Domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) is a critical public health issue with far-reaching impacts on physical, mental and social wellbeing. Addressing DFSV effectively requires more than crisis responses—it demands coordinated, system-wide approaches that strengthen prevention, early identification and integrated care.
This presentation will showcase the DFSV Linker program as a locally embedded, cross-sector coordination model that strengthens how primary care practitioners recognise and respond to violence. Positioned at the intersection of health, community and social service systems, DFSV Linkers play a unique role in bridging gaps between services, enhancing workforce capability, and improving access to services for people experiencing violence.
By embedding specialist DFSV expertise within local service ecosystems, the program builds the confidence and capacity of GP’s, nurses and allied health professionals working in medical practices to identify signs of violence, respond safely and connect clients to appropriate supports. This approach fosters shared responsibility across sectors and shifts responses from siloed and reactive to coordinated and proactive.
The session will highlight how locally embedded coordination strengthens collaboration, reduces fragmentation and improves the overall service experience for clients. It will demonstrate how aligning systems and building workforce capability contributes to earlier intervention, more consistent responses and better long-term outcomes.
The session will provide an overview of the role and function of the Linker, diversity in how project operates in different areas, the strengths and challenges identified since roll-out. The outcome and impacts of the program will also be presented in relation to the experiences of practitioners, interagency stakeholders and people referred to the DFSV Linkers.