Monday, 22 May 2017

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

Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria Region announced that Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) will be receiving $2.2M across its four regions – inner Gippsland, North Eastern Melbourne, Bayside Peninsula and Western Melbourne. VACCA will trial innovative ways to provide support to Aboriginal families as they recover from the trauma of family violence.

$22.87 million will go towards 26 projects across Victoria – four of these projects including one based in Morwell will specifically target Aboriginal families.

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.

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.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“We know the devastating impact family violence has on Gippsland this pilot project is an opportunity for us to keep learning about the impacts and to respond better.”

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