Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan for Survivors
(As highlighted in our Scotch 82 End of Year Wrap for 2024)
1. Intro...
'Survivors of sexual assault are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide than those who haven't experienced sexual assault...
Survivors of sexual assault are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, two mental health conditions that can have serious impacts on one’s ability to manage stress and anxiety.' (National Sexual Violence Resource Centre Quote + Image Credits ).
'The Final Report of the Royal Commission (2017) stated that tens of thousands of children had been sexually abused in a wide range of Australian institutions over decades and that survivors often experience lifelong and cumulative impacts which can affect any aspect of their lives.'
'Among survivors participating in private sessions for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 57% said they did not disclose about the abuse until they were an adult...
Research with adults in England and Wales who self-identified as victims and survivors of child sexual abuse found that most (73%) victims and survivors had not accessed support services.
Those who had accessed support services also took a long time to do so... and there was substantial variation in time between sexual abuse and access to support services, ranging from 0 – 58 years'
The above quoted research findings, discussed on the Bravehearts website, provides some context for why our Classmate Survivors and their Supports may feel it's important to be able to identify a Scotch Family Pastoral Care Response, and helps explain why some of our Classmate Survivors are only now speaking up for the first time.
Scotch College Students learn about the Australian Bush Ethos and Egalitarianism courageously displayed on the fields of Gallipoli during WWI, characterizing what Great Australians and Old Scotch Collegians have always felt in their hearts, just as we read in the first hand accounts of WWI by past Scotch Staff and Old Boy's letters to the school, as well as in war correspondence, that lives on today; even as the Scotch Spirit is most vividly encapsulated (see -> https://portal.scotch.vic.edu.au/ww1/indexc.htm ).
Recognizing that none of us are perfect, we Australians have always like to think of ourselves as Equals, and as a year we have displayed a strong desire to leave no man behind as a Scotch Family principle to live by.
According to several media sources, Tom wrote to our Scotch Family, saying:
“We are concerned that throughout their lives, some Old Boys may have suffered trauma that continues to impact on their health and well-being...
OSCA [Old Scotch Collegians Association] and the school take matters most seriously, seeking both to support Old Boys and assist them to contact appropriate agencies and authorities.” (Reference and quote -> https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/25/melbournes-scotch-college-admits-to-five-cases-of-abuse-dating-back-to-1960s
When talking to Old Boys, Tom Batty's concerns are widely shared, and numerous stories have surfaced to reinforced a lot of trust is yet to be regained within the community of Old Boys who remember the abuse taking place, and even still find it difficult to comes to terms with the culture across all 11 Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) at the time, as revealed by the Royal Commission.
There is no justification for the litigious nature of the treatment Old Boys and Old Girls from all of the APS School Families, and it's especially difficult if an Alumni is not doing enough to help correct/change the culture, in the eyes of Survivors and their Supporters.
The Age newspaper reports an example of another Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) School Family's corrective approach, in Xavier College. Xavier's Principal, Willam Doherty, and the In Good Faith Foundation's Chief Executive Officer, Clare Leaney, along with Survivors, co-designed a response that promotes healing ahead of the trauma caused by Xavier's previous litigious approach.
The In Good Faith Foundation (IGFF) and Xavier College Charter of Cooperation is proactive, and according to William Doherty:
"The Charter is, as far as we know, the first of its kind and represents the commitment
shared between IGFF and Xavier College to advocate, support and engage survivors of
Institutional Abuse within the Xaverian community...
Those who have suffered abuse and trauma through past experiences need a safe place to
tell their story, and they need accompaniment in the telling of their story for their own
ongoing care and opportunity to reclaim their lives."
Currently, there is no OSCA Pastoral Care Program, or a Scotch College and IGFF Charter of Cooperation, for our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters that our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, alongside our Scotch College Chaplains, David Assender and Douglas Campbell, can refer our Classmates to.
During our time at Scotch, just prior to Graham Bradbeer arriving, and Archie Crow retiring, we were encouraged to be active in the many House related activities on offer, including the House Chapel Committee.
