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Lunch and Poster Presentations

Tuesday, November 26, 2024
12:35 PM - 1:35 PM
Exhibition Hall

Overview

Grab some lunch and check out the poster presentations in the Exhibitor Hall


Speaker

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Mr Tucker Christou
Manager, Services Operations
Hope Community Services

Lunch and Poster Presentations

Abstract

The innovative Family Domestic Violence (FDV) Hub model presents a comprehensive approach to addressing the complex needs of victim-survivors of domestic violence. By centralising integrated and specialised services, the FDV Hub endeavours to streamline access to support while alleviating the burden of retelling traumatic experiences. By offering an integrated and holistic approach to service delivery, the FDV Hub model aims to serve as a beacon of hope for those affected by domestic violence, empowering them to rebuild their lives and thrive in safety and dignity.
The FDV Hub model integrates a separate service off-site providing a range of services for people who choose to use violence and abuse. The service engages adults using violence with keeping the person visible. The service provides individual and group behaviour change programs, individual counselling, proactive outreach with information and a referral pathway.
A key feature of the FDV Hub is its governance model, meticulously designed to facilitate effective oversight and coordination of services. This governance structure not only ensures accountability but also fosters collaboration among partners, promoting synergy and maximizing the impact of interventions.
At the heart of this model lies an alliance partnership framework, which leverages the collective expertise and resources of various stakeholders. Through strategic collaboration with community partners, the FDV Hub assembles a diverse array of service providers, ensuring that victim-survivors have access to a broad spectrum of support options tailored to their unique circumstances. This model is built upon an alliance partnership framework, employing an ecosystem of community collaborations to assemble a diverse array of service providers.

Biography

Tucker has extensive experience in working with addiction, family domestic violence and abuse, drug and alcohol dependency, offending behaviours, men’s behaviour change group work and individual counselling. He has led the development and delivery of innovative service models to break the cycle of inequity and violence. This includes men's behaviour change programs, family and community support services and working with young people at risk in out of home care. Collaborating with diverse teams spanning from the Kimberley to the South-West region, Tucker supports the delivery of ethical, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and evidence-based services to communities in need.
Dr Libby Dai
PhD Candidate, GP Research Fellow
University Of Melbourne

Intimate partner violence occurring in relationships between female intimate partners – a review of the current state of knowledge.

Abstract

There is an increasing understanding that LGBTQA+ people experience domestic and family violence, including intimate partner violence, at a similar or higher rate than the general population. Despite this, there has been a lag in the implementation of research, policy and practice to support members of the LGBTQA+ community impacted by DFV, leading to compounding experiences of marginalisation for LGBTQA+ survivors and a paucity of appropriate referral pathways for LGBTQA+ people using violence. There has been particularly limited research into understanding the phenomenology of intimate partner violence occurring in same-sex relationships between women, and how the needs and help-seeking considerations for this group differ from the broader population.

In this presentation I intend to examine the current state of the literature of women who have experienced or used intimate partner violence in the context of a relationship with another woman. This scoping review highlights the gaps in the literature indicating the need for further study. I will then present my proposal for further research that will address the literature gaps to inform recommendations for policy and practice to better support this under-served cohort.

Biography

Dr Libby Dai (she/her) is a GP and a first year PhD candidate with the Sexual Abuse and Family Violence (SAFE) research team at the University of Melbourne’s Department of General Practice and Primary Care. She has an interest in understanding how clinicians and healthcare systems can better respond to domestic and family violence, including working with and supporting survivors, and identifying and responding to people using violence. Her current research focus is in understanding how the health system can better meet the needs of LGBTQA+ people impacted by intimate partner violence.
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Ms Jessica Duncan
PhD Candidate
Federation University Australia

It doesn't happen here: The impact of rurality on a community’s readiness to address gendered violence

Abstract

Rural areas are diverse and have significant differences in industry, opportunity, and cultural expectations. However, social policy intervention is often focused on such areas as homogeneous communities.

Understanding the variable impacts of culture and place is critical in understanding the drivers of gendered violence in rural areas, where statistics frequently trend higher than state and national averages.

Focusing on the Wimmera Southern Mallee region of north-west Victoria, this research examines the interaction between rurality, and cultural and structural barriers to addressing gendered violence in a place-based context utilising the Community Readiness Model (CRM).

To achieve this, five key respondents who are well connected with subsets of the community were interviewed, and then scored by the interviewers as per the CRM.

