Integrated Domestic & Family Violence Services Program
The Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services program is a multi-agency, integrated and coordinated response to prevent the escalation of domestic and family violence among high risk target groups and in targeted communities.
Coordinated services are provided to clients through a multi-disciplinary team or are based on clear referral pathways between service agencies such as Police, Health, Family and Community Services and non-government support agencies.
There are six services funded under the program, two of which are auspiced by Community Services.
why is this program important?
The Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services program is being implemented to provide a more consistent framework across what had previously been time-limited projects.
These projects had been separately formed through local processes and this had resulted in them operating under diverse arrangements.
The decision to establish the program recognised that domestic and family violence cannot be tackled by any one agency. It is a multi-faceted issue that requires coordination across organisations and across the government and non-government sectors.
who benefits?
Services through the Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services program are provided to people who are affected by domestic and family violence within the service boundaries of the Program.
Priority may be given to high risk groups including:
- people from disadvantaged and from rural and remote communities
- people with a disability or special needs
- Aboriginal people
- people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds
- repeat victims of domestic and family violence
- Vvctims of domestic and family violence who previously refused services
what does the program deliver?
Services provided under the Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services program can include:
- crisis support and information
- case management, case coordination and/or case tracking to ensure seamless client service provision, including referral on to other services
- use of brokerage to purchase client services
- referral pathways to evidence-based perpetrator or men’s education programs to improve perpetrator accountability and victim safety, and where possible, to reduce future offending
Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services also raise awareness within the community to broaden both its understanding and response to people experiencing domestic and family violence.
how does it work?
There are six Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services in NSW. Two are sponsored by Community Services:
- Mt Druitt Family Violence Service
- Canterbury/Bankstown Domestic Violence Response Team
The four other services are sponsored through a range of government and community partnerships and are:
- Area Domestic Violence Integrated Care and Education (DV ADVICE), sponsored by the NSW Police Force
- Nowra Domestic Violence Intervention Service, sponsored by YWCA NSW
- Green Valley Liverpool Domestic Violence Service, sponsored by NSW Health
- Community Partnerships Against Domestic and Family Violence, sponsored by Hastings Women and Children’s Refuge Inc.
To support an integrated approach to service delivery each Integrated Domestic and Family Violence service is to operate as a partnership between, as a minimum, Community Services, NSW Health and the NSW Police Force and the auspice agency.
Each service is to work with a service planning group comprised of the broader network of local service providers and stakeholders in its area.
what funding is attached to this program?
The program has been provided with fixed term funding of $3 million per annum from 2008/09 to 2011/12.
what’s happening in 2011/12?
The program will be further consolidated as an integrated model.
A program evaluation is anticipated for 2011/12, subject to the availability of resources.
A pilot performance management system has recently been developed and will be implemented throughout 2011/12.