Archie was very enthusiastic our Classmates play a part in our House Chapel Services, and to be co-designers with him in this Pastoral Care related activity.
Photo of Graham (center) and Archie (bottom right)
Graham Bradbeer, and our two other Scotch Family Chaplains, Doug Campbell and David Assender, are a part of established local Christian Care networks, or State based Presbyterian ministries that can offer Pastoral Care and Christian Support, so do we even need to be considering another Year Group oriented initiative in addition to our Scotch 82 Friendship Care and Support?
As the Minister at Blackburn Presbyterian Church, and as an active Pastor within the Whitehorse Churches Care Leaders network, Graham Bradbeer is able to refer our Scotch Family Survivors to Support Services like Christian Counselling, Financial Counselling, Food Relief, a Community Space, and help with Homelessness, and other Christian Care, which are not Scotch Family Support Services listed on OSCA's websites OSCAnet and OSCAconnect.
The aim of this blog is to illustrate how a Scotch 82 Pastoral Care plan may lead to a Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program for our Classmate Survivors, as well as their Supporters, that is Responsive to their needs, as well as being co-designed with our Scotch Family Chaplains.
A few helpful definitions used in this blog:
'Survivor' refers to those who suffered abuse, but may not have yet spoken about it, or those have come forward and have/have not receive an apology as well as compensation.
'Pastoral Care Program' refers to a well planned out and responsive Pastoral Care initiative that involves our Scotch Family Chaplains acting in their capacity as Chaplains and/or Pastors. However, there are more secular oriented programs that involve Casework service to help oversee the Care of a Survivor and their Supporters.
An example of an Scotch Family Old Boys Program is the Old Scotch Football Club's "Player Support Program" to help with players and club member's well-being.
NB. Three Seas Group is not a National Redress Scheme provider. A National Redress Scheme provider is a Australian Government sponsored organization for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
An example of National Redress Scheme Provider Casework services can be found on the In Good Faith Foundation's website.
The Survivor Hub offers an example of a Survivor lead social media support initiative:
"... our MeetUps and private Facebook group are safe spaces to connect; we want survivors to know their options and feel supported and empowered in their healing journey. As survivors ourselves, we know that feeling, and being supported by people who can relate to your experiences is a key part of the healing process" (quote -> https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/ )
2. Overview of Plan...
School Families across Australia are responding to their Survivors needs, with different approaches.
An additional aim of this blog is provide an example of immediately implementable Actions, whilst creating a Comprehensive Pastoral Care Response, based on the experience of another Victorian school Old Collegians Association, St Patrick's College Ballarat.
Two different approaches...
The first approach is to highlight the St Patrick's College Ballarat Old Boys Association Pastoral Care Program for their School Family Survivors. The Old Scotch Collegians Association also creates programs, however, these normally come about in response to having first conducted an Old Boy Survey.
The second approached highlights a Scotch 82 "Make Your Own OSCA" Responsive Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, that contains a number of key elements and suggestions that can be actioned over the 2025 to 2028 timeframe.
The timeline is broken down into 3 Phases for co-designing the program, putting the program into action, and then evaluating the program's outcomes.
Finally, there is a number of schools who have made considerations for the use of Social Media as a School Family Policy, and an example has been added.
3. Planning a Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program that is Responsive...
Classmates are invited to share their thoughts on what they think is involved in planning a Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, that is Responsive, with a particular focus on our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters who may also be traumatized (or retraumatized).
Over the past 18 months we have seen a dramatic increase in the support being offered to our Scotch Family, using Social Media.
Traditionally speaking, it was very easy to identify Presbyterian Pastoral Care as being associated with Pastors and Chaplains, but even with Scotch College's direct reference to the School Psychologist being a "Wellbeing Influencer", today our Chaplains are still playing a Scotch Family Pastoral Care Influencer role!
3.1 Key Elements...
3.1.1) Comprehensive Pastoral Care
Our Scotch 82 facebook page has a Scotch 82 Support album, which contains several posts related to the topic of "Pastoral Care", including at Scotch College, as well as with an inter-alumni theme.
3.1.1.1) Scotch Chaplains Role...
Although the word Chaplain does not appear in the bible, but Pastor does, traditionally both roles of Chaplain and Pastor are closely associated with Pastoral Care. Please check out our "Scotch 82 Q & A" blog for a deeper dive into how our year adopted a "Make Your Own OSCA" Social Media Pastoral Care approach within our Scotch Family's broad Pastoral Care framework -> https://scotch82qandabloglink.blogspot.com/2017/12/all-your-questions-answered-in-one.html
3.1.1.2) Presbyterian/Uniting Church/Multi-faith Chaplaincy...
Scotch College is part of the remaining Presbyterian Church, and much of the training Presbyterian Pastors and Chaplains undergo is so compatible with the Uniting Church, that many of us probably didn't realize our Chaplain, Archie Crow, transitioned across to become a Uniting Church minister.
Furthermore, according to multi-faith Chaplaincy Australia, "Chaplain" and "Chaplaincy" is often subsumed under 'services' or 'ministries':
"A search of the websites of the Uniting Church of Australia for Victoria and Tasmania and of the Presbyterian Church in Victoria revealed no reference to either word on its front pages though this does not necessarily mean they do not have Uniting Church or Presbyterian ministers working in chaplaincy roles in various sectors." (quote -> https://www.multifaithchaplaincy.org.au/2020/01/02/chaplaincy-and-victorian-religious-communities/#more-343
Therefore, if Chaplains are embedded with a variety of environments (see Chaplain Wikipedia for over a dozen examples), and their skills are further developed to suit that environment, then our Scotch Family Chaplains role and that of Chaplains within other settings may be similar, but not necessarily the same.
During his 2024 Christmas Sermon on facebook live, our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, described how, whilst performing his Scotch College Chaplain teaching role, taught students about childbirth having never actually delivered a baby (although with the tutoring of his first born son, Scotch 88's Dr Andrew Bradbeer, perhaps Graham could at least get a first aid idea of how it's done, just in case!).
Our Scotch Family Chaplains, in addition to teaching, also carry out marriages, perform baptisms, conduct funerals, install Principals, etc, in the Littlejohn Memorial Chapel and/or the Memorial Hall.
Some of us may even be a surprised, as Rev Dr Doug Campbell appears in this picture, to learn a Scotch Family Chaplain might even find themselves President of the Old Scotch Athletics Club!
Connecting with Scotch Family Chaplains, who are also Scotch Family Pastoral Care Influencers, may best be achieved by contacting OSCA directly, rather than feeling Class of '82 lads need to first speak with our Scotch 82 Reunion Committee, our Past OSCA Representative, Mike Poynter, or our Scotch 82 Active Admins Group, as a matter of course.
3.1.1.3) Chaplaincy and Reunion Committees...
OSCA have set out what a Reunion Committee's Role is, however, this does not prevent our OSCA Reunion Committees from wanting to play a potentially greater role in year group oriented social media related Pastoral Care planning.
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It's also important to recognize that our Scotch 82 Classmates enthusiasm for supporting one another is comparable to the enthusiasm our Scotch Family Official Social Media profiles attract. Furthermore, the currently available OSCAconnect groups, by contrast, provide a different type of interaction for Individuals, Year Group, and Peer Groups, who use social media profiles and groups as a base for communicating about their Friendship Care and Support initiatives.
3.1.1.4) Little 'c' Counsellors...
Old Scotch Collegians who are Christians may feel a strong desire in their heart to counsel our Scotch Family Survivors, but don't have formal ministry training.
Biblical Counselling Australia recognises that Chaplains, Pastors, and Lay congregants can all similarly benefit from bible based examples of dealing with trauma.
"All of us are little 'c' counsellors in the lives of others... we see the need for godly trained 'parachurch counsellors', to both train the church and provide expertise to help those with deep struggles." (quote -> https://www.biblicalcounselling.org.au/what-is-biblical-counselling? ).
