Our projects are driven by lived experience of our clients, workforce, and broader communities. We predominantly conduct qualitative research, working closely with practitioners and program staff to ensure our work is grounded in service realities.
On this page, you can read about what we are currently working, publications from our research, and Better Place Australia’s submissions to government inquiries.
We work across a range of projects. These are some of the long-term projects we are currently working on.Â
Better Place Australia services over 120 residential aged care facilities, providing counselling support for low to medium mental health interventions. We understand that in many circumstances older people are at a vulnerable stage in their lives as they adjust to residential care. We work with residents to improve their mental health and wellbeing.  This research
Capturing children’s voice within a Children’s Contact Service Children’s Contact Services (CCS) provide children with safe spaces to visit non-residential parents when parents cannot manage their own contact arrangements. Better Place Australia currently operates CCSs in Narre Warren and Sale. Through this project, we aim to understand children’s perspectives about the CCS. We are trialling tools that create space
These are the research reports, discussion papers, and other publications from our research projects.Â
Better Place Australia practitioners’ perspectives of coercive control Better Place Australia practitioners participated in an online survey about coercive control in practice. The survey focused on perceptions relating to gender differences in the use and experience of coercion. Key Findings Female clients more commonly self-identify as victim/survivors of coercive control than male clients, with half
Better Place Australia has provided a specialist Elder Abuse Prevention Service since 2018. In this time, we have supported over 2,000 people experiencing elder abuse. We are the only specialist family violence service dedicated exclusively to working with older people. We conducted an online survey to explore what support older people would like to receive
Evaluating HOPE: The impact of a suicide prevention program on client recovery Better Place Australia’s HOPE program is a community-based program which provides psychosocial support to people following a suicide attempt or serious ideation planning. It is a non-clinical approach to suicide aftercare and prevention which compliments clinical interventions. This brief report which was
Barriers to accessing suicide prevention services for Australia’s multicultural communities Completed: October 2024 Better Place Australia’s Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement program (also known as HOPE Outreach Program) is a community-based program which provides psychosocial support to people following a suicide attempt or serious ideation planning. Supporting individuals recently discharged from an emergency department, HOPE provides
Suicidal behaviours amongst CALD communities Pathways for those with a lived experience of suicide behaviours across culturally & linguistically diverse (CALD) communities “Unique differences” With their being unique differences through multiculturalism, CALD populations have varied experiences of mental health adversities and suicidal ideations. Experiences of stigma, discrimination and trauma are key in underpinning suicide prevention
Moving From Home Into Residential Aged Care “Rates of depression found to be much higher for people living in residential aged care than those of the same age living at home…” Overview This opinion editorial explores how moving into residential aged care is often seen as a ‘normal’ phase of one’s life. Much is made
A Snapshot: Victorian’s attitudes towards love This work was undertaken by Better Place Australia prior to the establishment of the Centre for Better Relationships. The continued popularity of reality TV programs about love and romance suggests that traditional notions of romantic love remain deeply embedded in our culture. However, attitudes towards love, romance, and marriage
Mental health interventions for aged care This brief review provides an overview of academic and grey literature and provides suggestions for best practice in the field. Overview Little is known about the effectiveness of specialist mental health care interventions in aged care settings. This is predominantly due to the small number of initiatives in operation
Collective Prejudice: Response to the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety This position paper presents Better Place Australia’s response to the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. We highlight the urgent need to confront the systemic issue of ageism in Australia. While the Commission and the COVID-19 pandemic brought
Financial Hardship The Centre for Better Relationships published a report that explored the demographics and nature of debt for over 1,900+ users of our Financial Counselling and Capabilities (FCC) service in FY18. The report concluded that complex financial systems make financial counselling services an essential part of supporting people in financial hardship. Findings An alarming
Rainbow Families Research The Rainbow Families project explored the formation and dissolution of rainbow families in Australia. Conducting a scoping review of existing literature, we explored rainbow families’ access to and experiences with family law services, including family dispute resolution, mediation, and counselling, as well as their experiences of family formation and dissolution in the
Better research leads to better relationships The Centre for Better Relationships is the research, advocacy and policy arm of Better Place Australia, and serves as an invaluable resource for our many projects and initiatives. The Centre’s targeted and insightful research supports our commitment to helping Australians lead a better life through fostering stronger relationships. This
Elder Abuse Discussion Paper A summary of experience and practice observations in responding to elder abuse through the Respecting Elders service Overview This discussion paper reports on the experience and practice observations of Better Place Australia in responding to elder abuse through the Respecting Elders service in 2017-18. Elder abuse may take the form of neglect, psychological,
Better Place Australia has been an active advocate in the child and family services space for many years. Below are some of the submissions the organisation has made to government inquiries. The Centre for Better Relationships has contributed to several submissions and will continue this work into the future.Â
Submission to the draft National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People Better Place Australia welcomed the opportunity to respond to the National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People 2024–2034. As a specialist family violence service exclusively supporting older Australians, Better Place Australia has extensive experience in elder
Submission to the DSS Review of Financial Wellbeing Capability This paper presents Better Place Australia’s (BPA) response to the Department of Social Services (DSS) review into the Commonwealth-funded Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity. The FWC aims to improve support for the financial and overall wellbeing of individuals and families in Australian communities. The DSS
In 2020, the Department of Social Services (DSS) released a discussion paper seeking feedback from the families and children sector on proposed reforms aimed at achieving these objectives. This discussion paper was Better Place Australia’s response to the DSS. BPA submission in response to FaCs
Response to Inquiry into the Social and Economic benefits of Improving Mental Health Better Place Australia’s (BPA) response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health is based on the experiences of over 9000 clients across. BPA highlights the critical intersection between mental health, family conflict, financial hardship,
