Family Violence and Disability
Practice Leader Initiative
The Family Violence and Disability Practice Leader initiative (FVDPLI) aims to strengthen access to specialist family violence and sexual assault support for people with disability at risk of family violence and ensure that support is inclusive of and tailored to the needs of people with disabilities.
To enhance the accessibility of family violence and sexual assault services, the Practice Leaders provide a capability and capacity building role for the sector through the provision of inclusive practice leadership, secondary consultation, advice on emerging best practice, and the coordination and dissemination of information on relevant training opportunities and advocacy.
Each Practice Leader are responsible for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) area they are located in and will support the following services within it:
- Specialist family violence and sexual assault services and other workforces regularly accessed by people with disability;
- The child and family services workforce and the perpetrator services workforce at The Orange Door Network;
- Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs);
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).
The Practice Leaders are not direct service providers. However, the Practice Leaders’ work directly informs service delivery.
The FVDPLI is currently funded across six DFFH areas (see list below). The positions are currently funded until mid-2025. The Initiative will fund two additional Practice Leaders (in NEMA and Inner Gippsland), with positions expected to commence in early 2024.
If you would like more information about the FVDPLI, please contact the Statewide Disability Inclusion Advisor, Brittany McCormack, at brittanymccormack@safeandequal.org.au, or disabilityinclusion@safeandequal.org.au
FVDPLI Contact List
| Agency and catchment area | Name | |
| CAV (Ovens Murray) | Shannon Miller | Smiller@cav.org.au |
| CNV (Loddon) | Talitha Travers | Talithat@cnv.org.au |
| CHIFVC (Central Highlands) | Susie Muller | Susie@chifvc.org.au |
| FVREE (Inner East) | Lisa Harrison | Lisa.harrison@fvree.org.au |
| SAFV Centre (Barwon) | Tania Millen | Tania.millen@safvcentre.org.au |
| WAYSS (Southern Melbourne Area) | Lisa Ashton | Lisaa@wayss.org.au |
| Berry Street (NEMA) | Annabel Hastings | ahastings@berrystreet.org.au |
| Quantum (Inner and Outer Gippsland) | Jo Wilson | joanne.wilson@quantum.org.au |