3.1.1.5) Chaplaincy Care...
As much as Old Boys and our greater Scotch Family have Pastoral Care needs, so do our Chaplains and Volunteers who carry out a Pastoral Care or Support role.
The Presbyterian Church of Victoria has a number of Chaplain support ministries, including to the wives of Chaplains!
3.1.2) Scotch 82 Friendship Care and Support Planning Experience
As a year, we have regularly posted to our social media profiles on the topic of suicide prevention, and specifically Suicide Prevention Planning.
Furthermore, we have planned a number of Scotch 82 Support Lunches with our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, as well as held a Lunch to support an Individual Classmate and his Supporters as they dealt with the difficulties of making a Historic Sexual Abuse Compensation Claim. Similarly, individual peer groups have planned and held BBQ and Campfire get-togethers.
We've also included our Scotch 82 Support Influencers in our social media initiatives, and ask them for help along the way as we've explored "Make Your Own OSCA".
3.1.3) Responsive and Co-designed
Always great to see year groups supporting one another's wellbeing!
When organising a year group Get-together, Scotch 82 Support Influencer and OSCA Executive Director, Scott Montgomery, encourages us to use OSCA's Support resources, on page 69 in the May 2023 edition of Great Scot magazine. Furthermore, OSCA have expressed their desire to see every Classmate being invited to Year Group Events, like our Year Group BBQ and Campfires, by utilizing the OSCA Class email out function.
When organising a year group Get-together, Scotch 82 Support Influencer and OSCA Executive Director, Scott Montgomery, encourages us to use OSCA's Support resources, on page 69 in the May 2023 edition of Great Scot magazine. Furthermore, OSCA have expressed their desire to see every Classmate being invited to Year Group Events, like our Year Group BBQ and Campfires, by utilizing the OSCA Class email out function.
Action Requests from Classmates have helped shaped our Friendship Care and Support initiatives, and being responsive to each other needs is a Christian value we learnt at Scotch. For our year to have a Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program it needs to be responsive to our Classmates' Action Requests, and co-designed with Survivors and their Supporters.
By co-designing our Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan is hoped our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters will be assured a resulting Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program is focused enough to be tailored to each of our Classmates personal needs, and broad enough for volunteers to provide ongoing support.
Finding the right type of Year Group Pastoral Care and/or Friendship Care and Support environment for our Survivor Classmates and their Supporters to talk and find support has been explored with OSCA. Our year, after consultation with our Scotch 82 Support Influencers, proposed a Scotch 82 Year Group, within the OSCA Connect environment, as one possible option.
Our facebook Scotch 82 Active Admins (secret) Group remains a great environment for acting as a kind of Working Group for focusing on specific Support/Pastoral Care related issues that not only affect our year's social media adventure, but potentially our Scotch Family, by implementing Unwritten Social Media Pastoral Care and Support Guidelines.
3.1.3.1) Christ Centred Pastoral Caring...
Our Scotch Family Chaplains, as ministers of the Gospel, and members of local congregations, are trained in Christ-centred Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy. This means a co-designed Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program differs to a more secular or Australian culturally Christian approach to Care.
Therefore, is Old Boy Pastoral Care by Scotch Family Chaplains "... about visiting the sick, providing for the poor, counseling the messed up, befriending the lonely, caring for the needy, and helping people with their problems"?
If Preachers preach, do Pastors take "... care of people’s social, relational, physical, emotional (and sometimes spiritual) needs"? Dave McDonald helps answer these questions in his four articles for The Gospel Coalition (quotes and article link -> https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pastoral-care/ )
If Preachers preach, do Pastors take "... care of people’s social, relational, physical, emotional (and sometimes spiritual) needs"? Dave McDonald helps answer these questions in his four articles for The Gospel Coalition (quotes and article link -> https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pastoral-care/ )
3.1.3.2) Jesus Leads Our Scotch Family Pastoral Caring...