Early findings suggest the broader community still struggles to connect the causes of gendered violence with cultural and structural gender inequity, including the limited job opportunities in the Wimmera Southern Mallee, where the main industry is agriculture, and there is higher emphasis on traditional gender roles.

The community also struggles to identify subtler forms of gendered violence and recognise that it is happening in their own ‘backyards.’ These struggles suggest that interventions need to place greater focus on improving community awareness and education to be effective.

This presentation will be based on the paper from this research and will discuss the challenges and opportunities that respondents identified in their community and why gendered violence initiatives need to consider place as a relevant consideration to a population’s vulnerability.

The work forms part of a larger study that examines the intersection between community readiness, cultural barriers, and rurality, focusing on the relevance of place in both primary and secondary prevention.



Biography

Jessica Duncan is a PhD candidate at Federation University. Her research seeks to improve understanding of the cultural and structural drivers of family and gendered violence through the lens of rurality. Jessica previously worked as a journalist in rural communities.
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Christina Bagot
Director
Urbis

Key insights from the evaluation of the Sanctuary crisis accommodation pilot and lessons for the model

Abstract

Sanctuary is the only supported crisis accommodation model of its kind in Victoria, providing independent living as well as shared spaces which offer opportunities for social connection among residents including children. Sanctuary addresses a critical gap in the service system for people escaping domestic and family violence.
Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre (Safe Steps) engaged Urbis to conduct an evaluation of the 12-month pilot. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the impact and viability of the Sanctuary service delivery model, including an economic assessment and an assessment of the outcomes achieved for residents. Findings from the evaluation will support evidence-based planning for future growth and expansion.

The evaluation draws on a review and analysis of program documentation, de-identified resident data, Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP) data, de-identified refuge data, two resident survey results at exit and post Sanctuary, consultations with key stakeholders from Safe Steps, partner organisations and refuges, and cost data.

This presentation will present key findings including outcomes for residents staying at Sanctuary, insights into their longer term outcomes, and the extent to which this model financially stacks up against alternative accommodation such as motels. As the first of its kind model that brings together intensive wraparound services in a supported crisis accommodation setting, this evaluation has important implications for promoting the safety and recovery of women and children escaping family violence.

Biography

Christina is a project and evaluation professional with over 15 years’ experience undertaking complex evaluations, and assessments of social impact on a broad range of multi-faceted projects in Australia and the Asia Pacific. Christina delivers evaluation and strategies towards social services, family and domestic violence, homelessness, health and social housing. Over the last six years, Christina has worked across the prevention spectrum with a range of communities including First Nations, multicultural and faith communities, councils and frontline services.
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Sir Ray Avery
Founder
Helpathand

Learnings from roll out of Domestic Violence Safety Watch service across New Zealand and Australia – 2 years on.

Abstract

In this presentation we will outline what the service is and how it benefits DV survivors as well as the advocates who provide them with care.

The program has been running for 2 years in New Zealand and, thanks to attending the STOP Domestic Violence conference in 2023, will reach its 12th month in Australia this November.


In this time, we have seen very encouraging, quantitative and qualitative data in terms of prevention and early intervention for not only DV survivors but for workers who visit them offsite as well. This includes a significant reduction in re-victimisation rates, a feeling of empowerment and peace of mind, increased opting-in for survivors and increased offsite visits by advocates.

Delivering this service required extensive collaboration between private funders, technology providers, advocate groups as well as community groups such as local schools, social services and police. Therefore, we feel sharing these insights and case studies really feeds into the conference them of bridging silos to build change.

These case studies also highlight some practical strategies for creating lasting and positive effects for individuals and families, sector workers and mental health professionals within this sector.

We look forward to sharing this story with everyone, 1-year on since we first exhibited in Hobart.

Biography

From being brought up in an abusive family and running away to live rough on the streets of London Sir Ray went on to become an Internationally recognised scientist, inventor ,author and social entrepreneur, changing the lives of millions around the world. He is the Founder and CEO of the HelpatHand charitable trust which supports victims of family and sexual violence across New Zealand and Australia by providing them with free wearable personal alarms to make them feel safe and allow then to get on with their lives free from the fear of ongoing abuse. Alan: Alan has over 20 years’ experience of bringing technology products and operational models to market. For the last 3 years, he has overseen the implementation of protective solutions for survivors of Domestic Violence (DV) in Australia and New Zealand. Alan looks after all client management activities for Help@Hand, ensuring that our clients have optimal, personal protection while in our care.
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Ms Kat Baulch
Co-director
Workplace Respect

