CHAT SESSION 27 with Aiala
Topic- WIRE- offers people a space to talk, be valued and heard
Monday 30thOctober 2023 1pm https://rppfm.com.au
Catch up and listen to our chat session https://megaphone.link/LCRUI4850524534
WIRE, Recognising you are the expert in your life
Since 1984, WIRE has been developing its model to support our community. Our aim, to increase access to resources, information, grow awareness and knowledge so that it strengthens and empowers women and gender diverse people living in Victoria.
By Aiala Morales
Our beginnings start in 1984, when a group of women seeking solidarity join to create WIRE. At the time WIRE was a space for women to seek support and information, to feel understood and safe. Today, we continue our gender equity roots by becoming a support service for women (CIS and Trans) and gender diverse people living throughout Victoria.
So, what are the different things WIRE does?
We start with our phone support service and our walk in centre , it offers people a space to talk, be valued and heard. Whatever the issue we listen and hear about what is important. People either call us on 1300 134 130 or visit us via zoom or in person at our office, level 1, 673 Bourke St, Melbourne, Monday to Friday.
A conversation with WIRE often leads to information on where to go for support and knowing what specific services can do. This is an aspect of our work we value as there are so many services across Victoria, it can be challenging knowing what one may be right for you. At WIRE, we have been developing our knowledge of what resources are available for 40 years. We provide this information using our unique model to offer a welcoming, non-judgmental, and empowering service. As an anonymous service this means we do not collect any information from the people we speak to, because of this we provide one off support to help guide people to find information that is relevant to their priority. At times, we have people call again about different issues, they may speak to a different support worker, but as we all receive the same training our care to our work remains the same.
The support we offer is guided by the skills we learnt during our Volunteer Support Worker Training. Over an intensive 10-week period – one day per week, the volunteer training explains in depth WIRE’s model, encouraging self-reflective practice so that we can feel confident in our capabilities and our phone caller's capabilities. We learn how to offer a calm space so that people can tell their story and gain perspective of their circumstances. Our priority is providing an understanding space for people contacting WIRE, whether it be for yourself, a friend, a family member or as a professional.
Our model is built from evidence-based frameworks, including Strength-based, Person-centered and Trauma Informed Care. We practice these models as they align with our intersectional feminist values. Our model is divided into three phases. Phase one is about ensuring safety for both the person seeking support and for the worker, phase two is providing options and phase three is when we offer information and referrals.
Phase 1 – Provide a safe place.
Before we begin learning about the details of why someone has called, we ensure that everyone is feeling safe. This involves checking in with ourselves before attending the call. How are we feeling right now, are we holding on to any concerns, maybe a quick cup of tea is in order. Having a discussion with each other before our support conversations helps our staff and volunteers prioritise the needs of people contacting WIRE.
Then, once we contact the person seeking support, we begin by checking in with their safety. Do they feel like they can speak? Are they somewhere where they feel like they can concentrate? Do they feel like they are in a space where they feel confident?
Safety can take many forms, we recognise safety is not just about physical safety, but also emotional, spiritual, and psychological.
Phase 2 – Enable options and choices
In phase 2, we begin collecting all the details we heard during our conversation. We begin to chat about what are the key summarising points. Understandably, when people have an opportunity to have their story heard and feel validated, there is a need to include everything, we might have a conversation about what the three main priorities are, and then discuss what working through the other priorities a different day will look like. We do this making sure we support the person to summarise their key issues, recognising they are experts in their own life. We recognise this as a focus to WIRE’s foundational values, it is about prioritising lived experience. We reflect on how a person's identity can influence their access to resources, how their gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability under patriarchy impacts their experience in the world.
Phase 3 – Offer information and choices
‘Knowledge is power. Information is liberating’ - Kofi Annan
Once we have gathered the necessary details to help with our referrals, such as age, location, and needs, we can then begin linking people in with referrals. Our main aim with referrals is to provide people with the knowledge and understanding of how to navigate the system.
With knowledge comes empowerment, this means having a clear understanding of what choices and options are available, what is in your control and what is outside your control.
What might a referral from WIRE look like?
Our most common referrals are to our free clinics, seminars, and workshops. At WIRE we are aware of the value of networking, because of this we can strengthen the resources available and provide clinics like our, Legal Clinic – which provides a once off, one-hour consultation for people to speak to a volunteer family lawyer about dividing assets and property. Part of working in gender equity is identifying the gaps of support and addressing them. Financial wellbeing is a key factor in gender equity, this is why we created our Financial Guidance Clinic, working alongside financial planners who offer a free 40-minute appointment over the phone or zoom for people to increase their confidence around money, whether it be about superannuation, budgeting or preparing for investments. By working alongside people who share the same values as WIRE, we can provide learning spaces where people can feel safe, where we can challenge stigmas and work towards empowerment.
We continue our awareness building throughout our community engagement work that includes workshops, community education sessions about WIRE and seminars. The idea behind our community engagement work is to connect people to organisations, to offer an opportunity where people can hear from the organisations themselves and learn what work they are doing. We provide our information seminars and community education for both professionals and for people seeking information for personal reasons. Almost monthly we host an event, you can keep up to date by visiting our website, wire.org.au/events
Professional Development Training
We recognise the value of our model and share our understanding through our professional development training, that draws on WIRE's extensive expertise, research, and experience in supporting women, non-binary, and gender diverse people. We combine the theoretical and the practical, so people can use what they have learnt in the real world, regardless of industry. We see this as part of our advocacy for gender equity, teaching professionals in all areas about gender equity, including family violence, financial abuse and how to deal with challenging conversations. Our frameworks enable a space where people can self-reflect and de-escalate challenging interactions. If you would like to attend a professional development training by WIRE, we have a series scheduled for November and October, including Dealing with Difficult Calls, Understanding Family Violence and Financial Abuse for Essential Workers, An Introduction to Financial Abuse and Talking about Gender Equity in the Workplace.
Our Current Projects
We continue our advocacy work with our projects, currently we have STEP , Money Mindset, and Financial Intersectional Wellbeing Project. With all our projects we investigate the gaps of knowledge and support, dedicating our efforts to encourage further growth and awareness within areas like employment, financial wellbeing, and intersectional leadership. From the beginning WIRE has pursued our ethics to care and seek justice for our community, so that we can work towards a just and inclusive society where all people can thrive.
To find out more about WIRE you can visit our website at,www.wire.org.au.
You can support WIRE and the work we do by donating at, https://www.wire.org.au/donate/.
If you would like to chat further about any topics raised throughout this article or would like to access WIRE for support, call our support line on 1300 134 130 or email,support@wire.org.au to find out other ways to access support at WIRE.
In Solidarity,
The WIRE Team
My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the
‘The Daily Mirror’
YOU SMILE
EMBRACE BEING YOU
AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!
To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com
'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.
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