We were proud to be a part of the recent AAAPC Annual Research Conference this month in regional Geelong, Victoria where Australasia's leading primary care research was showcased. Research Fellow at the Safer Families Centre, Dr Fiona Giles presented on The Readiness Program, our national DFV training program which has been accessed by well over 5,000 primary care workers across Australia. The training has been shown to improve the primary care response to domestic and family violence. Participants have reported greater awareness, self-efficacy and emotional readiness to address DFV, and comfort in asking about DFV following our program’s attendance, particularly from the intensive in-practice training sessions well known as ‘Pathways to Safety’.  In addition to this we have co-delivered training in partnership with a number of Primary Health Networks reaching an additional 1,000 plus staff. Stay tuned for the launch of a new program commencing with Primary Health Tasmania.

To find out more or to book for training visit The Readiness Program.

Health settings could enable earlier engagement with people who use violence. By focussing on motivation for change, GPs and mental health practitioners have great potential to build conversations around behaviours in relationships and encourage people who use violence to seek help. But the health system needs to be resourced to train and support practitioners to do this.

Read more from Kelsey Hegarty in The Conversation.

Another cohort of our WEAVERs members have had their first experience embedding lived expertise into the teaching of medical students, helping them learn to identify, engage, and assist victim-survivors of domestic, family, and sexual violence.

We look forward to expanding this important initiative to nurse practitioner, dental, and social work students.

Pictured: Staff and WEAVER members from Safer Families.