See, Hear, Believe: Empowering Frontline Workers to Support LGBTQ+ Communities Against Domestic Violence

Biography

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Ms Larissa Daniel
Chief Strategy Officer
Australian Community Support Organisation ACSO

Young People and AVOs – successes and challenges from a mentoring program pilot in regional NSW

Abstract

In response to the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing domestic and family violence offences among adolescents in the Illawarra region of NSW, ACSO has successfully piloted an innovative mentoring program, Boost. Boost is for young people aged 14 -17 who have breached or are at risk of breaching an AVO. The program was developed in close partnership with NSW Police, NSW Youth Justice, and the University of Wollongong and offers a promising solution to address the root causes of violent behaviours. However, with the current pilot program concluded in August 2023, the future of Boost hangs in the balance with future funding unconfirmed.
The pilot was evaluated by For-Purpose Evaluations with interesting results, that are worth sharing with the sector. The presentation will step through the successes and challenges of developing, delivering, and evaluating the Boost program. Including reflections on;
- The application of the Meaningful Evaluation approach used to determine the value and effectiveness of a relational-based mentoring program in terms of violent offending and sustaining short term outcomes into the future.
- The value of establishing formal partnership agreements and MOUs with government stakeholders.
- The success of a local community coming together to make the program work
- The challenges of the model being voluntary with limited engagement with families
- The success of a relationship based mentoring model
- The encouraging results with regards to the participants’ wellbeing
- The challenge of extracting data for evaluation

Biography

Larissa has worked in the Community Services sector for over 25 years in both not-for-profit and government organisations delivering services in the youth and criminal justice areas. Her passion is creating opportunities for people to thrive, focusing on those that are often not given a chance. Larissa has worked in executive roles including CEO of a community-based organisation and held governance roles on boards and committees both in the local community and nationally. She has a Master in Business Administration and diplomas in the community services field and a strong appetite for continuous learning!
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Ged Moriarty
Research And Evaluation Coordinator
The Man Cave

You can't be what you can't see: How positive role models can increase health outcomes in primary prevention

Abstract

For 8 hours, Monday to Friday, thousands of young Australians are sitting in classrooms across the country. School is crucial for growth and development, and for boys, it's a chance to formulate their idea of what it means to be a man. Post-graduation, however, harrowing statistics show that 18-30 year old men are most likely to perpetrate at least one form of intimate partner violence (IPV), which is exacerbated significantly if they have strong agreements with traditional ideologies of masculinity. There is an obvious need for a more proactive approach to the prevention of IPV; one that addresses antiquated stereotypes of masculinity, and schools exist as a unique environment to deliver these approaches.

The Man Cave (TMC) is a preventative mental health charity for teenage boys that delivers full-day, experiential workshops that challenge problematic gender stereotypes and provide participants the opportunity to practise healthier masculinity principles. Since 2014, TMC has worked with 70,000 boys and has been institutionally recognised for their ability to improve knowledge and attitudes about aggression and violence. At the beginning of 2024, TMC began capturing insights into boys' attitudes towards their female friends, and their knowledge and self-efficacy to being an effective bystander.

This presentation will unpack the profound influence that positive male role models play in young boys' lives, particularly in the context of respecting young girls, displaying active bystander behaviours, as well as their general wellbeing. Audience members will experience the pedagogical approach that TMC’s facilitators use to role-model healthier expressions of masculinity; an approach that 87% of our participants believe is what a healthy man looks like. Viewers will not only hear from me, but also the voices of young boys themselves as if they are in the room too, because we know that you can’t be what you can’t see.

Biography

Ged Moriarty (they/them) is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator at The Man Cave, Australia's leading youth preventative mental health charity. Ged graduated from the UQ in 2021, with first-class honours in their Criminology and Criminal Justice degree. Their thesis looked at how threats of fire manifest as a form of coercive control. Following this, Ged worked on a project that aimed at transforming the lives of mothers in custody and their children, prioritising the worldviews of First Nations’ individuals. These experiences have ingrained a passion in them to continue empowering those around them to be heard and valued.
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Ms Jamie Shepherd
Director, Program developer & Facilitator, Lived Experience Consultant
Broken to Brilliant

Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Parenting & Rebuilding Self-Concept – Empowering Mothers to Break the Cycle. A Transformative, Peer Developed & Led Support, Education & Prevention Program

Abstract

Aim

This transformative program aims to empower mothers, with essential tools to break the cycle of violence for themselves & their children. Recognising the profound impact of domestic abuse on survivors' sense of self & parenting dynamics, this initiative promotes self-care & rebuilding self-concept.

