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	Cash Crisis Ends Sex Counselling for Priests By Joel Gibson Sydney Morning Herald July 25, 2008 http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cash-crisis-ends-sex-counselling-for-priests/2008/07/24/1216492641670.html THE Catholic Church's national sexual abuse assessment and treatment facility this month consists of one volunteer in Kincumber on a mobile phone. Encompass, which treated more than 1100 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. A restructure of Encompass is on the agenda at a national committee meeting of the church's Towards Healing program next Wednesday. 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 1100 people, 250 of them in an intensive six-month residential psychosexual program, according to its final newsletter. The newsletter's editor, Jacqui Winship, wrote that a clinical review by Professor Gary Embelton "rated all of the Encompass services as meeting all five criteria for best practice". But staff were rebuffed when they asked for $200,000 a year to keep the service going, several sources have told the Herald. 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. He said Professor O'Hearn was "meeting the needs for the few referrals that have come forward, ensuring that there is no gap in services" and the church continued to meet the costs of clinical services.
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