Cairns and Brisbane

This project aims to create a DFV Court Service System that is responsive, welcoming and safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This project is led by WorkUP Queensland. WorkUP Queensland provides capability and capacity building for the DFV, women’s health and wellbeing and sexual violence sector in Queensland. WorkUP Queensland is auspiced by The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation in partnership with Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety.

WorkUP Queensland will work collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and DFV Court Service System stakeholders to develop and deliver training that:

  • creates the opportunity for connections across local service systems;
  • raises awareness of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, history and culture; and
  • creates space for reflection and learning about the legacies of colonisation and what they mean for people interacting with the DFV Court Service System.

Download the flyer for more information.

Domestic and family violence is a significant problem in Australia

It is an Australian problem and there are intersecting drivers of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Ongoing impacts of colonisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities

Gendered factors

Ongoing impacts of colonisation for non-Indigenous people and society

Colonisation sets the underlying context.

Adapted from Our Watch, Changing the Picture, 2018. Find out more: https://www.ourwatch.org.au/resource/changing-the-picture/

Cultural safety is determined by the people who engage with the DFV Service System

This project creates opportunity to explore what is needed to create culturally safe DFV Court services and improve system responses.

An invitation…

  • We invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to share their wisdom, strengths, and cultural knowledge to let us know what a culturally safe DFV Court Service System would be like for them.
  • We invite DFV Court service stakeholders to hear first hand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people talk about what culturally safety in the DFV Court Service System means to them.

A commitment to action…

We invite everyone to reflect and work together as part of this project to:

  • Deepen our understanding of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, history, and culture.
  • Gain understanding of the DFV Court Service System through the lens of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  • Identify and commit to individual and organisational actions to support cultural safety within the DFV Court Service System.
  • Contribute to trauma aware, healing informed responses.

Key activities

We would like to invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and DFV Court Service System stakeholders to work with us in shaping this project.

Partner with us…

We would like to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander DFV Court Service System stakeholders interested in working with us to deliver this project.

Connect with us…

  • We invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say about the training we provide for DFV Court Service System stakeholders.
  • We invite DFV Court Service System stakeholders to join us for a Learning Needs Consultation to let us know about their skills gaps and learning needs.

Talk with us…

We would like to hear from DFV Court Service System stakeholders about what they need to enable them to provide culturally safe services.

Learn with us…

We invite all DFV Court Service System stakeholders to join and participate in training to develop skills, knowledge and confidence to enable culturally safe services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

DFV Court Service System Stakeholders in Cairns and Brisbane are encouraged to contact us to find out how to get involved in this project.

Please contact Christine on 0448 096 277 or christine@healingfoundation.org.au for details.

This project has been developed as a response to a recommendation emerging from an evaluation of a specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) court trialed at the Southport Magistrates Court.

On average 1 woman is killed on average every 9 days.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are nearly 11 times more likely to die due to assault than non-indigenous women.

Discrimination and disadvantage including where people live, their race, age, sexuality and other forms of identity impact their experience of DFV.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience greater violence and discrimination.

Domestic and family violence has significant health impacts.

Intimate partner violence is the greatest contributor to the disease burden gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous women aged 18-44 years.