During assembly in the Mem' Hall, our when we attended House Chapel meetings, we prayed the Lord's Prayer together, as does our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, when conducting services at Blackburn Presbyterian Church.
When we invite our Heavenly Father to play and active role in the life of our Scotch Family, we are praying to God who sent Jesus as our perfect example of Pastoral Caring.
3.1.4) Mental Health & Pastoral Care...
Mental Health and Pastoral Care are complementary professions. Both fields are about finding ways to show love and compassionate care, and our Survivors deserve both, as it's not easy speaking up!
Scotch College has been paying a great deal of attention to ensuring Scotch Students, and therefore our Scotch Family Survivors, feel encouraged to speak about mental health struggles.
3.1.5) Litmus Test
As a kind of litmus test, if a Survivor and/or their Supporters have attend one of our 10 Year Reunions, then this is a very good sign they have been able to reconnect, reconcile, and reunite with our Scotch Family.
3.1.6) Referrals
Pastors and Lay counselors serve a very important function in offering pastoral care to those who are hurting or suffering, and have training or lived experience that helps guide them to discern what needs are beyond their abilities.
"It is important to note that the decision to involve a mental health professional is not a reflection of pastoral inadequacy but rather an acknowledgment of the specialized knowledge and training that mental health professionals bring to the table.
By collaborating with mental health professionals, pastors can enhance the support they provide and ensure that individuals receive the comprehensive care needed to address their mental health concerns." (Ref -> https://www.tohcounseling.com/pastoral-care-limitations-and-when-to-refer-out/ )
Our facebook Scotch 82 Active Admins Group has adopted an Unwritten Scotch Family Pastoral Care & Support Guideline, currently on a trial basis, that recognizes the OSCA Connect directory can be helpful for finding Medical and Mental Health professionals within our year, as well as within our Scotch Family.
When it comes to co-designing, we also have our Scotch Family Cardinal Thread, that includes Ministers who are not Presbyterian, but are Old Boys, with Chaplaincy experience!
Numerous Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) have made a decision to openly support their Old Collegians and Chaplains with help from outside their school family, and in particular the In Good Faith Foundation , which takes a secular humanist approach, has been able to meet that need.
3.1.6.1) Survivors Directory Assistance...
Easily searching for the right Scotch Family Health Professionals who specialize in supporting Old Boy Survivors is not currently a highlighted filter in this OSCA YouTube based tutorial, that describes how to use the OSCAconnect Directory Search.
If our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters need this kind of filtered search, then a good example can be found on the Australian Trauma Support website.
3.1.7) Planning for a Pastoral Care Program
How might we go about planning a comprehensive pastoral care program for our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters if OSCA Wellbeing makes no mention of a Scotch Family Survivors Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program (at this stage)?
NB. Gotch4Life is not a registered National Redress Scheme Services Provider, and nor are their program delivery partners that "... build mental fitness in schools, sports clubs, workplaces and communities Australia-wide" (quote -> https://www.gotcha4life.org/partners ).
Contact with Gotcha4Life and their program delivery partners revealed that they are very happy to establish a connection with OSCA Representatives to help with Suicide Prevention Planning.
3.1.7.1 By Way of Example...
St Patrick's College Ballarat Old Collegians' Association has developed "SPC Care" to meet the needs of their Old Boy Survivors, by bringing together tangible moral support and volunteering opportunities, that include:
- cooking a meal for an Old Boy
- mowing the lawns, or gardening
- walking the dog
- fixing a leaking tap or some other “handyman” task
- collecting the groceries
- transport to a medical appointment
- providing professional services such as financial, legal, or medical advice
- pastoral care assistance
- support to Old Collegians in need
- other talents on a ad-hoc basis
- donations
- cooking a meal for an Old Boy
- mowing the lawns, or gardening
- walking the dog
- fixing a leaking tap or some other “handyman” task
- collecting the groceries
- transport to a medical appointment
- providing professional services such as financial, legal, or medical advice
- pastoral care assistance
- support to Old Collegians in need
- other talents on a ad-hoc basis
- donations
'As a school community, we also remain absolutely committed to the ongoing care of former students, who are victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We have been helping a growing number of victims and survivors through our pastoral care program and hope that we can continue to do more...
