Integrated Practice
Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) works in partnership with a wide range of organisations to ensure people can access legal and advocacy support through their trusted services and networks.
This includes integrated practice partnerships with health and community services, local councils and community groups throughout Melbourne's East.
Existing partnerships support women, children and older people experiencing violence; as well as people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and drug/alcohol issues.
Integrated practice is the backbone of ECLC’s multidisciplinary service response and helps reach more people in more places and provide the flexible support and referrals they need. See our Integrated Practice Program Overview or Integrated Practice Framework for more information.
Integrated Practice - Better Practice Principles
In 2019 the Victorian Legal Services Board funded Eastern Community Legal Centre to draw on our expertise in integrated services provision and to bring together other leaders in this area to develop a set of principles that could be shared with other community legal centres implementing integrated practice programs.
ECLC has launched the ‘Integrated Practice - Better Practice Principles’ report, outlining the key principles for this approach project.
Family violence support
WELS is a partnership between ECLC and Eastern Health to provide legal and family violence support to women attending maternity services.
Mabels is a partnership between ECLC, Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Health Service and three local councils to provide legal and family violence support to women attending maternity services. See the 'It couldn't have come at a better time' report for more on Mabels.
SAGE provides legal and family violence support together with financial counselling and case management to women who are at higher risk of family violence. Click here for more information.
Abuse against older people
ELSA is a partnership between ECLC and Eastern Health that provides legal support and specialist advocacy for older people at risk of abuse.
ROSE is a partnership between ECLC and Oonah Belonging Place that provides legal and social support together with financial counselling, information and case management.
Mental health, homelessness and drug/alcohol
- HEAL (Holistic Empowerment Advocacy & Legal)
HEAL provides legal support and specialist advocacy to people with complex support needs as a result of homelessness, mental illness and/or drug and alcohol issues.
The MARAM Framework and the legal assistance sector
ECLC developed and provided training in the MARAM Framework for people working in the legal assistance sector during 2021. Read more here or download the report.
