The Andrews Labor Government today [2 May, 2018] announced five organisations will share in a $1.75 million grants package to help reduce family violence by expanding the delivery of specialist perpetrator intervention programs.
Bethany Community Support, Drummond Street Services, Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative, the Centre for Non Violence, and Dardi Munwurro received grants under the Family Violence Perpetrator Intervention Grants Program.
The organisations will deliver services for men with complex needs, fathers, women and gender diverse perpetrators of family violence, and Aboriginal men.
The Bethany Community Support program will identify primary causes and re-enforcing factors for a perpetrator’s behaviour and coordinate a multi-agency response to address issues and support behavioural change in the Geelong area.
Drummond Street Services will provide services for perpetrators of family violence who are heterosexual, bisexual and lesbian women, and transgender and gender diverse. The program will assess underlying and co-existing issues, and identify individual drivers for change.
The Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative program will focus on men’s cultural healing, working collaboratively with participants and local Aboriginal agencies from across the Barwon South West region.
The Centre for Non-Violence will deliver a program in the Loddon region for perpetrators who are fathers. It will assist them to address their behaviour and develop an understanding of how their violence impacts their children.
Dardi Munwurro will deliver a package of interventions for Aboriginal men who are perpetrators of family violence by targeting two separate age groups, including men aged between 18-25, and men aged 25 years and older.
Under the program, each group will attend a five-day camp followed by intensive individual case management and mentoring support. It will include fortnightly check-ins, legal assistance, and mentoring from an Aboriginal Elder.
The grants form part of a $7.9 million package delivered through the Victorian Budget 2017/18 to implement a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Family Violence to trial and evaluate new perpetrator interventions within the justice system.
The programs will begin in May and operate for 15 months before being independently evaluated.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Martin Pakula
“These programs deliver on a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Family Violence and will help to identify underlying causes of offending behaviour.”
“I congratulate each of the organisations for their work in developing specialised programs to address family violence in their communities.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Natalie Hutchins
“Our investment will help to tackle family violence by trialling new and innovative programs which aim to support behavioural change and hold perpetrators to account.”
