Albury domestic violence victims are having to wait at least five months for essential psychological counselling

Albury domestic violence victims are having to wait at least five months for essential psychological counselling.

The major service gap stems from a dearth of funding for prevention and early intervention-related programs, in sharp contrast to the experience south of the border.

A considerable problem is the total lack of a specialist service in Albury that caters solely to domestic and family violence, in the same way as key agency yes unlimited targets homelessness.

While acute crisis care is well-funded and effectively targeted in Albury, sub-acute services - the type of support women would need on gaining insight into what's happening to them - doesn't exist.

The work yes unlimited does do in the domestic and family violence space is largely through the Betty's Place women's refuge. Nevertheless, one stakeholder said yes unlimited was doing "a brilliant job (in) getting people in and trying to do the safety planning".

NEED HELP?

• Emergency: 000
• DV Hotline: 1800 656 463
• Safe Steps: 1800 015 188
• Betty's Place Women's Refuge: 02 6058 6200 or 1900 885 355
• DV counselling: 1800 737 732
• Kids' Helpine: 1800 789 978
• MensLine: 1300 789 978

Yes unlimited has only just signed-on to funding for the Staying Home, Leaving Violence program, a decade after its inception as a pilot program at a handful of other NSW sites including Bega.

This will allow victims to stay in the family home, if they so wish. That's made possible by the imposition of an exclusion order against the perpetrator, forcing them to leave.

"It's about keeping the kids settled, keeping them in the school environment. That circle of friends is just so important," yes unlimited chief executive Di Glover said.

That's in a climate where at least one Australian woman is now being killed every week by a partner or former partner.

This widely accepted national crisis was behind Prime Minister Scott Morrison's commitment this week of $328 million for a range of targeted programs.

These include establishing "prevention hubs" for community education and support programs, predicated on statistics pointing to one in four women having been subjected to physical or sexual violence.

Mr Morrison highlighted the "culture of disrespect toward women" as a "precursor to violence".

Border experts say it is a highly complex societal issue that nevertheless needs a united, streamlined approach.

But the North East is seen to be in a far better position to do just that. It's due to established protocols, but especially from a host of new programs stemming from the Victorian government's decision to fully fund and implement recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.

Aside from the Staying Home, Leaving Violence program (this works on a case-management model to assess risk and provide the support a victim needs) NSW has largely missed out on such an approach.

It is clear from discussions with NSW providers that the state's mainstream focus needs to more closely match the specialised bent of Victoria, though that inherent complexity means it is a long-term process that in part will hinge on a generational change in men's attitudes to women.

Some programs have been created in the North East at the early intervention level, such as Gateway Health's men's program. This aims to help perpetrators recognise their behaviours to prevent repeating such violence.

Up to 30 men a week are using this service but it cannot be accessed by those in Albury, something that recently prompted a No to Violence (the peak body for services working with men to address violence against women) call for $40 million in funding for a like program, with a gap identified for southern NSW.

Physical abuse, the black eyes and broken limbs, though was just one aspect of the horrors inflicted. The consensus was the wider Border community needed to realise how psychological control was at the heart of so much of this violence.

"Power, control and coercion" was the phrase used by one expert.

This rang true for another, Gateway Health's counselling and support program manager, Greg Calder.

"A lot of the violence - and we call it violence - the neighbours won't hear because it's about power and control. That's what family violence is about."

Gateway has benefited from this new legislation, stemming from the commission's recommendations, that since February, 2018, has enabled a smooth sharing of information between proscribed agencies.

"And that's all directed towards safety," he said. "Centre Against Violence, police, child protection, critical mental health services are now under that information sharing. If it's around perpetrator information we don't seek permission, don't have to ask permission."

A key driver of that was the experience of Rosie Batty, whose 11-year-old son, Luke, was murdered by his father.

"The consequences of not having (the information sharing)," Gateway chief executive Leigh Rhode said, "would be that you might be missing a vital piece of information about the risk to a person."

Ms Glover said it was puzzling why NSW had not begun to follow Victoria's lead earlier, "especially when you see over the road, over the river, with new programs and new funding popping up in that space everywhere. It's been really frustrating."

That is clear to stakeholders desiring a more united approach, as demonstrated in their discussion forum, the Albury-Wodonga Family and Domestic Violence Committee. Albury Wodonga Health has also made some limited moves down this path.

Ms Glover said the funding secured for Staying Home, Leaving Violence was "exciting" but also demonstrated what hadn't been done in the past.

"This is the first new funding in the homelessness-DV space I've seen in the 19 years I've been here. It's probably (the first) since homeless services were established back in the late '70s, early '80s. There hasn't been any growth in Albury services at all."

One source told The Border Mail how "we don't have domestic violence psychological counselling services that are readily available to people who need them," for both women and children.

"There is a huge waiting list for domestic violence counselling services on the NSW side of the border. The last time I spoke to (Albury's Women's Centre) there was about a five-month waiting list."

To date, it is understood that a lot of the "significant" amount of brokerage going into the region was for Wagga, spread over a number of domestic violence pilots, reforms and counselling services.

Staying Home, Leaving Violence will provide enough funding to employ the equivalent of two full-time and one part-time staff. Support would be provided to women for as long as necessary, with an emphasis on safer homes.

A lot of the violence - and we call it violence - the neighbours won't hear because it's about power and control. That's what family violence is about

Greg Calder, Gateway Health counselling and support program manager

"It could mean things like security upgrades, security cameras, lighting. In some cases it will be a personal duress alarm," Ms Glover said. "It won't fit for every situation, we know that. It will be very much based on a risk assessment, a safety assessment and of course the wishes of the woman."

Money could even be provided to a mum experiencing financial problems so, for example, her kids did not miss out on sport. Wangaratta's Centre Against Violence already takes a similar approach, part of a strategy to help each victim establish a "safety team" of family, friends, her GP, her boss, even neighbours.

"We can take women from feeling very isolated, bound and controlled by the perpetrator, living in a very silent suffering of the spirits to a woman who has a sense there are many others beside her," CAV chief executive Kerry Burns said.

STOP THE VIOLENCE - THE SERIES

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