Domestic, family and sexual violence

CESPHN’s DFSV Assist program works in partnership with the Sydney and South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts to assist primary care practitioners and practice staff to support patients impacted by Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) including child sexual abuse, through free training, specialist consultation and referral support. It is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

***CHRISTMAS CLOSURE INFORMATION***

DFSV Assist will close on 24 December and reopen on 12 January.

Domestic and Family Violence doesn’t stop over the holidays. If you are seeking help to support a patient experiencing DFSV, please call 1800 FULL STOP (1800 385 578) for support. In an emergency please call 000. DFSV Assist will return on 12 January. Our Navigators will be back to support your patients, provide case consultations, and assist with referrals to the right services.

Training

We offer training during and after work hours, at your practice or online. We recommend all practice staff, including administrative staff, attend the training. Training can be counted towards CPD hours. Training is a minimum of one hour, with optional additional hours to embed learning.

Topics options available:

- Sexual Violence
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Domestic and Family Violence

Each training covers:

- Creating a safe environment for disclosure
- Indicators to look out for
- Asking the right questions
- Responding to disclosures
- Assessing a patient’s safety
- Referral pathways

Express your Interest in training for your practice by completing an online form here, emailing dfsvassist@cesphn.com.au or calling 1800 719 801.

We also run webinars and other CPD events. Check out our CPD calendar regularly to see what training is scheduled. Check out our previous DFSV training webinars here

Consultation and Referral Support

Knowing how best to support patients experiencing DFSV can be challenging, but we are here to help. The Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) and Sexual Violence/Child Sexual Abuse (SV/CSA) Navigators provides specialist support to health professionals and practice staff with patients experiencing DFSV.

The Navigators can assist through:

- Referrals
- Safety planning
- Risk assessments
- Secondary consultations
- DFSV resource provision
- Practice visits

To contact the DFSV Navigators, please call 1800 719 801 or email SLHD-DFSVassist@health.nsw.gov.au.

Medicare Mental Health provides free mental health support

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