The Recognise, Respond & Refer (RRR) program is a pilot program that aims to provide support for General Practices. Domestic & Family Violence (DFV) linker workers have been engaged as part of this capacity building initiative, which is funded by the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network (NBMPHN).
DV West is working in the Blue Mountains and Lithgow areas to assist and support general practices to build capacity in recognising, responding and referring people who are being harmed by a perpetrator’s controlling and violent behaviour.
Over 1 in 5 women make their first disclosure of domestic violence to their GP (Spangaro & Zwi, 2010).
Practice support
- appropriate referral pathways
- the role of general practice in responding to DFV
- best steps when supporting patients
- advice on AVO’s, safety and security
- risk assessments and safety planning
- relevant training opportunities.
The DFV linker can provide GP’s, Practice staff and allied health professionals over the phone, or face to face, information on:
About Our Blue Mountains and Lithgow DFV Linker
Sheryl is a social worker with over 20 years of experience with interdisciplinary expertise in DFV across the health, social services, justice and homelessness sectors. She is a strong and passionate advocate for women and children escaping DFV and has a keen interest in support community and workers to provide trauma informed and domestic violence informed support for families experiencing DFV.
Sheryl can be contacted via email or 0447 757 498.
Sheryl works in partnership with the other 2 NBMLHD Linkers.
Hawkesbury and Penrith Linker – Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia NSW has been supporting couples and families to have healthy safe relationships since 1948, and more specifically over the last 30 years has provided specialised services to address the prevalence and impact of DFV in our community.
Our Hawkesbury and Penrith Linker
Jodie’s extensive expertise in DFV and Mental Health spans more than 12 years, working alongside allied health professionals, co-ordinating support plans for patients, case management for both male and female victims of DFV, counselling, training and therapeutic groupwork facilitation including DFV psycho-education.
Jodie can be contacted via email or 0435 753 497.
All Regions – Nepean Community Neighbourhood Services (NCNS)
NCNS is an innovative grass-roots organisation that works across the Blue Mountains, Greater Western Sydney, Lithgow and Nepean areas. NCNS work through a model of partnership and collaboration, providing quality programs to support disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the local community to enable strength, inclusion and respect.
Our Aboriginal Identified Linker
Kelli-Lee is a proud Murri woman from the Gureng Gureng nation, respectfully living and working on Darug country. She is a qualified Aboriginal Health Practitioner and has qualifications in mental health and alcohol and other drugs. Kelli-Lee has over six years experience working in health with Closing the Gap and has worked with vulnerable communities with complex issues. Kelli-Lee has solid connections with practices who see a higher proportion of Aboriginal patients, she is a strong advocate in her community, and motivated to increase awareness of DFV to keep Aboriginal families together and safe.
Kelli-Lee can be contacted via email or 0437 911 672.