Method

The program equips mothers with therapeutic parenting skills, emphasising a trauma-informed approach to nurturing children who have experienced domestic abuse. By providing an understanding of trauma's effects & implementing trauma-responsive parenting techniques, participants are empowered to create environments conducive to children's healing & growth.

The program, developed & facilitated by a lived expert, combines intervention & prevention strategies to address the long-term effects of domestic abuse. Real-life stories & brain science reinforce teachings. Content includes practical skills of crisis-survival, emotion-regulation. Each session is concluded with therapeutic art activities which aids in processing & integrating the learned content.

Following the Broken to Brilliant “pay it forward” model, participants are linked with a network of survivors who can offer continuous support & guidance, subsequently presenting them with the chance to become sources of support for others.

Results

We use pre/post 10-point scales & qualitative reflections to track changes in participants' self-perception, parenting skills, and connections with self, children, & others, as well as their knowledge & skills. We will share the results of these evaluations.

Conclusion

By filling a crucial gap in post-crisis support, this program contributes to the objectives outlined in the National Plan to End Violence against Women & Children by promoting recovery & healing beyond the crisis phase. By empowering mothers & children, this initiative aims to reduce the devastating long-term effects of domestic abuse on individuals, families, & society.

Biography

Jamie is an author, artist, & sole parent of four with a deep commitment to mental wellness & trauma recovery. A survivor of D&FV, she leverages her lived experiences & extensive training in trauma, mental health, & respectful relationships to support others. Jamie is on the BOD of the charity Broken to Brilliant. She co-facilitates therapeutic programs for survivors of domestic abuse & their children & is part of the Lived-experience D&FV training for all Qld police recruits. She runs her innovative & award-winning program for mothers, based on post-traumatic growth and trauma-informed parenting. Jamie also creates mental wellness resources.
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Ms Carolyn Milner
EMDRAA Accredited Consultant
EMDRAA

Time for the Next Change: From Labelling the Negative in Toxic Relationships to Formulating the Positive

Abstract

1966 in Sydney, as a 19 year old falling in love, there was little awareness of domestic violence. It was a married couple having a "blue" and was to be ignored. It was physical and verbally loud. With the expectation that a woman had to be married by 23, the model for forming a relationship was dependent upon her experience as a child of a married couple, and hope that her suitor would not be afraid to commit to marriage. Marriage was very traditional and misogynistic. The vague stirrings of the second wave of feminism had not reached the southern suburbs.
By 2010, the concepts had begun to change. Gradually domestic violence was redefined and in 2024 legislation exists so that coercive control, rape in marriage, and affirmative consent are informing the community's knowledge. Yet as we are more able to define what intimate partner abuse comprises, more women are being murdered by their partners or ex-partners.
In parenting classes in the nineteen eighties, the concept of not paying attention to the child's negative behaviour but encouraging their positive behaviour was a key element in Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. "Stop it at the Start" ads are a great step in the right direction. However, for every woman murdered, tens of thousands have endured another episode of Intimate Partner abuse, and many without even being able to recognise it. The negative language sets off many defensive structures within an abused person, blocking their being able to identify the situation they are in. It is only through describing what a healthy relationship looks like can they examine their reality. The behaviours have been labelled so people could identify them, now we need to frame what is required positively so we can move past the psychological blocks to disclosure and safety.

Biography

Carolyn is an author, conference speaker, EMDR consultant, psychologist, with lived experience of intimate partner abuse. Raised in Sydney, a working class girl, the first in her family to attend university, her adulthood spent in Canberra raising her family of five, teaching, school counselling, and a psychologist in private practice, Carolyn has witnessed the changing understanding of domestic violence from the mid twentieth century to now and has detailed in her books how this has played out in her own life and wants to share her insights as to where to now.
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Ms Carolyn Milner
EMDRAA Accredited Consultant
EMDRAA

