Embedding Violence Response Across Governance and Practice in Regional Health
Tracks
Ballroom 3: In-Person Only
| Tuesday, November 24, 2026 |
| 1:55 PM - 2:25 PM |
| Ballroom 3 |
Overview
Erin Martin, SA Health - Yorke and Northern Local Health Network)
Three Key Learnings
1. How to position domestic and family violence (DFV) as a quality, safety, and clinical risk issue within health services to strengthen organisational ownership and accountability.
2. Practical strategies for embedding DFV responses across multiple system layers, including governance, workforce capability, service design, and frontline clinical practice.
3. Approaches to building workforce capability through training and routine screening, supporting clinicians to confidently identify and respond to DFV within everyday clinical workflows.
Speaker
Ms Erin Martin
Clinical Senior Social Worker - Vulnerable Consumers
SA Health - Yorke and Northern Local Health Network)
Embedding Violence Response Across Governance and Practice in Regional Health
Presentation Overview
Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a significant public health issue with long-term impacts on physical and mental health. As a key driver of health risk, DFV presents critical implications for quality, safety, and clinical outcomes. While health services play an important role in identification and response, embedding consistent, system-wide approaches remains a challenge—particularly in regional settings.
This presentation outlines how the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network (YNLHN) is embedding DFV as a core component of health service delivery across governance, workforce capability, service design, and frontline practice. Guided by a locally developed Theory of Change and informed by relevant national plans and legislation, this work positions DFV as both a clinical risk and patient safety issue, requiring coordinated, system-level action underpinned by trauma-informed care.
At the governance level, DFV is being integrated into existing clinical governance structures through formal work groups and committees. Routine audit processes and bi-monthly reporting are strengthening visibility, accountability, and continuous improvement in relation to quality and safety.
At the frontline, YNLHN is implementing routine screening across emergency, maternity, and outpatient settings, supported by targeted workforce training and collaboration with the Rural Support Service (RSS) to build capability and confidence in identifying and responding to DFV. This includes structured, trauma-informed approaches to asking about risk, recognising indicators of abuse, and responding appropriately within clinical workflows, supported through integration into clinical systems and documentation processes. Referral pathways and interagency collaboration are being strengthened to support coordinated, safe responses.
This presentation will share practical strategies, early learnings, and challenges from embedding DFV across governance and clinical practice in a regional health setting.
This presentation outlines how the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network (YNLHN) is embedding DFV as a core component of health service delivery across governance, workforce capability, service design, and frontline practice. Guided by a locally developed Theory of Change and informed by relevant national plans and legislation, this work positions DFV as both a clinical risk and patient safety issue, requiring coordinated, system-level action underpinned by trauma-informed care.
At the governance level, DFV is being integrated into existing clinical governance structures through formal work groups and committees. Routine audit processes and bi-monthly reporting are strengthening visibility, accountability, and continuous improvement in relation to quality and safety.
At the frontline, YNLHN is implementing routine screening across emergency, maternity, and outpatient settings, supported by targeted workforce training and collaboration with the Rural Support Service (RSS) to build capability and confidence in identifying and responding to DFV. This includes structured, trauma-informed approaches to asking about risk, recognising indicators of abuse, and responding appropriately within clinical workflows, supported through integration into clinical systems and documentation processes. Referral pathways and interagency collaboration are being strengthened to support coordinated, safe responses.
This presentation will share practical strategies, early learnings, and challenges from embedding DFV across governance and clinical practice in a regional health setting.
Biography
Erin Martin is a Clinical Senior Social Worker – Vulnerable Consumers at the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network (YNLHN), where she leads prevention and response initiatives for violence, abuse and neglect (VAN). Erin brings experience across health and human services, including leading social innovation and service redesign projects to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. Her work has focused on developing integrated models of care, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and embedding sustainable system-level change. She remains closely connected to frontline teams, continuing to support complex care presentations while contributing to system-level reform across governance and clinical practice.
