A sex abuse assessment and treatment facility which has treated over 1,000 clergy is now down to a single volunteer after funding was cut. The Sydney Morning Herald reports the Catholic Church's Encompass facility this month consists of one volunteer in Kincumber on a mobile phone.
Encompass, which treated more than 1,100 Catholic clergy for psychosexual and other mental health issues, closed on June 30 after the Church hierarchy decided against spending $200,000 a year to keep it going.
In the meantime, a former board member, Timothy O'Hearn has been left to answer Encompass's phone, referring Church employees with mental health issues to private treatment.
Professor O'Hearn is on leave from his job as dean of students and director of ministry at the Australian Catholic University.
Professor O'Hearn said poor communication between the board and the Church leaders had contributed to the program's demise just before World Youth Day.
"The board would say, 'why haven't they given us the money?' I think some [of the bishops and major superiors] would have, but I don't think they realised how close to the wind we were sailing. I think both sides in the end were saying, for God's sake, this should not have happened."
Opened in 1997 by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, Encompass treated more than 1,100 people, 250 of them in an intensive six month residential psychosexual program, according to its final newsletter.
One former staff member, who requested anonymity, said it was "a tragedy" for offenders and victims of sexual abuse. "If we can spend that much money to have the Pope come out, what is $200,000 a year?" the former staffer said. "The priests would be rejoicing that Encompass has closed, as they are in total denial."
Professor O'Hearn said patient numbers had dropped significantly due to fewer complaints against clergy and a stigma that had developed around Encompass.
The president of the Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, said Encompass was a structure that served well when its services were in higher demand, but it was no longer viable.
Asked why the $200,000 package was not taken up, he said a complete restructure was needed, rather than a short term rescue package.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce