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Safe and Together Addressing ComplexitY focusing on children – STACY for Children

Posted by: Anna Bornemisza Posted on: July 26, 2020

STACY for Children (2019-20) involved two studies that investigated whether there was emerging evidence that the Safe & Together™ Model leads to better outcomes for children and families living with DFV and parental issues of alcohol and other drug misuse and/or mental health problems. Study 1 focused on interviews with those working and living at the intersections of these issues. Study 2 used child-case-level, de-identified administrative records to investigate whether the availability of the Safe & Together approach to practice was associated with positive outcomes for children and families in an Australian trial site where it had been proactively implemented.

Researchers:
Principal Investigator: Cathy Humphreys
Lucy Healey; Margaret Kertesz; Arno Parolini; Wei Wu Tan; Jasmin Isobe; Colleen Jeffreys; Anna Bornemisza; Larissa Fogden (UoM)
Susan Heward-Belle; Lesley Laing; Cherie Toivonen (University of Sydney);
Menka Tsantefski; Patrick O’Leary; Amy Young (Griffith)

Funder: ANROWS

Partners:
Queensland Department of Child Safety,
Youth and Women,
Odyssey House,
Anglicare Victoria,
Jannawi Family Centre

Project Dates: 2019-2020

Contact: Cathy Humphreys

Publications:

Safe & Together Addressing ComplexitY for Children (STACY for Children): Key findings and future directionsDownload
Safe & Together Addressing ComplexitY for Children (STACY for Children): Full reportDownload

CMIM: Children and Mothers in Mind – Evaluation Project

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

Children and Mothers in Mind (CMIM) is a group program for mothers and pre-school children who have experienced family violence in the past. Developed as Mothers in Mind by the Child Development Institute (CDI), Canada, the Children’s Protection Society piloted Mothers in Mind in 2016-17 and introduced an adaptation – Children and Mothers in Mind – from 2017. Key components of CMIM include the Connections group program, the Mothers in Mind group program and ongoing casework with participants. The evaluation consists of post group and follow up interviews with participants and staff to complement the pre and post-group psychometric measures collected by CDI.

Researchers:

Dr Margaret Kertesz, UoM,
Professor Cathy Humphreys, UoM,
Larissa Fogden, UoM,
Dr Angelique Jenney, University of Calgary, Canada

Funders:

Key funder:  Learning Systems Grant – OPEN

Additional Funding:

Kids First Australia
Barwon Centre Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault
Family Care (Shepparton)
Anglicare Victoria
Quantum Family Violence Service

Partners:

Kids First Australia
Barwon Centre Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault
Family Care (Shepparton)
Anglicare Victoria
Quantum Family Violence Service
Merri Outreach Support Service

Project Dates: 2018-2019

Contact: Margaret Kertesz

Publications: Fogden, L., Kertesz, M. and Humphreys, C. (2018) Mothers in Mind: Independent Evaluation 2016-17. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

Kertesz, M. Ramamurthy, A., Fogden, L., & Humphreys, C. (2019). Children and Mothers in Mind Independent Evaluation 2018-19 Participant and Facilitator Feedback: Final Report. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

EVA: Evaluation, Violence, & Abuse – Building the Evidence

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

The EVA project is a 12-month evaluation capacity building initiative for family violence service providers in Australia. The project is a collaboration between Drummond Street Services and University of Melbourne to develop family violence specific evaluation resources, establish and develop a Community of Practice for services providing family violence programs and, where applicable, to provide direct consulting services on evaluation to organisations.

Researchers:
Prof Humphreys (CI), Dr Rose (CI), Mr. Gallant, & Dr Ovenden

Funders:
Drummond Street Services

Partners:
Drummond Street Services

Project Dates:
June 2018 – June 2019

Contacts: David Rose, David Gallant

Publications:

Building the Evidence: A report on the status of policy and practice in responding to violence against women with disabilities in Victoria.

Fathering Challenges: Reparative, Responsive, Responsible fathering where there is domestic and family violence

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

This ARC Linkage project is aimed at improving the parenting experience of children whose fathers have used domestic and family violence (D/FV) and brings together:

  • researchers from The University of Melbourne, University of South Australia and Curtin University;
  • a consortium of 23 NGOs (see list below) and;
  • governments from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

In an area where knowledge is partial and diverse explanations and approaches are taken in different sectors, the research design enables practice experience and research evidence to be drawn together to develop models of good practice, policy frameworks and the foundations for future comparative evaluation.

Researchers:

Prof Cathy Humphreys

Professor Kelsey Hegarty

Shawana Andrews

Dr Kristin Diemer

David Gallant

Katie Lamb

Anna Bornemisza

Associate Professor Leah Bromfield

Stewart McDougall

Professor Donna Chung

Dr Alan Campbell

Professor Nicky Stanley

Funders: ARC

Partners:

University of South Australia, Curtin University;

a consortium of 23 NGOs and;

governments from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Project Dates: 2014-2016

Contact: Kristin Diemer

Publications:

Holistic programme developments and responses to Aboriginal men who use violence against women.

Child protection and fathering where there is domestic violence: Contradictions and consequences.

“Your behaviour has consequences”: Children and young people’s perspectives on reparation with their fathers after domestic violence.

Aboriginal men’s programs tackling family violence: A scoping review.

Fathers who use violence Options for safe practice where there is ongoing contact with children.

 

Tilting Our Practice: A Theoretical Model for Family Violence in Child Protection Practice

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

This project developed a theoretical model to frame child protection practice where there are children living with family violence, in partial fulfillment of the Victorian Royal Commission recommendations for child protection workers. The integrative approach taken by the researchers builds on the foundations of The Best Interests Case Practice Model and aligns with key drivers in developing a child protection response that is research based and supports practitioners to tilt their focus to a more effective practice when responding to family violence. The framework and the accompanying Tilting our Practice Resource are designed to inform and complement training in this area for all Child Protection staff.

Researchers:

Professor Marie Connolly, UoM
Professor Cathy Humphreys, UoM
Dr Margaret Kertesz, UoM

Funders: Department of Health and Human Services (Victoria)
Partners: Department of Health and Human Services (Victoria)
Project Dates: 2017-2018

Contact: Margaret Kertesz

 

Caring Dads – Evaluation Project

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

Kids First (formerly Children’s Protection Society), in partnership with UnitingCare ReGen, Anglicare Victoria and IPC Health, are currently trialling and developing the Caring Dads program in Victoria, with a view to delivering the program across the state. In late 2016, our team was contracted to conduct an independent evaluation of the Caring Dads research trial. The aims of this evaluation are to build an evidence base for the effectiveness of the Caring Dads program and to investigate the process of implementing a new program within the Victorian service delivery system and the broader Australian context.

Caring Dads is a 17-week early intervention program developed in Canada by the University of Toronto and Changing Ways. The program is for fathers who have physically abused, emotionally abused or neglected their children, or exposed their children to domestic violence. Caring Dads works with fathers who have used violence in the home, to help them develop skills in child-centred fathering and take responsibility for the impacts of their violence upon their children and their children’s mother.

For more information on the Caring Dad’s program visit the Kids First Website.

Researchers: Cathy Humphreys, Kristin Diemer, David Gallant, Larissa Fogden, Anna Bornemisza, Anneliese Spiteri-Staines, Liz Vercoe, and Mary Karambilas

Funders: Gandel Philanthropy, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Victoria

Partner: Kids First (formerly Children’s Protection Society), UnitingCare ReGen, Anglicare Victoria, IPC Health

Project Dates: 2017-2020

Contacts: Kristin Diemer, David Gallant

Publications:

Caring Dads Program: Helping fathers value their children: Three site independent evaluation 2017-2020.

RCUS: Reaching Children through Universal Services – Evaluation Project

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

This project is an evaluation of the Reaching Children Through Universal Services (RCUS) project (one of 26 Family Violence Therapeutic Interventions demonstration projects funded by DHHS across Victoria). As RCUS is a newly implemented demonstration project, the aims of this evaluation are to document the initial development of the RCUS program model and to ascertain the extent to which this model is achieving its intended outcomes. Baptcare has commissioned the University of Melbourne to undertake this evaluation.

RCUS is a child-centred, family-sensitive initiative focused on responding holistically to children and young people (aged 0-18 years) who are victim/survivors of family violence. RCUS uses an integrated model that aims to:

  • Deliver therapeutic services to children and young people;
  • Provide support, education and linkage to families;
  • Contribute to service system integration by providing an opportunity for collaboration between universal, family and tertiary services; and
  • Build partner organisation capability by providing training on the impact of family violence to service providers within the local area.

