Pathways to Safety

How ready is your practice to respond to families affected by domestic and family violence?

We understand the pressures facing GPs and primary care staff and how busy services are.  However, evidence shows primary care providers have a crucial role to play in addressing DFV but are often lacking the resources, support or confidence to identify and respond to families. It is estimated a full-time GP sees up to five unidentified abused women per week.

Developed and delivered by the Safer Families Centre at The University of Melbourne, Pathways to Safety aims to improve GP, nurse and whole of practice capacity to address domestic and family violence (DFV). The practice-centred training program is aimed at building the capacity of primary health care providers to more confidently and effectively recognise, respond, refer and record disclosures of DFV using a trauma and violence informed approach.

Those who choose to participate in the program will be provided with accredited in-practice education, tools and support for the whole of practice to effectively identify, respond and refer individual and families experiencing DFV.

Benefits of The Readiness Program

The content and delivery is based on voices of lived experience and long-standing research. With a whole of practice approach that focuses on building capability and systems, we promote trauma and violence informed care and cultural sensitivity.

Interactive and experiential learning mechanisms are utilised which research shows is more effective for improved performances in clinical settings than didactic. By offering the program course over multiple sessions with reinforcement, evidence shows it is more likely produce sustained improvements, particularly in attitudinal change compared with single event learning. Key features of the training such as linking GP peers, conducting an audit, encouraging feedback and reminders are more likely to result in long-term behaviour change for primary care staff than other strategies.

Ongoing mentorship and support is provided through a Community of Practice which facilitates ongoing reflections, an opportunity to clarify and reinforce learning and develop and strengthen relationships.

Our training program is tailored to the needs identified by PHNs and offers localised and flexible training. We employ a coordinated effort with an approach to service integration that is aligned with state and commonwealth initiatives that address domestic and family violence.

Funding for this program ended in June 2024 but it is still offered as a ‘fee-for-service’ program until further funding is secured.

If you are interested in this training, please contact us to discuss your practice’s training needs through either completing the Expression of Interest form via the registration link on this webpage or contact Safer Families Project Officer, Kitty Novy at k.novy@unimelb.edu.au