The pastoral care program seeks to harness the support of our current school community and alumni (or Old Collegian) network to volunteer their talents and skills to provide real and tangible assistance.' (quote -> https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/community/oca-pastoral-care-program/ )
3.1.7.2 By Way of Survey...
Our Old Scotch Collegians Association surveys Old Boys for their feedback to develop programs.
Similarly, to help us put together our Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan, for developing our Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, we invite our Classmates (and Scotch Family) to message our social media pages with their ideas, plan, and an indication of how a their plan might work.
3.1.7.3 By Way of Suggestion...
To form a Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program for our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters, who are still struggling to reconnect, reconcile, and reunite at our 10 Year Reunions, it's suggested we commence a three phase Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan with the aim of co-designing a Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program with our Scotch Family Chaplains, during 2025.
3.1.7.4 General Outline Suggestion...
The general outline of our three phase Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan is orientated specifically towards co-designing with our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters a Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, with the involvement of our Chaplains as our Scotch Family Pastoral Care Influencers (keeping OSCA's 2020 to 2024 Strategy in mind).
3.1.7.4.1 Non Attendance Suggestion...
If the following suggestions generate no interest for attendance, then a broader consultation with acknowledged experts in Survivor (Pastoral) Care Program Planning will be ongoing during 2025, with updates posted at 3 month intervals, or as needed.
3.1.7.5 Phase A Suggestion...
To begin Phase A, Survivors and/or their Supporters would be invited to attend the Scotch Family Easter Breakfast 2025, with advance notice to be formally introduced to our Scotch College Chaplains.
Three months following the Easter Breakfast, Survivors and their Supporters will be invited to a Scotch 82 Support Lunch, to begin the process of formulating a Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, with one or more of our Scotch Family Chaplains in attendance (if they are available). Then, at 3 month intervals, further Scotch 82 Support Lunches will be arranged along the same lines, if needed.
Later in 2025, a Completed Draft Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, for discussion and consideration, would be given to our Scotch College Chaplains, but only following being endorsement by our Survivors and/or their Supporters first ie. a team approach.
3.1.7.6 Phase B Suggestion...
With the support of our Scotch Family Chaplains, Phase B of our Pastoral Care Plan would see our Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program in action, possibly towards the beginning of 2026 and lasting until mid 2028, when the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended National Redress Scheme ends.
3.1.7.7 Phase C Suggestion...
Phase C of our Pastoral Care Plan would then be about evaluating the outcomes of our Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program in helping prevent suicides, and whether an extended Program is needed.
3.1.7.8 All Phases Suggestion...
Our Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, being Pastoral in nature, means our Scotch Family Chaplains would have a further role to play during the three phases by corresponding with our Scotch Family Support Influencers, if it was decided this level of their involvement is needed.
After implementation, the level of involvement of our Scotch Family Support Influencers and Chaplains would be tailored to our individual Survivor Classmates needs, as per their individual Action Requests.
3.1.7.9 Future Program Transfer Suggestion...
If at any time an OSCA Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program is announced, beyond what has already been implemented by past Principal Tom Batty and OSCA, then it is anticipated there would be an opportunity for our Scotch 82 Survivors to transfer their individual Action Request(s) to the Scotch Family Plan/Program.
3.1.8) Contact...
Please express your interest in trialing a co-designed Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan/Program for Survivors and Supporters by contacting our Scotch 82 Active Admins (Secret) Group, via our social media pages message function.
3.1.9) Consider Other Schools Social Media Policies...
4. Conclusion...
During the introduction to this blog, the question arouse ".... do we even need to be considering another Year Group oriented initiative in addition to our Scotch 82 Friendship Care and Support?"
This blog has illustrated a (small) number of approaches that our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters may like to consider with the help of our Scotch Family Chaplains, when it comes to planning a co-designed Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program that is Responsive to Survivors and their Supporters.
