Free domestic violence alert training for disability workers
The Coalition Government is funding a pilot program to provide domestic violence response (DV alert) training to frontline workers supporting women with disability across the country.
Assistant Minister for Children and Families Michelle Landry MP said women with disability are at significantly higher risk of experiencing domestic violence than other women.
“The over-representation of women with disability experiencing domestic violence is incredibly alarming and completely unacceptable.”
Under the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022, Lifeline Australia has received $1.5 million over three years to develop and roll out the new DV-alert disability workshops.
DV-alert is a nationally accredited training program designed to help health, allied health and other community frontline workers better recognise the signs of domestic and family violence, and improve their referral skills.
Lifeline is currently piloting the two-day DV-alert disability workshops, with sessions held in Warrnambool, Victoria on 31 October and 1 November.
“The DV-alert disability workshops explore the diverse nature of violence and sexual assault experienced by women with disability,” Minister Landry said.
“This tailored approach takes into account the complexity of the issue and aims to help frontline workers better recognise and respond to cases of domestic and family violence.”
Lifeline delivered eight pilot workshops to 102 frontline workers across Australia in 2017–18. Lifeline plans to deliver 12 workshops to approximately 180 frontline workers across Australia in 2018–19. The organisation has engaged disability advocate and 2015 Canberra Citizen of the Year, Sue Salthouse, to develop and co-deliver the pilot workshops.
For further information on the National Plan, visit https://www.dss.gov.au/women/programs-services/reducing-violence/the-national-plan-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-their-children-2010-2022