Victim-survivors of family, domestic and sexual violence in Gippsland will be the focus of a national pilot project with $10.6 million targeted at providing recovery care.
Gippsland Primary Health Network (Gippsland PHN) is one of only six Primary Health Networks nationally to receive the Australian Government funding to pilot the ‘Supporting Recovery’ project with the region experiencing some of the highest rates of family, domestic and sexual violence in Victoria.
The government announced last year it would invest $67.2 million over four years from 2022-2023 to pilot a new model of care to improve coordination and access to trauma-informed recovery services for victim-survivors of family, domestic and sexual violence.
Gippsland PHN Acting Chief Executive Officer, Angela Jacob, said the funding was an endorsement of the critical need to support a local system under increasing pressure and an excellent submission that indicated the need in Gippsland.
“Local case management services remain overwhelmed with long waiting lists due to high rates of family violence and the workforce continues to experience burnout and turnover,” Mrs Jacob said.
Gippsland PHN has proposed a collaborative approach, partnering with Quantum Support Services, the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance and Gippsland Women’s Health with the pilot program focusing on Latrobe City and Baw Baw Shire. All three organisations wrote letters of support for the Gippsland submission.
Pictured above and below are Gippsland PHN Acting Chief Executive, Angela Jacob and Gippsland Family Violence Alliance Principal Strategic Advisor, Kim Adams, discussing plans for the new model of care.