• Salvos urge model expansion
The Salvation Army’s General Manager of Family Violence, Lorrinda Hamilton, has recommended expanding the Army’s early intervention program, the Alexis Family Violence Response Model, which only operates in Victoria.
Her comments come after The Salvation Army welcomed the Albanese Government’s announcement that the Leaving Violence Payment will now be permanent.
The Alexis model was developed in conjunction with Victoria Police 10 years ago to arrest the critical need for a more coordinated, effective and specialist response to family violence, particularly when there is a serious level of risk.
The Salvation Army has eight specialist family violence practitioners embedded in various Family Violence Units across Victoria’s Bayside Peninsula and Inner Gippsland.
The Alexis model specifically targets families experiencing repeat incidents of violence where multiple complex and intersectional vulnerabilities impact their ability to engage effectively with mainstream services.
The model provides a whole-of-family response, working towards reducing risk to women and children and holding perpetrators of family violence to account through assertive outreach and interventions.
“We know programs such as Operation Alexis save lives,” Lorrinda said. “A great start would be to have this rolled out nationally, to ensure that not only victim-survivors get the help they require but also the perpetrators of such violence are given opportunities to engage in behavioural change.”
Of all family and domestic assault hospitalisations in 2021–22, 73 per cent (4700) were for females, and 27 per cent (1700) were for males, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
“We know one of the main reasons women stay in violent relationships is that they are placed in the precarious situation of choosing between poverty and safety,” Lorrinda said. “While the $5000 payment certainly alleviates some of that stress, it does not address women’s long-term needs. Ensuring that working age payments, especially JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, are adequate to cost of living is critical to women remaining safe.”
The Salvation Army is also seeking an immediate increase in investment in frontline services, including:
• An increase in the stock of crisis and transitional accommodation for victim-survivors.
• Increased investment in primary prevention, early intervention and community education.
• Investment to diversify modalities of intervention for persons using violence.
• An increased number of specialist services that support children and young people
exposed to, or who have used violence.
The Salvation Army is deeply committed to addressing family violence in Australia. It continues to deliver specialised services around the country for men, women and children, including programs, refuges, case management, supported accommodation, early intervention and brokerage programs.
For more information on Salvation Army family and domestic violence services, click here
Men’s Services
Abuse and violence towards an intimate partner or family member is an ongoing crisis in Australia, with women experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner at a much higher rate than men.
However, men can often experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner or family member, too. If you are experiencing violence, there is help available to you. 1800RESPECT can refer you to services that can help or click here
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