The Childhood Genesis of Intimate Partner Abuse: a lived experience

Abstract

Adult Intimate partner relationships are often formed on the basis of childhood patterns. When intimate partner abuse occurs, it is not always obvious how this was modelled in childhood as normal, as there may be many factors that created a pattern that allowed an abuser to groom their partner to accept abuse, beyond the obvious factor of physical violence. A person raised with overt acts of violence or adverse childhood experiences can more easily trace the development of the relationship from parental behaviour to intimate partner than one whose childhood appeared more benign. Through examining how a child is afforded spiritual, financial, physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, verbal and social respect as another human being within the family of origin, contrasted to where there was a lack of respect, the negative self-beliefs that the child formed can be identified and tracked into the formation of the abusive intimate partner relationship.
Understanding what the deficits are, what needs and negative self-beliefs formed, assists the person to identify how the abuser also showed the same lack of respect as the parents. paving the way for the toxic relationship to flourish and appear normal.
By examining how a person parents their own children to create a more positive respectful experience, the abused person more easily identifies the abuse inherent in those acts that have been weaponised. For instance a child may expect a level of communication that lacks frequency and quality within the family of origin and the abuser uses silence or its threat as a means of control. We will compare each of the areas within childhood to adulthood and mark how a respectful adult partner would behave. Carolyn will use her own lived experience as a template.

Biography

Carolyn is an author, conference presenter, EMDR consultant, psychologist, with lived experience of intimate partner abuse. Raised in Sydney, a working class girl, the first in her family to attend university, her adulthood spent in Canberra raising her family of five, teaching, school counselling, and a psychologist in private practice, Carolyn has witnessed the changing understanding of domestic violence from the mid twentieth century to now and has detailed in her books how this has played out in her own life and wants to share her insights as to where to now.
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Dr Tulika Saxena
Director, Prevention Of Violence and Domestic Violence Response
Ywca Canberra

Preventive safety planning and risk management approaches for women experiencing Family and Domestic Violence in the ACT: Action Research Pilot Project

Abstract

This presentation will provide an overview of current risk management and safety planning approaches prevalent in the ACT and Australia and will explore some preventive safety planning approaches that were tested with domestic and family violence survivors in the ACT, through an action research pilot.
Background/Rationale:
It is well established that comprehensive risk assessments and risk management are critical aspects of supporting Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) victims and keeping them safe.
Contemporary academic and practice literature, research and the experience of front-line service professionals, demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the importance of undertaking risk assessments. However, a significant gap exists in comprehensive understandings of how to manage that risk.
When it comes to risk management and safety planning, current approaches are often more focused on incident management and safety tips, and do not respond to complicated practical safety concerns that clients experience in various stages of their lives. With a focus on incident-based safety plans and tips, gaps in a prevention focussed safety management approaches occur, where the focus is on reducing the frequency or level of violence victims/survivors, or their children are exposed to.
These approaches, though very important in minimizing the impact of violence when an incident happens, leave a gap in preventative steps which should focus on preventing the frequency of exposure to violence.
YWCA Domestic Violence Support Service will present the findings of an action research pilot where DFV survivors provided input on the new proposed preventative framework in safety management.
The preventative safety planning focused on formulating goals of safety planning and provides a realistic picture of what can be managed and those risks that cannot be reasonably managed. Hence, even though the safety plan worked on expanding the scope to be more than managing/preventing an incident, the limitations were clearly identified.

Biography

Dr. Tulika Saxena is Director, Prevention of Violence and Domestic Violence Responses at YWCA Canberra with more than 20 years’ of experience in gender-based violence, particularly domestic and family violence. Tulika’s Phd at Australian National University was on domestic violence policies and their impact on survivors. She has also extensively worked on sexual harassment in the workplace and primary prevention of violence against women at the national and international level. In her current role, Tulika manages primary prevention initiatives and tertiary responses through Domestic Violence Support Service in ACT. Tulika specialises in risk assessment, safety planning and domestic violence education.
Miss Amy Thompson
UQ Respect Senior Research Officer
The University Of Queensland

Planting Seeds of Change: Cultivating Awareness About Consent and Gender-Based Violence Through Use of E-Learning Modules

Abstract

Universities are situated in the unique position where they can deliver gender-based violence prevention initiatives to a large and diverse community of students and staff, with experts in the field readily available. The University of Queensland informs initiatives with best practice, however as with most higher education institutions, a number of issues arise when applying these ideals to reach and engage a cohort of around 62 000 people, of all ages, across domestic and international locations. Recently, at UQ we completely re-developed our ‘Respect at UQ’ e-learning module and made it mandatory for all students to complete. This module unpacks consent, the drivers of gender-based violence, intersectionality, digital violence, how to be an ethical bystander and how to support someone who discloses an experience of gender-based violence.

