has previously worked within both child protective services, as well as working therapeutically with vulnerable children and families and extensive experience working alongside First Nations people.
Jake provides informed and targeted support on a range of challenges faced by carers across the state including burnout, system fatigue, anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, as well as placement breakdowns.
