Jump to: Mental Health Advocacy | Disability Advocacy | Seniors Advocacy | Tenancy Advocacy
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is speaking, writing or acting on behalf of another person to promote, protect and preserve their legal and human rights.
- Advocacy helps you have your views, thoughts, wishes and concerns considered
- It’s your choice whether an Advocate acts on your behalf or helps you to self-advocate.
Some ways that a TASC Advocate can help you are:
- Helping you write a letter or email to a government agency or business about how you, or someone you know, has been treated.
- When you have a dispute or problem with a service provider or agency, we can come along with you to meetings so you have support.
- Supporting you with matters that go before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
- If you are renting a residential property in Toowoomba, we can provide free, independent advice through the Queensland Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral Service (QSTARS).
When you’re finding things overwhelming and important decisions need to be made, we are here to help you understand your rights and empower you to take back control of your life.
Mental Health Advocacy
If you are a person living in Toowoomba or the South West region, living with severe mental illness and aged over 18 years, you can contact TASC for help with advocacy.
One example might be if you need support with an agency you are working with, or to attend a Mental Health Review Tribunal hearing.
While our priority is to assist people who are referred to us by Queensland Hospital and Health Services, other agencies can also make referrals. Individuals seeking support can also self-refer to TASC.
Disability Advocacy
TASC’s Disability Advocates can help you with problems or issues with the services you currently use, with the aim of making sure these meet your needs.
We can talk with you about your application to access the NDIS or the Disability Support Pension, or the support that you are getting from your NDIS service providers or other agencies.
TASC is also one of 50 organisations that the Government has selected to support people who want to share their story with the Disability Royal Commission.
Contact TASC to share your story with the Disability Royal Commission in a safe and supported way.
Seniors Advocacy
Our solicitors and social workers in Toowoomba and Ipswich will help you with free legal advice and information, shortterm counselling, advocacy, or referrals to other services near you.
The Seniors Legal and Support Service is for anyone who is affected by or concerned about Elder Abuse. It is not means-tested.
This is a free government-funded service that is available to anyone aged over 60 years and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 50 years.
The service can assist people who are being physically harmed or sexually abused; threatened with violence or being verbally and emotionally abused, financial abuse, harassed or intimidated.
Tenancy Advocacy
TASC provides Toowoomba residents with access to advice that assists in managing issues and disputes that may arise with their tenancy.
Our team helps resolve matters such as – terminations, bond disputes, QCAT assistance, maintenance issues and general communications with real estates.
All clients must be referred through QSTARS (QLD Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral Service) by calling 1300 744 263.
For more information about QSTARS, visit https://qstars.org.au/.