Technology-facilitated abuse

The prevalence of tech-facilitated abuse has increased during the pandemic - what do we need to know?

Understood as Victoria’s “shadow pandemic,” the lockdowns and restrictions issued in response to COVID-19 further worked to exacerbate the risk of family violence. But certain forms of violence found greater prevalence than others. As people using violence became limited in their movements, GenWest identified an increase in “technology-facilitated abuse”.

Research published by the eSafety Commission maintains that “more than 99% of Australian victims of domestic and family violence have also experienced technology-facilitated abuse (also known as tech abuse).”

Exhibited by four main forms - harassment, stalking, impersonation and threats - this form of abuse can vary in both scope and severity, from sending abusive messages to tracking where you are via cameras or phone spyware.

As technology becomes more sophisticated and integrated into every facet of life we should also expect its powers to be abused and weaponised. Join us on Wednesday 27th April from 10am-12pm as we comb through some of these issues.

Speakers include:

• Leonie Burnham, eSafety Commission
• A/Prof Bridget Harris

Register here

Measuring the impact of the MARAM Alignment on AOD Intake and Comprehensive Assessment

Last chance to share your experience of the MARAM alignment - Survey closes 8 April 2022

In early 2021 the AOD Intake and Comprehensive Assessment tools were aligned to MARAM, and new questions were introduced to assist clinicians in identifying victim survivors of family violence. 

We’ve created a survey to measure the impact that the MARAM alignment has had on Intake and/or Comprehensive Assessment practices. We are therefore interested in surveying AOD workers that have experienced the MARAM alignment and can use their working knowledge to let us know how the alignment has impacted them and their practice. 

Results from the survey will be used to:

• drive feedback to the Department on using both tools to identify victim survivors, 
• provide advice to the Department for the upcoming alignment of the tools to identify people using violence, and 
• identify opportunities for VAADA to provide the AOD workforce with additional training, resourcing and professional development opportunities.

The survey should take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. Complete the survey. 

Updated monthly, the MARAM Training Calendar lists all upcoming training for AOD clinicians, practitioners, team leaders, managers and CEOs. It also included foundational training in the dynamics of family violence and Information Sharing Schemes.

You can view and download it here.

Elevate! 

The Victorian Government has provided support to VAADA to administer a fully-funded, centralised workforce development program for the AOD sector until December 2022. This training and professional development program - Elevate! - is available to all AOD workforce currently employed within funded AOD services across Victoria. 

Upcoming training you may be interested in:

AOD within LGBTI+ Communities: Cultural Sensitivity Training - April 13

Youth AOD 5 – Half-day Family Violence and Young People - April 19

1-day Workshop: Cultural Bridging Workshop - April 21

Click here to view all other training

MARAM Training

eLearn: MARAM Brief and Intermediate eLearn course for practitioners working with victim survivors

• Provider: Department of Health

• Delivery mode: eLearning self-paced (three modules, each module 20-25 minutes)

• The modules cover: a shared understanding of family violence, an introduction to MARAM and the assessment tools, the Structured Professional Judgement model, risk assessment, risk management including working with specialist family violence services and safety planning.

• Register here

Unsure which MARAM training is right for you? Consult the MARAM training decision tree.

‘Long overdue’: MPs call for review of Victoria’s bail laws that disproportionately affect women

"The inquiry also found female victim-survivors of family violence were regularly misidentified by police and recommended additional training and education for officers." Read more at The Guardian. 

Victorian GPs encouraged to undertake new training to respond to domestic and family violence

"The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is inviting Victorian GPs to undertake a new training program to build skills in responding to domestic and family violence." Read more at The National Tribune.

Dip in thefts, drugs and family violence but police say drop in crime may not last

"COVID-19 lockdowns have contributed to a drop in burglaries, drug offences and reports of family violence, but police say the dip in the state’s overall crime rate is likely to be short-lived with one expert warning the real impact of the pandemic on family violence won’t be known for some years." Read more at The Age. 

Victoria needs culturally-specific women’s refuges

"While NSW has several and QLD recently set up its first, Victoria currently has no culturally specific women’s refuges for women from culturally diverse communities escaping family violence." Read more on Mirage News. 

Stalking most often linked to family violence, public body’s study finds

"Sentencing Advisory Council research, released on Friday, shows more than two-thirds of sentenced stalking cases over four years involved family violence." Read more at The Mandarin. 

MARAM Person Using Violence Guides: What Now? Web Series

No To Violence's webinar series -  "What Now?" - aims to help workforces familiarise themselves with the newly released MARAM Practice Guides. These webinars do not replacing any MARAM training in 2022.

Recordings

Responsibility 1: Respectful,
sensitive and safe engagement AND Responsibility 2: Identification of
family violence risk - Recording

Responsibility 3: Intermediate Risk Assessment - Recordings - Part 1 - Part 2

Responsibility 4: Intermediate Risk Management - Tuesday 1 March - Recording

(video pw: NTVWHATNOW)

Upcoming registrations

Responsibility 5: Secondary
consultation and referral, including
for comprehensive family violence
assessment and management
response AND Responsibility 6: Contribute to Information Sharing with other
services (as authorised by
legislation) - Tuesday 5 April - Register

Responsibility 7: Comprehensive
Risk Assessment - Tuesday 3 March - Register

Responsibility 8: Comprehensive
Risk Management - Tuesday 31 May - Register

Responsibility 9: Contribute to
Coordinated Risk Management AND Responsibility 10: Collaborate for
Ongoing Risk Assessment and Risk
Management - Tuesday 28 June - Register

Specialist Family Violence Advisers Capacity Building Program Fact Sheet

No to Violence has created a helpful fact sheet to explain and promote the roles and responsibilities of the Victorian Specialist Family Violence Advisors. You can view/download here. 

Treatment outcomes of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender ad queer alcohol and other drug counselling service in Sydney, Australia

Wed 4 May 2022
10:00 am – 11:00 am AEST (QLD time)

Register here

LGBTI people report disproportionately higher rates of AOD use and harms. Stigma towards sexual and gender minorities creates additional barriers to treatment. ACON has a long history of LGBTI community engagement and provides AOD treatment. This presentation reports on an Evaluation of ACON’s Substance Support Service, an outpatient counselling service for LGBTI and other sexually and gender diverse people, and those affected by HIV, experiencing problems with AOD use. 

If in doubt, remember to consult the MARAM Navigator on the VAADA website, or reach out to your Specialist Family Violence Advisers for a consult. 

MARAM and Information Sharing

Contact the Information Sharing and MARAM Enquiry Line for practice and policy guidance.

• 1800 549 646 (10am-2pm, Mon-Fri)

Contact the Specialist Family Violence Adviser in your area

• See the VAADA website for contact details

Secondary consultations

Are you working with someone who has, is, or you suspect will use or experience family violence? Here is who you can contact for additional support and guidance: 

• Men's Referral Service (operated by No To Violence) - 1300 766 491
• SafeSteps - 1800 015 188

Contact us if you're unsure and we'll help refer you; familyviolence@vaada.org.au