Researchers: David Rose, Larissa Fogden

Funders: Baptcare

Partners: Brimbank City Council, Melton City Council, St Albans Primary School & Community Hub, Kurunjang Secondary College

Project Dates: July 2018 – June 2019

Contact: David Rose, Larissa Fogden

Invisible Practices: working with fathers who use violence

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

Invisible Practices was an action research project that involved the domestic and family violence-informed Safe & Together™ Model that capacity built participating organisations in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA in working with fathers who use violence. A multi-disciplinary, interagency Community of Practice (CoP) was established in each site, supported by the researchers, consultants and resources from the Safe & Together Institute. Project Advisory Groups (PAGs) were established in each state with membership drawn from senior levels of child protection, family services, specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) services and others. As a result of work undertaken by all participants, practice guidelines for this challenging area of work were developed and published.

Researchers:

Principle Investigator: Cathy Humphreys

Project manager: Lucy Healey

Anna Bornemisza (University of Melbourne);

Susan Heward-Belle; Lesley Laing; Cherie Toivonen (University of Sydney);

Menka Tsantefski; Patrick O’Leary; Amy Young; Tracy Wild (Griffith);

Donna Chung; Damian Green; Mark O’Hare (Curtin).

Funders: Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)

Partners: Safe & Together Institute

Project Dates: 2017 – 2018

Participating Organisations in IP

NSW

  • CatholicCare
  • Department of Family and Community Services,
    Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and Northern Sydney Districts
    Gosford, Central Coast and Lakemba offices
  • Jannawi Family Centre

QLD

  • Centre Against Domestic Abuse, Caboolture
  • Churches of Christ (Intensive Family Services)
  • Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women, Caboolture
    Statutory CP and Intensive Family Services*
  • Mercy Community Services (Men’s Behaviour Change)
  • Partnership Response at Domestic Occurrences, Caboolture
  • Probation and Parole, Caboolture
  • Queensland Police Service

VIC

  • Anglicare Victoria
  • Berry Street Victoria
  • Bethany Geelong
  • Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
  • Children’s Protection Society
  • Department of Health and Human Services Child Protection (statutory CP)
  • DV Vic.
  • Lifeworks
  • No To Violence
  • Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
  • Windermere

WA

  • Department for Child Protection and Family Support

Contact: Cathy Humphreys

Publications:

Invisible practices: Intervention with fathers who use violence (Research report, 04/2018).

Invisible Practices: Intervention with fathers who use violence: Key findings and future directions (Research to policy and practice, 04/2018).

Invisible Practices: Working with fathers who use violence. Practice guide.

STACY: Safe and Together Addressing ComplexitY

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

The STACY Project aims to investigate and develop practitioner and organisational capacity to work collaboratively across services providing interventions to children and families living with domestic and family violence (DFV) and where there are parental issues of mental health (MH) and alcohol and other drug use (AOD) co-occurring. The expertise of practitioners will be harnessed through Communities of Practice (CoP), which will be capacity built through training and coaching provided by the US-based, Safe & Together Institute’s resources and consultants. Researchers will work alongside each CoP in each of the three states involved (NSW, Qld and Vic) to support and investigate changes in professional practice, inter-agency working, and the organisational change necessary to support ongoing development. The expertise of Project Advisory Group members situated in each state will be drawn on to develop practitioner and organisational guidance for improved collaborative working in this complex area.

Researchers:

Principle Investigator: Cathy Humphreys

Project manager/ Chief Investigator: Lucy Healey

Jasmin Isobe (UoM)

Susan Heward-Belle; Lesley Laing; Cherie Toivonen; Erin Links (University of Sydney);

Menka Tsantefski; Patrick O’Leary; Amy Young; Tracy Wild (Griffith)

Funders: Department of Social Services

Partners:

Safe & Together Institute (USA)

QLD  – Caboolture offices/branches

  • Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Family Wellbeing Service (IUHI)
  • Lives Lived Well Drugs and Alcohol Service
  • Queensland Health (Acute Care Mental Health Team)
  • Queensland Police Service
  • Queensland Corrective Services, Probation and Parole
  • Uniting Care Men’s Behaviour Change Program
  • Centre Against Domestic Abuse (CADA), Domestic Violence Service
  • Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
  • Walking with Dads
  • Women’s legal service
  • Mercy community services, Caring Dads program

