About Us.
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🦋 About Us
🦋 About Us
Butterfly Circle Inc is a social impact organisation dedicated to building lifelong, wrap‑around support systems for people experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, and the long‑term impacts of crisis.
Butterfly Circle Inc is a social impact organisation dedicated to building lifelong, wrap‑around support systems for people experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, and the long‑term impacts of crisis.
We recognise that individuals and families often face overlapping challenges — including trauma, discrimination, poverty, disability, social isolation, and systemic exclusion. These intersecting experiences shape recovery, wellbeing, and access to opportunity.
We recognise that individuals and families often face overlapping challenges — including trauma, discrimination, poverty, disability, social isolation, and systemic exclusion. These intersecting experiences shape recovery, wellbeing, and access to opportunity.
Our work responds to this complexity. We provide a continuum of care that blends after‑crisis support, outreach, peer‑led groups, social connection, community events, and recovery‑focused programs. Our model ensures that every member has access to consistent, inclusive, research‑informed support across the lifespan.
Our work responds to this complexity. We provide a continuum of care that blends after‑crisis support, outreach, peer‑led groups, social connection, community events, and recovery‑focused programs. Our model ensures that every member has access to consistent, inclusive, research‑informed support across the lifespan.
Butterfly Circle is not just a service — it is a community, a movement, and a long‑term safety net for people navigating intersecting forms of vulnerability.
Butterfly Circle is not just a service — it is a community, a movement, and a long‑term safety net for people navigating intersecting forms of vulnerability.
⭐ Why This Matters: The Evidence
⭐ Why This Matters: The Evidence
Research consistently shows that trauma and systemic disadvantage have profound, long‑term impacts on health, wellbeing, and social participation:
Research consistently shows that trauma and systemic disadvantage have profound, long‑term impacts on health, wellbeing, and social participation:
• People who experience trauma are 2–3 times more likely to face ongoing mental health challenges, housing instability, or financial hardship.
• People who experience trauma are 2–3 times more likely to face ongoing mental health challenges, housing instability, or financial hardship.
• Intersecting factors — such as disability, racism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty, or family and domestic violence — significantly increase the risk of long‑term disadvantage.
• Intersecting factors — such as disability, racism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty, or family and domestic violence — significantly increase the risk of long‑term disadvantage.
• Studies show that recovery outcomes improve dramatically when individuals have stable relationships, community connection, and long‑term support, rather than short‑term crisis responses alone.
• Studies show that recovery outcomes improve dramatically when individuals have stable relationships, community connection, and long‑term support, rather than short‑term crisis responses alone.
• Social isolation is one of the strongest predictors of poor recovery, with research indicating it can increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes by up to 50%.
• Social isolation is one of the strongest predictors of poor recovery, with research indicating it can increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes by up to 50%.
• Trauma‑informed, culturally safe, community‑based support models are associated with higher engagement, stronger recovery, and improved long‑term wellbeing.
• Trauma‑informed, culturally safe, community‑based support models are associated with higher engagement, stronger recovery, and improved long‑term wellbeing.
This evidence underpins our commitment to lifelong, wrap‑around support — because vulnerability does not disappear when crisis services end.
This evidence underpins our commitment to lifelong, wrap‑around support — because vulnerability does not disappear when crisis services end.
🌈 Our Purpose
🌈 Our Purpose
We exist to ensure that people experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, or the long‑term impacts of crisis have access to:
We exist to ensure that people experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, or the long‑term impacts of crisis have access to:
• lifelong, community‑based support
• lifelong, community‑based support
• inclusive, intersectional programs that reflect diverse identities and lived experiences
• inclusive, intersectional programs that reflect diverse identities and lived experiences
• outreach and connection for those who may be isolated or unsupported
• outreach and connection for those who may be isolated or unsupported
• peer‑led support groups that honour lived experience and build collective strength
• peer‑led support groups that honour lived experience and build collective strength
• social events and community gatherings that restore belonging and confidence
• social events and community gatherings that restore belonging and confidence
• recovery‑focused programs grounded in social science and evidence‑based practice
• recovery‑focused programs grounded in social science and evidence‑based practice
• advocacy and systems navigation to reduce barriers and increase access to services
• advocacy and systems navigation to reduce barriers and increase access to services
We walk alongside our members for as long as support is needed — without judgement, time limits, or exclusion.
We walk alongside our members for as long as support is needed — without judgement, time limits, or exclusion.
🐛Our Approach
🐛Our Approach
Our approach is shaped by contemporary research, lived experience, and a commitment to social change.
Our approach is shaped by contemporary research, lived experience, and a commitment to social change.
We operate through:
We operate through:
• Intersectional practice that recognises how identity, culture, and systemic barriers shape recovery
• Intersectional practice that recognises how identity, culture, and systemic barriers shape recovery
• Trauma‑informed principles that prioritise safety, empowerment, and relational trust
• Trauma‑informed principles that prioritise safety, empowerment, and relational trust
• Strengths‑based frameworks that recognise resilience, capability, and leadership
• Strengths‑based frameworks that recognise resilience, capability, and leadership
• Cultural safety and inclusion for all communities
• Cultural safety and inclusion for all communities
• Multi‑systemic collaboration across health, community, education, and social services
• Multi‑systemic collaboration across health, community, education, and social services
• Long‑term continuity that supports members through every stage of recovery
• Long‑term continuity that supports members through every stage of recovery
• Community‑building that restores connection, belonging, and identity
• Community‑building that restores connection, belonging, and identity
We believe that recovery, stability, and wellbeing are collective responsibilities — not individual burdens.