This process posed many challenges and provided us with learnings which we will unpack with the audience during our presentation. We will discuss the tumultuous research base for the efficacy of e-learning modules, and how we integrated gender-based violence research with learning development theory to ensure learning outcomes were met. Furthermore, we will unpack what we did to embed trauma-informed practice throughout each stage of module development, and the importance of having targeted content to engage specific audiences (student populations, culturally and linguistically diverse students and LGBTQIA+ communities) and how this is fostered through broad consultation. Finally, we will discuss current approaches to gender-based violence prevention, and how a broad integration of research and topics creates more feasible interventions which garner greater engagement and support from stakeholders.

We will provide audience members opportunities to engage with broader reflective and reflexive questions such as ‘Do you think there is still a place for online modules as a form of gender-based violence prevention?’. We will utilise various forms of multimedia engagement and visual aids.

Biography

Amy Thompson has an honours degree in psychological science from The University of Queensland, which included a thesis on responses to disclosures of sexual assault. She is currently part of a research team working with the Queensland Police Service in re-developing training for special investigators in interviewing child victims-survivors of sexual assault. She also works in UQ’s sexual violence prevention team with a primary focus on re-developing their ‘Respect at UQ’ module. She is also commencing her PhD candidature where she will investigate the utility of contextual relationship evidence in increasing conviction rates for sexual violence cases.
Tara Gilmour
Executive Manager
Centrecare

Make a Change: Centrecare’s holistic approach to engaging men in behaviour change

Abstract

Centrecare offers extensive outreach and specialised counselling services, both in the metropolitan and regional areas of Western Australia and currently provides more than 65 services, delivered from 10 branches.

Integral to Centrecare’s suite of Family and Domestic Violence programs is its Men's Behaviour Change (MBC) programs. Following a successful 12-month grant which was awarded during the Covid-19 pandemic, Centrecare was awarded a longer-term contract from the Department of Communities to deliver Make a Change (MAC) in the Perth metropolitan area which provides a holistic, flexible, and responsive Men’s Behaviour Change Program alongside its long-standing Men Choosing Respect program.

The MAC program was designed to assist men to address their use of violence and other destructive patterns in their lives and relationships using a combination of individual counselling, case management and group work over a six-month period of engagement. The unique model allows men to engage where factors generally preclude them from safely or effectively engaging in a typical Men’s Behaviour Change group program. This approach has assisted in further addressing the complexities of family violence by considering the unique barriers faced by clients from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Cultural and Linguistically Diverse, or LGBTQIA+ backgrounds, FIFO workers, and those with co-occurring Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug issues.

Make a Change focuses on perpetrator accountability and prioritises the safety of women and children through provision of Partner Contact support to victim survivors. The model also incorporates appropriate information sharing and victim advocacy as strategies to achieve this goal.

This presentation will discuss Centrecare’s Make a Change model, discuss how engagement was increased, and highlight the project outcomes for victim survivors and perpetrators through this multi-response approach.

Biography

Tara Gilmour, Executive Manager at Centrecare, is a social worker with over 20 years of experience in Australia and Canada. With expertise in therapeutic family support, child protection, and justice programing, she is dedicated to innovatively combating Australia's alarming rates of Family and Domestic Violence. Tara's passion lies in ensuring the safety of women and children while fostering secure and stable futures for families nationwide.
Kate Mesaglio
DVRE Worker
Bonnie Support Services

Holistic Support Through In-House Programs, Projects and Partnerships

Abstract

People experiencing domestic and family violence more often than not need support in a wide range of areas. Unfortunately, the system is not adequately supportive of these complex needs, requiring clients to access external referrals with several different services, further complicating their lives. However, providing clients with holistic support through in-house programs, projects and partnerships provides clients with better support.
Bonnie Support Services is a women’s domestic violence and homelessness services that champions this approach. Bonnie Support Services engages in strong integrative practice that aims to meet the needs of clients in a multitude of different domains of wellbeing. A well-recognised issue for victim-survivors of DFV is having to repeat their story for different services and different workers to access support. However, Bonnie Support Services is able to provide clients with access to a range of different supports that reduces re-traumatisation from complex systems such as Housing, Centrelink, education and employment support, tenancy rights, financial support, counselling, children’s groups, and women’s groups. Bonnie Support Services is continuing to create new partnerships, programs and projects to meet the needs of clients.

