Indigenous Family Violence Strategy

1
Indigenous Family Violence Strategy

• Directions and Challenges
• Community Action
• March 2005

2
Themes

• Directions
• Challenges
• Community Action

3
IFVS Directions

• Indigenous Family Violence Final Report was
  launched on 15 December 2003
• The Victorian Government Response to the Final
  Report was released 11 October 2004
• The Key Initiatives to response to the
  Recommendations in the Task Force Final Report
  are
• That it is underpinned by a Community Led
  Approach
• Establishment of 3 Family Violence Healing
  Centres
• Scholarship Program for Indigenous Students to
  undertake tertiary studies in Counselling related
  fields
• Mens Behaviour Change Program
• Family Violence Housing Pilot Program Gippsland
• 11 Indigenous Family Violence Workers
• Indigenous Mens Advisory Service
• Aboriginal Family Decision-Making Program
• Education and Awareness Raising
• Training and Support to the Local Action Groups
  and FV Workers
• Data and Research Development
• Community Initiatives Fund

4
Challenges

• Gaps in current Key Initiatives supported by the
  Victorian Government
• Counselling Access to Ongoing and Long Term
  Counselling
• No commitment for funding and resources has been
  made to support this crucial community initiative
• Mainstream service providers are unable to meet
  the demand and/or dont have the capacity to
  deliver culturally appropriate counselling
  support that is accessible and accepted by the
  Indigenous community, especially in regional
  Victoria. Indigenous services that do provide
  specialist counselling services are under
  increased pressure and stretched to the limit.

5
Challenges Cont

• Community Education Very little is happening
  in regional communities to promote the rights of
  women and children.
• Current promotion campaigns say no to violence
  has at this stage limited access and not
  available to support men across the state.
• Commonwealth is stating that they will no longer
  fund community education campaigns and programs
  as the number one priority to reduce the
  incidence of Family Violence in Indigenous
  communities. The pressure will be placed on
  local action groups to develop community
  education campaigns with no funding or resources.
• At this stage there is no Commitment from
  Government to directly address Indigenous Sexual
  Assault.

6
Challenges Cont.

• Coordination of Local Action Groups need to be
  improved. How the groups collectively
  communicate, provide each region with support and
  sharing of ideas and initiatives.
• Communication Strategy This strategy needs to
  ensure that there is a formal process for Local
  Action Groups to monitor, report and evaluate
  existing funded initiatives and the progress of
  outcomes on the ground.
• Commitment from DHS and AAV to resource the Local
  Action Group Chairpersons to meet prior to the
  Partnership Forum to effectively plan together
  for a more prepared discussion at the Forum
  meeting.

7
Community Action

• The Task Force has completed its
  responsibilities.
• The main drivers to implement the Task Force
  Recommendations and work through the initiatives
  as part of the whole of government response are
• 11 Indigenous FV Local Action Groups in the DHS
  Regions supported by 11 Indigenous Family
  Violence Support Workers
• The development of the 3 Healing Services
• Family Decision Making Programs including
  family conferencing

8
Communtiy Action Cont.

• Consultation is currently underway to develop and
  establish the statewide Mens Referral Service.
• Short listing of applications for the Community
  Initiatives Fund announcement end of April 2005
• One off funded Indigenous Family Violence
  community Initiatives

9
Challenges Cont.

• Coordination of Police Services
• Police Family Violence Advisors
• Police Family Violence Officers
• Police Standing Orders
• Code of Practice
• Police Aboriginal Liaison Officers
• How do community know about these new services?

10
Challenges Cont

• Aboriginal organisations need to acknowledge
  shared responsibility that violence does happen
  in our organisations. We need to help our
  organisations to be more responsive.
• Community needs to formalise links with
  mainstream services sector. Mainstream services
  need to be culturally appropriate, need to
  consider access issues and identify further
  resources to meet the increased demand.
• Community needs to be able to measure the
  processes undertaken to meet outcomes.

11
Challenges Cont.

• Funding agencies need to ensure that Performance
  indicators in mainstream services need to be in
  place.
• Demands from Perpetrators to be represented on
  Local Action Groups threats to current Action
  Group members and their families
• Burnt out Blacks Need for more resources in the
  sector as too much pressure is placed on the same
  individuals.
• Current political environment needing to know
  what the future holds