The experience our Classmates have gained by planning and putting into action our Scotch 82 Friendship Care and Support initiatives, including on our Scotch 82 social media profiles and utilizing facebook groups, illustrates the Class of 1982's potential to help co-design a professionally oriented Pastoral Care Program with our Scotch Family Chaplains (and/or other Scotch Family Pastors and Chaplains).
Classmates who would like to provide immediate and tangible voluntary support, that is orientated towards meeting our Survivors needs, may chose to action parts of the St Patrick's College Old Boys Association "SPC Care", provided as an example program.
By Way of Example...
- cooking a meal for an Old Boy
- mowing the lawns, or gardening
- walking the dog
- fixing a leaking tap or some other “handyman” task
- collecting the groceries
- transport to a medical appointment
- providing professional services such as financial, legal, or medical advice
- pastoral care assistance
- support to Old Collegians in need
- other talents on a ad-hoc basis
- donations
A Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care program would be broad enough to included Survivors and their Supporters within existing Scotch Family Pastoral Care as well as providing opportunities for Classmates and Scotch Family members to action parts of the program as a volunteer. Additionally, the program needs to be focused to meet an individual's expressed needs via an Action Request, and where our Classmates can not meet those needs, the "refer/refer out" pastoral care principle, being trialed in our Scotch 82 Active Admins (secret) facebook group, plays an important role.
Individual Programs might be co-designed with Chaplains or Pastors within our Scotch Family who have a extensive Survivor Pastoral Care experience, or alternatively the In Good Faith Foundation provides Casework resources as a National Redress Scheme Provider to help with making a claim for compensation, and/or seeking an apology.
By Way of Suggestion...
Future Program Transfer Suggestion...
By raising awareness of our Survivors and their Supporters needs and concerns, we continue to be proactive in helping to Prevent Suicides within our Year, that forms part of our ongoing Suicide Prevention Planning social media support initiative.
Finally, as a year, we have been doing our the best to keep OSCA up to date with how other APS, Victorian, and Australian School Families are being responsive to their Survivor's needs, but currently this can not be done on the OSCAconnect website, by posting to the FEED, as this option has been disabled.
Our Scotch Family Chaplains have relationships with our Scotch Family Office Bearers and members, who may be Christians or have other worldviews, that forms a vital part of their Pastoral Care role, and when called upon to perform traditional Pastoral Care, then they can refer our Survivors to programs, as Chaplains are not always expert Sexual Abuse Survivor Mental Health Counselors.
Our Scotch Family Chaplains may be able to help create individualized programs, as need be, relying on their training and work life experience, by referring Survivors to Scotch Family Support Influencers, and/or Scotch Family expert Counselors, found with the help of the OSCAconnect Directory.
Please stay connected to our Scotch 82 social media profiles as we take action on a Pastoral Care Plan during 2025, that will lead to putting into action a Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program in 2026, that will be reevaluated in mid 2028.
A prayer offering:
"Loving Heavenly Father,
Thank-you for our Scotch Family, and that you have allowed the Scotch College Melbourne Class of 1982 (Scotch 82 for short) to play a proactive role, including through various stack-holder groups, and as a year group, to be participants of Scotch Family Pastoral Care.
Thank-you God that, by the power of your Holy Spirit, you have created opportunities for our Classmates to reconnect, reconcile, and reunite with each other at 10 year reunions, as well as between reunions with the help of social media, and in doing so we have become more familiar with each others daily struggles, tragedies, and triumphs.
Father, we don't want to see anymore suicides within our Year Group.
Please help our Classmate Survivors and their Supporters to feel they can continue to be active in Year Group and Peer Group Friendship Care and Support initiatives, as well as be a part of co-designing a professionally oriented Scotch 82 Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, during 2025.
Thank-you God for Jesus' example of what is means to be a Pastoral Shepard and a Friend to the hurting, and please help our Scotch Family to be more like Him, even with the help of outside organizations, so we can bring glory to you!
In Jesus name, and for His sake, Amen!"
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