The Centre for Family Violence Prevention is focused on a whole-of-health-system approach to improving the safety, health and wellbeing of women and their families. Our Centre works on the research and evaluation needed to build a responsive healthcare response to domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV). We work closely with the Safer Families Centre and the Restore Centre at the University of Melbourne.
We know many women attending hospital have experienced abuse and violence. To enable women and their children to feel safer, we are assisting health services to step up to the challenge of preventing the harm from DFSV.
Our research is practical and we:
- Work with women with lived experience and practitioners to test health interventions (including use of technologies) for identification, early intervention and responses for women of all ages and backgrounds;
- Develop and evaluate effective, evidence-based system models of care for DFSV
- Support staff in their clinical work through a workplace support program;
- Build research capacity in the area of DFSV across the hospital;
- Work collaboratively with survivors, practitioners, other Centres in the hospital, community groups, state and national governments to provide evidence to inform policy and practice.
The Centre is a hub for development of identification tools and therapeutic responses to assist women when DFSV is occurring. We are developing innovative responses using new technologies for women, children and fathers to promote access to help for DFSV.
Overall, we aim to improve pathways to safety and wellbeing for those affected by DFSV by providing evidence for new models of care for women and families within a whole-of-health system response.
The Centre for Family Violence Prevention commenced at the Women’s in September 2016.