The Andrews Labor Government is trialling new ways to provide intensive therapeutic support to women, children and their families experiencing family violence in the Barwon Area.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney MP, announced the Government is investing $122,000 to trial innovative ways for Colac Area Health to provide support to families as they recover from the trauma of family violence.
Colac Area Health’s demonstration project will deliver a therapeutic response for children (aged 5-12 years) who have been affected by family violence. The program will be run in collaboration with local schools (primary and secondary), allied health professionals and therapeutic clinicians. The model will offer a key worker for each child to collaborate with services to deliver a holistic therapeutic plan with an emphasis on Theraplay.
$22.87 million will go towards 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.
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.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“We know the devastating impact family violence has in Western Victoria – these pilot projects are an opportunity for us to keep learning about the impacts and to respond better.”
“We are delivering services that protect and support families from the impacts of family violence.”
“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.”