Biography

Kate has a double degree in Social Work and Arts from the University of New South Wales. Kate completed her Social Work Honours Thesis on how the courts view and respond to technology-facilitated abuse occurring post-separation. Kate completed her Level 4 Social Work Placement at Bonnie’s before moving into the role of Community Worker. In 2023, Kate moved into her current role as a Rapid Response Worker in the DVRE team. Kate has previously presented on the power of digital platforms for connecting with and supporting victim-survivors of DFV, and the transformative power of DV education.
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Mrs Caroline Speakman
Trauma Counsellor
Respectful Relationships, This is Where Change Begins

"Nice Guys, and the Womaniser. The Truth About Traditional Men and Emotions."

Abstract

My presentation is on 'Defining Masculinity' 'Nice Guys and the Womanizer. The truth about traditional men and Emotions.' The traditional notion of being a man has been all about not showing emotions. We need to focus on changing behavior in young men through daily connection, mentoring and building a community of support. This is an important topic that fits under the umbrella of my podcast Respectful Relationships, this is Where Change Begins. We are looking at a crisis in conversations around Masculinity. A positive school-based program should be part of the Wellbeing Curriculum in all schools that will promote respectful relationships that encourages reflection on what is “positive masculinity”

Biography

As a Trauma and Bereavement Counsellor, I aim to guide clients through life’s most challenging moments. I strive to help them realise their potential and discover a better version of themselves, regardless of past experiences. As a counsellor one of my greatest strengths is communication, knowing when to listen and when to be silent. I support my clients, in articulating their emotions, promoting resilience and positive thinking, even in challenging situations.
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Mr Keenagaha Gedara Athula Prabhasha Siriwardhana
Lecturer
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

A mixed-method study to develop and evaluate an educational intervention to improve healthcare professionals' readiness to identify and support women experiencing domestic violence

Abstract

Background and Objectives:

Despite numerous interventions aiming to improve healthcare professionals' (HCPs) response to domestic violence (DV), evidence about their readiness to address DV remains a rising challenge in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess a educational intervention to improve HCPs readiness to identify and support DV.

Methods:
The mixed-methods study comprised two phases. In the first phase, nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected HCPs. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis, informing the development of an educational intervention. In phase 2, a two-hour educational intervention was developed and delivered for sixty-five HCPs, using a one-group pre-test/post-test design. The Provider Intervention Measure (PIM) was used to assess the HCPs readiness to identify and support DV. Eighteen semistructured interviews were used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the educational intervention.

Results

In phase 1, a prevalent theme among most HCPs highlighted the necessity for training to enhance their awareness about DV, referral pathways, and communication skills relevant to responding DV. Based on these findings, a multi-component educational intervention was developed in phase two, including role-plays, group discussions, videos, and experiential training. Comparison of pre- and post-intervention responses indicates an improvement in perceived ability to manage situations where patients either disclosed exposure to DV or when HCPs suspected it. Participants reported feeling more prepared to ask questions, identify signs of DV, and provide appropriate responses to disclosures. Qualitative analysis showed that HCPs positively received the training methodology and content, perceiving the acquired skills as directly applicable to their practice. Moreover, HCPs' perspective shifted from considering DV as a private matter to recognizing it as a critical health concern, resulting in more effective responses.

Conclusions:

This finding indicates that this multi-component educational intervention increased HCP readiness to respond to women experiencing DV.

Biography

I K.G.A. Prabhasha Siriwardhana, an accomplished sociology lecturer, brings extensive expertise in community and healthcare interventions. With a Master of Philosophy in Medical Sociology, I specialize in healthcare intervention to domestic violence (DV), police officer interventions, and community intervention to alcohol consumption. I've spearheaded the development and implementation of educational intervention, improving healthcare professionals to identify and support DV survivors. My dedication to enhancing healthcare responses to DV has garnered recognition at both local and national levels. Committed to promoting compassionate care practices, I strive to empower women affected by DV to seek assistance and reclaim agency over their lives.
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Ms Carolyn Milner
EMDRAA Accredited Consultant
EMDRAA

At 66, I never knew it was abuse: how to talk to someone without triggering their defences: a lived experience

Abstract

Carolyn did not identify that she was in a toxic relationship with her intimate partner until he raped her three times over a four day period when she was 66, after 43 years of marriage. She was not even able to label the behaviour as rape at the time. She only recognised after vehemently objecting during the rapes and the next mornings that it did not matter what she said, or how well she expressed her feelings, he would do what he had decided to do, no matter what, as he always had done. That aha moment led her to examine the whole relationship and indeed her whole life.
She came to understand abuse amnesia and the effects of the trauma bond that created the relationship by examining the correspondence between them before marriage and comparing what she found with subsequent events. The role hormones played in creating the relationship laid bare the reward and punishment that kept her in it. She was able to identify the cognitive dissonance, the introject of her abuser, the halo effect, the gaslighting techniques and the rewriting history that the abuser utilised to keep her off-balance, and the way he leveraged her love for activities, people and beliefs against her.
The decision to separate at the age of 66 made her very vulnerable, financially, emotionally, psychologically, and socially in ways for which she was unprepared.
Carolyn will present what her lived experience of leaving such a long term marriage entailed and its consequences and make suggestions for how society can respond to and care for the men and women who leave a long term relationship in their later years, with fewer resources to sustain them.