NSW

  • NSW Health Central Coast and Western Sydney offices
  • CatholicCare
  • Yerin, Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre
  • The Glen Centre
  • Kamira Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services
  • Jannawi Family Services
  • Kildare Road Medical Centre, Blacktown
  • Family and Community Services, Community Service Centre, Auburn
  • Domestic Violence NSW

VIC (asterisked agencies participating in PAG only)

  • Anglicare Victoria
  • Berry Street
  • Bethany Community Support
  • Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare*
  • Child Protection
  • Domestic Violence Victoria*
  • Kids First
  • McAuley
  • No to Violence*
  • Barwon Health
  • Alfred Child & Youth Mental Health Service
  • Early in Life Mental Health Service, Monash Health
  • Youth Support and Advocacy Service
  • Orange Door, Family Safety Victoria
  • Odyssey House
  • Uniting/Kildonan

Project Dates: 2018 – 2019

Contact: Cathy Humphreys

Publications:

Practice Guide: Working at the intersections of domestic and family violence, parental substance misuse and/or mental health issuesDownload
Summary Practice Guide: Working at the intersections of domestic and family violence, parental substance misuse and/or mental health issuesDownload
Final Report: Working at the intersections of domestic and family violence, parental substance misuse and/or mental health issuesDownload

Isobe, J., Healey, L. & Humphreys, C. (2020). A critical interpretive synthesis of the intersection of domestic violence with parental issues of mental health and substance use. Health and Social Care in the Community, 28(5), 1394–1407.

PATRICIA: PAThways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency practice – Collaborative work across the child protection and specialist domestic and family violence interface

Posted by: admin Posted on: May 25, 2019

This project explored the relationship between statutory child protection and specialist domestic and family violence services in order to discern the elements that facilitate differential pathways and appropriate integrated service system support for the safety and well-being of women and children living with and separating.  Children’s service pathways were examined using NSW, Western Australian and Victorian administrative datasets. The findings, together with an international scoping review, case studies of good practice in five states, and a case reading process (developed by the Safe & Together Institute) of 25 child protection files (five per state) was undertaken. Findings were synthesised and a collaborative framework developed to strengthen the co-design of service systems.

Researchers:

Principle Investigator: Cathy Humphreys

Project manager: Lucy Healey

NSW: Lesley Laing; Susan Heward-Belle, Cherie Toivonen (USydney); Ilan Katz

Qld: Menka Tsantefski, Patrick O’Leary; Amy Young, Tracy Wilde (Griffith);

SA: Sarah Wendt (Flinders); Fiona Buchanan (USA);

Vic: Marie Connolly, Aron Shlonsky, Jennifer Ma, Christine Eastman, Colleen Jeffreys, Anna Bornemisza (UoM); Deb Kirkwood (DVRCV); Michelle Macvean, Robyn Mildon (Parenting Research Centre)

WA: Donna Chung, Damian Green, Sarah Anderson (Curtin).

Funders: Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)

Partners:

Department of Health and Human Services Child Protection
Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria
DV Vic.
No To Violence
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
Women’s Legal Service Victoria
Department of Family and Community Services
University of Sydney
Women’s Legal Service NSW
Department for Child Protection and Family Support
Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA)
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services
The Gold Coast Domestic Violence Integrated Response
Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast
Family Safety Meeting group, Limestone Coast, SA
Berry Street Victoria
Family Safety Teams, Kimberley

Project Dates: 2015 – 2016

Contact: Lucy Healey

Publications:

The PATRICIA Project: PAThways and Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency working: State of knowledge paper.

The Collaborative Practice Framework for Child Protection and Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Services – the PATRICIA Project: Key findings and future directions.

PAThways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency practice: Collaborative work across the child protection and specialist domestic and family violence interface – The PATRICIA Program, Research Report.

A Collaborative Practice Framework for Child Protection and Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Services: Bridging the research and practice divide.

Intervening with children living with domestic violence: Is the system safe?

Case reading as a practice and training intervention in domestic violence and child protection.

Facilitating the collaborative interface between child protection and specialist domestic violence services: a scoping review.