Premier

Trialling New Ways To Support Victims Of Family Violence

17 May 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is trialling new ways to provide intensive therapeutic support to women, children and their families experiencing family violence.

Visiting Berry Street’s Ballarat office today, Minister for Families & Children Jenny Mikakos announced $22.87 million to fund 26 projects across Victoria – four that specifically target Aboriginal people.

The pilot projects will move away from a traditional model of crisis response to focusing on providing a therapeutic response for as long as survivors of family violence need.

Three projects in Ballarat will receive a total $4.033 million, including Berry Street’s Restoring Childhood – a child-focussed, trauma-informed service designed to intervene early to reduce the effect of family violence on children and young people, aged between 0 and 17 years.

WRISC Family Violence Support will work in partnership with the Shire of Moorabool to deliver the VanGO, a new experimental model with mobile therapy vans taking services to children affected by family violence.

The Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative will also receive funding to provide intensive engagement and case management services for Aboriginal women, men and children affected by family violence.

These new pilot projects support recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence to prioritise funding for therapeutic interventions. The Labor Government is implementing all 227 of the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

A record $1.9 billion package of measures to end family violence in Victoria was announced in the Victorian Budget 2017-18. This funding will be used to establish 17 support and safety hubs across the state, deliver after-hours crisis support, counselling and therapy for victims of family violence, and develop a 10-year industry plan.

The Labor Government also recently announced the creation of Family Safety Victoria, the state’s first ever agency solely dedicated to delivering family violence reform.

Quote attributable to Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos

“We are shifting the focus from a crisis response to one that allows women, children and families experiencing family violence to access therapeutic support for as long as they need it.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley

“We are delivering services that protect and support Aboriginal families from the impacts of family violence.”

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard

“We know the devastating impact family violence has on our community – these pilot projects are an opportunity for us to keep learning about the impacts and to respond better.”

Quote attributable to Berry Street CEO Sandie de Wolf

“This new funding is an exciting opportunity to help more local children recover from their traumatic experiences as a result of family violence.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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