Biography

Carolyn is an author, conference presenter, EMDR consultant, psychologist, with lived experience of intimate partner abuse. Raised in Sydney, a working class girl, the first in her family to attend university, her adulthood spent in Canberra raising her family of five, teaching, school counselling, and a psychologist in private practice, Carolyn has witnessed the changing understanding of domestic violence from the mid twentieth century to now and has detailed in her books how this has played out in her own life and wants to share her insights as to where to now.
Ms Erica Wilkinson
Research Officer
ANROWS

Addressing IPV during pregnancy and postpartum: Screening interventions in maternity care settings

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) significantly impacts pregnant women in Australia, with an estimated 332,000 women having experienced violence by a previous partner during their pregnancy between 2021-2022 (ABS, 2023), highlighting the enduring threat that IPV poses to expectant mothers and their children. At a time when women have more healthcare contact, and perhaps a great motivation to leave an abusive relationship, pregnancy and postpartum are crucial times for IPV screening and intervention.

The ANROWS Evidence Portal serves as a living resource of impact evaluations of interventions drawn from high-income countries, all aligned with the objectives of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032. The Evidence Portal provides valuable insights into “what works” to address IPV during pregnancy and postpartum. Applying a systematic approach, the Evidence Portal empowers policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with two tools:

(1) Interactive Evidence and Gap Maps that capture the breadth, nature and research gaps in knowledge of interventions; and
(2) Intervention Reviews that provide information about interventions and their effectiveness.

This presentation will use these tools to showcase findings on the nature and effectiveness of screening interventions for IPV in maternity care settings. Specifically, it will discuss the types of interventions, their settings, core components, and target populations. It will also engage with information about the effectiveness of these interventions. The presentation will highlight crucial gaps in the evaluation evidence base, focusing on those that are especially relevant to Australia.

By fostering a collective understanding of the effectiveness of interventions, facilitating evidence-based policymaking, and guiding decision-making processes, the Evidence Portal is an essential resource in ongoing efforts to combat IPV and advocate for the wellbeing of vulnerable populations. Through this integration, robust data supports ongoing risk assessment, safety planning, and essential women's support initiatives, contributing to improved maternal and child health outcomes.

Biography

Ms Erica Wilkinson is a Research Officer at Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) within the Evidence Portal team.
Professor Silke Meyer
Leneen Forde Chair Of Child & Family Research
Griffith University

Domestic and family violence perpetrator screening and risk assessment: current practice and future opportunities

Abstract

Australia has implemented substantial domestic and family violence (DFV) reforms in recent years. While the identification of victim-survivors has increasingly been embedded across service system responses, there is scant understanding and practice in relation to perpetrators. Men using DFV often have diverse service system contact for co-occurring presenting issues. However, their use of DFV frequently remains invisible, constituting missed opportunities for risk identification, management and referral pathways.
This presentation is based on a mixed-methods study, which examined current screening and risk assessment practices for DFV perpetration in service systems that frequently encounter men who may be using DFV, including mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD), corrections and child protection services. Findings show broad variation in screening and risk assessment practices and attitudes across service areas and identify key barriers to and enablers of screening, risk assessment and the provision of suitable referral pathways. Greater access to specialist DFV training for practitioners along with organisational leadership around prioritising responses to DFV are critical in implementing screening and risk assessment protocols for DFV perpetration across service areas.

Biography

Professor Silke Meyer is the Leneen Forde Chair of Child & Family Research at Griffith University (Australia). She is a criminologist and social worker by training, bringing practical and theoretical expertise to her research, teaching and training. Her research centres on different aspects of domestic and family violence, including women and children’s safety, wellbeing and recovery, men’s accountability in their role as perpetrators and fathers, and the role of domestic and family violence-informed practice in child protection, policing and court proceedings. Silke is a subject matter expert for the Australian Raising Children Network and the 1800RESPECT Clinical Governance Committee.
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