Safer Families News
Paving the Way Forward for a stronger response to DFV
On October 23, 2024 at the Safer Families dialogue, ‘Paving the way forward for a stronger primary care response to domestic and family violence’, Assist Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Hon. Ged Kearney delivered a video message to event attendees to launch our WEB project and announce the release of our final report for the National DFV training program for primary care, The Readiness Program. “Today I am excited to launch the Safer Families Centre’s world-leading Women’s Emotional Well-Being project. This project is so important, providing new evidence on how primary care can help victim-survivors” the Assistant Minister said. Listen to the message from The Hon. Ged Kearney here.
Download the media release.
ABC NEWS REPORT
We need stronger DFSV responses to children experiencing DFSV. We know children experiencing DFSV in the home want someone to talk to and rely on trusted adults to help them, however, to date health training and response primary focus is on adult victims. With increased funding and support we can help equip GPs and primary care nurses to engage family and children early to offer them the support they need. Kelsey Hegarty and Magdalena Simonis speak more on this HERE.
MRFF Primary Health Care Grant
The Safer Families Centre are proud to announce we will be leading a world-first trial generating evidence for DFV women victim-survivor's outcomes from a primary care system intervention. Funded through the MRFF Primary Health Care Grant we will evaluate the impact on women’s mental health and sense of safety from implementing novel interventions in general practice - including Medicare item for family safety assessment planning, clinical decision tool for GPs and peer care navigator to support affected women.
New strategies needed to stop domestic violence
No single strategy will stop domestic violence. We must urgently invest in a sustainable health system response with an understanding of different patterns of abuse and coercive control.
Kelsey Hegarty of the Safer Families Centre has listened to thousands of women survivors in her career as a researcher and a GP. What they have taught her is that domestic violence is not a single phenomenon with a simple solution.
Read this article by Kelsey in the Medical Journal of Australia's website HERE.