Northern Health and Whittlesea Community Connections are pleased to announce their collaboration in establishing a new Health Justice Partnership.

Health Justice Partnerships integrate health and legal services to address complex issues affecting a person’s health, safety, wellbeing and legal rights. Through this partnership, we aim to identify and respond to patients experiencing family violence and family law concerns and connect them with specialist legal advice and advocacy to improve their safety and quality of life.

Family violence is a serious and prevalent health issue in our community that has profound impacts on the physical and psychological wellbeing of victim survivors. Victim survivors are among our community and present to our health service for care and support each and every day of the year.

The partnership recognises family violence and family law concerns as significant health and wellbeing issues for many of our patients. The hospital system is a critical entry point for people affected by these complex issues, providing an opportunity for timely medical care, risk assessment and specialist referrals.

The Community Legal Service will provide patients with a direct referral pathway to free family violence and family law legal services. Lawyers will work onsite alongside our Social Work Department, enabling patients to access legal services within the hospital setting. This will help make appropriate assistance more accessible and responsive to patient need.

Jason Cirone, Chief Allied Health Officer, says, “We are really proud to partner with Whittlesea Community Connections to help support affected patients and their children through their difficult circumstances.”

Both organisations will continue to raise awareness of family violence and build staff capacity through collaborative and ongoing education. This will strengthen staff knowledge and skills to more effectively identify patients who may benefit from legal support and connect them with appropriate services.

Elisse Buchlak, Principal Solicitor at Whittlesea Community Connections, says, “Having Northern Health’s Allied Health Team join us in a Health Justice Partnership has been a significant milestone for our Safe Journeys Project, which is supported through the Department of Justice and Community Safety. We have been able to receive referrals directly for patients experiencing family violence who may never have been able to access free legal advice or may not have been aware that these services were available. The partnership provides them with a safe and accessible referral point directly to our family law/family violence community lawyers. We are grateful to the Allied Health Leadership Team for making this partnership happen so that we can reach more people experiencing family violence and advise them on their legal rights and options.”

Northern Health and Whittlesea Community Connections are committed to creating safer environments and reducing the barriers that prevent victim-survivors from disclosing violence and accessing support and safety.

Tanya Ellis, SHRFV Program Manager, says, “In response to the Family Violence Legal Reforms and the introduction of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment & Management (MARAM) Framework, we have implemented a whole-of-hospital approach to address this serious health issue. A whole-of-hospital approach is essential to effectively identify and respond to family violence, as disclosures can occur at any stage of a patient’s healthcare journey. This approach promotes trauma-informed, coordinated and consistent practice across the organisation and the wider integrated service system.”

This partnership further strengthens our approach and aligns with the MARAM Pillar: Consistent and Collaborative Practice. By establishing streamlined referral pathways and improving access to specialist legal services, we are facilitating a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to family violence risk assessment and management”.

Referrals to Whittlesea Community Connections (WCC):

Patient Referral:

To refer a patient to WCC please refer or consult with Social Work.

Staff Member Referral:

To refer a staff member to WCC please contact a Family Violence Contact Officer

T: 8405 8034 E: nh- familyviolencecontactofficer@nh.org.au

For further information and education:

Family Violence MARAM Learning Hub available on LMS

Pictured in featured image:

Northern Health: Yue Hu, Director, Aboriginal Support Unit & TALS, Anthea Elliot, Social Work Clinical Lead, Tanya Ellis, SHRFV Program Manager, Diana LiRosi, Social Worker Whittlesea Community Connections: Elisse Buchlak, Principal Solicitor and Randa Rafiq, Fantanesh Gebiresilasie, Michelle Martinez, Community Lawyers.