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.

The Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor has been appointed to independently review the legal provisions supporting the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (MARAM).

The Monitor is calling for submissions from organisations and individual practitioners who are impacted by these provisions, and organisations that represent and advocate for family violence victim survivors. 

The Monitor is wanting to hear your and/or your organisation’s views on how effective the legal provisions have been.

 The Monitor is also interesting in hearing about any adverse effects associated with the provisions and any suggestions for legislative reform to improve the operation of the FVISS or MARAM. 

How to make a submission 

Visit www.engage.vic.gov.au up until 22 August 2022. 

The Monitor understands that many organisations are under significant pressures. The Monitor welcomes submissions in whatever format and style is manageable for you and your organisation.  
  
Further information 

If you have any queries or would like more information, please contact the Monitor’s office at info@fvrim.vic.gov.au. 

We know that elder abuse is underreported and rendered invisible - how do we spot the signs and respond?

Wednesday 24 August
10am - 11:30am 

Register here

The UN reports that by 2050, the global population of those aged 60 years and older will more than double. Without appropriate interventions, rapidly ageing populations are at great risk of scarce resources and appropriate models of care. They’re also at great risk of elder abuse.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines elder abuse as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship, where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person." This type of abuse can be physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial – and can be the result of both intentional and unintentional neglect.

While recent events, such as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, have brought the mistreatment and abuse of older people in aged care homes into the public imagination, elder abuse continues to be widely underreported and rendered invisible due to a wide range of factors (WHO cites that only 4% of abuse of older people is reported). In Australia, research published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that 1 in 6 older Australians are experiencing some form of abuse.

Join us on Wednesday 24 August, 10am-11.30am, as we discuss the presentations of elder abuse, ways we can detect it, and its broader evidence base. We’ll also talk practice implications when working with clients we might suspect of using violence against their parents or older family members. Bring any ideas or case examples you’d like to discuss.

This event is designed specifically for AOD clinicians, practitioners, and those that work directly with clients who may use or are experiencing family violence, with a key focus on peer learning.

No To Violence have updated their referral pathways for working with people using violence. The update to their resource page also includes two new helpful documents:

• Types of program referrals – a table with different types of program referrals and conversation prompts
• Making specialist referrals for people using violence – tips on making referrals when working with adult clients who are using violence

For more information, see their Referral pathways resource page and click on the “Referral Pathways General Information” drop-down banner. The page also includes a map/list of relevant referral services. 

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:

Aug 4 - Engaging in High Quality Reflective Practice
Aug 17 - Trauma and Harm Reduction in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
Aug 25 - Youth Focussed AOD Practices: Adolescents who use alcohol and other drugs (Youth AOD 1-4 combined)

Click here to view all 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.

An impossible choice between violence and poverty: 60 per cent of single mothers report past domestic abuse, research find

"A ground-breaking report, authored by leading feminist researcher Anne Summers, has revealed 60 per cent of single mothers have experienced domestic violence at the hands of a previous partner, compared to 17 per cent of women more broadly." Read more on the ABC and read the full report here.

Gendered Injustice: The Policing and Criminalisation of Victim-Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence

"This report documents how women experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) are policed and criminalised" Read the report here.

'Vital piece of evidence' for 10-year domestic violence plan finally sees the light of day after Morrison government delay

"A long-awaited report that the Morrison government sat on for months has been released, with experts declaring it a "vital piece of evidence" that will chart the path towards eliminating violence against women and children." Read more on the ABC. 

‘Young people are invisible’: family violence survivors falling through cracks at crisis services

"Many teens and young adults are caught between systems for supporting adults and the child protection system" Read more on The Guardian. 

‘Landmark’ laws to give Australian women better chance of escaping violence

"Labor’s plan to create new laws giving workers 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave is hoped to save more lives of victim-survivors who want to escape violent homes without risking their jobs." Read more on The Mandarin.

‘All these people with lived experience are not being heard’: what family violence survivors want policy makers to know

"For a long time, policy makers and legislators seeking to address the problem of domestic and family violence have sought higher penalties and tougher laws. But when it comes to finding practical solutions to this complex problem, the voices of those with lived experience of the system have not always been heard." Read more on The Conversation. 

DV counselling service inundated with calls after Depp-Heard trial

"Full Stop Australia chief executive Hayley Foster told A Current Affair she's concerned about what Depp's defamation case win against his ex-wife Heard will mean for survivors of abuse." Read more on 9Now. 

MARAM Person Using Violence Guides: What Now? Web Series

All recordings for No To Violence's webinar series -  "What Now?" - are now available to watch. These webinars were designed and delivered to help workforces familiarise themselves with the MARAM Practice Guides for working with adults using violence. These webinars do not place any upcoming MARAM training.

(video pw: NTVWHATNOW)

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 - Recording

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) - Recording

Responsibility 9: Contribute to
Coordinated Risk Management AND Responsibility 10: Collaborate for
Ongoing Risk Assessment and Risk
Management - Recording

Free training | Emerging minds

Emerging Minds have launched Honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in healing family violence: a free, 90-minute online course co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners and community members.

This course has been co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners and Community members. It approaches the issue of family violence through a positive, trauma-informed, hope-inspired lens, with a focus on reinforcing connections, strengths and skills in the support provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The course will help you to think about the whole family – their hopes, aspirations, strengths and stories of connections to family, kinship, Country and culture – as well as family histories of problems, challenges and trauma. See more details.

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. 

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

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