We believe that recovery, stability, and wellbeing are collective responsibilities — not individual burdens.
🧡 Who We Support
🧡 Who We Support
Butterfly Circle supports individuals and families who experience:
Butterfly Circle supports individuals and families who experience:
• intersecting forms of vulnerability
• intersecting forms of vulnerability
• trauma, abuse, or family and domestic violence
• trauma, abuse, or family and domestic violence
• social isolation, exclusion, or discrimination
• social isolation, exclusion, or discrimination
• disability, neurodivergence, or complex needs
• disability, neurodivergence, or complex needs
• systemic barriers to safety, stability, and wellbeing
• systemic barriers to safety, stability, and wellbeing
• the long‑term impacts of crisis or disadvantage
• the long‑term impacts of crisis or disadvantage
We welcome people from all backgrounds and identities, and we are committed to creating spaces where every member feels safe, respected, and included.
We welcome people from all backgrounds and identities, and we are committed to creating spaces where every member feels safe, respected, and included.
🤝 Our Vision
🤝 Our Vision
A society where every person — regardless of identity, background, or experience — has lifelong access to support, connection, and opportunity.
A society where every person — regardless of identity, background, or experience — has lifelong access to support, connection, and opportunity.
A community where no one is ever left behind once crisis services end.
A community where no one is ever left behind once crisis services end.
Our Founding team :
Our Founding team :
Our Founder —
Our Founder —
Samantha Petty
BSocSc (Hon).
Samantha Petty
BSocSc (Hon).
Sam is the Founder and Chief Executive of Butterfly Circle Inc, a Social Scientist whom is dedicated to building lifelong, wrap‑around supports for people experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, and the long‑term impacts of isolation and Trauma.
Samantha brings a strong academic foundation to her leadership, holding a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours)(Human Services & Community Work) with an extended focus in Child, Youth and Family Studies. Her studies included advanced work in family support program design, child protection, therapeutic practice, vulnerable communities, social policy, ethics, and community development — shaping the evidence‑based approach that underpins Butterfly Circle’s model.
Her leadership is also informed by lived experience, giving her a grounded understanding of the barriers people face when navigating crisis, recovery, and complex service systems. This dual perspective — research‑driven and experience‑informed — guides her commitment to creating support ecosystems that are relational, inclusive, culturally safe, and grounded in dignity.
Samantha has worked across community services, child and family support, youth work, mental health, and human rights–aligned practice. She specialises in designing integrated, long‑term support models that respond to the intersecting realities of trauma, disadvantage, identity, and systemic inequity.
Through Butterfly Circle, Samantha is leading the development of a new, lifelong support ecosystem that blends after‑crisis recovery, outreach, peer‑led connection, social events, and multi‑systemic advocacy. Her vision is to ensure that no one is left to navigate recovery alone — and that every person has access to community, stability, and belonging across the lifespan.
Our Secretary - Elise.
Our Secretary - Elise.
Elise holds a Master’s degree in Information Science and brings professional experience across both libraries and records management. She is deeply committed to empowering individuals through education and by connecting people with the information and resources they need to thrive and succeed. Her work is driven by a belief in equitable access to knowledge and the transformative impact it can have on communities.
Elise contributes to Butterfly Circle by strengthening our capacity to design ethical, accessible, and well‑structured information systems that support trauma‑aware, community‑anchored practice. Her expertise ensures our emerging frameworks are grounded in clarity, integrity, and a deep commitment to empowering individuals and communities.
Our Partnerships Director - David.
Our Partnerships Director - David.
David brings substantial public‑sector experience to his role as Partnerships Director, with a background in business support functions that strengthen organisational performance, service systems, and operational governance. He has developed strong capability in workplace peer support, contributing to programs that provide confidential guidance, promote psychological safety, and support colleagues through complex challenges.
David’s combination of public‑sector insight, steady leadership, and people‑centred practice strengthens Butterfly Circle’s partnership strategy and reinforces its commitment to trauma‑aware, community‑anchored work.
Our Treasuer - Kris.
Our Treasuer - Kris.
Kris has built a reputation for reliability, clear communication, and systems‑focused thinking. His experience in data handling and process coordination enables him to support strong financial oversight, transparent reporting, and efficient organisational operations. With a grounding in customer‑centred service and employment pathways, he brings a pragmatic understanding of community needs and workforce realities.
Kris strengthens Butterfly Circle’s operational foundations through his systems‑focused approach, practical problem‑solving, and commitment to transparent processes. His cross‑sector experience supports the development of reliable, community‑anchored structures that uphold accountability and organisational integrity.
Voting Committee : Full. - Contact for Expressions of Interest.
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