ABORIGINAL FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION

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ABORIGINAL FAMILYVIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGAL
SERVICE(FVPLS Victoria)
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• FVPLS Victoria
• Incorporated in October 2002
• Is an Aboriginal Community Controlled
  Organisation
• Based in Melbourne
• Provides Outreach service to Regional Victoria
• Is one of 26 similar services funded by AGD
• Part of the National Family Violence Prevention
  and Legal Services Program
• Operates in accordance with the FVPLS Operational
  framework
• Is responsive to the diverse and unique needs of
  Victorian Indigenous communities

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FVPLS Principles

• All Individuals have the right to be free from
  violence
• All forms of family violence are unacceptable
• Safety and wellbeing of those subjected to family
  violence must be the first priority of any
  response
• The community has a responsibility to work toward
  the prevention of family violence and to
  demonstrate the unacceptability of all forms of
  family violence

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FVPLS Victorias Objectives

• To provide assistance to victims of family
  violence
• To reduce the incidence of violence and abuse in
  communities through community education and
  advocacy
• To increase the recognition of the problem of
  violence and abuse in communities through
  community education and advocacy
• To facilitate long term solutions to violence and
  abuse in communities

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FVPLS Victorias Staff

• CEO
• Solicitors (6-7 days)
• Office Manager
• Sexual Assault Worker/Counsellor

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• Current Activities

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FVPLS Victorias Service Delivery Priorities

• Set out in the National Family Violence
  Prevention and Legal Services Operational
  Framework
• Legal Advice and Casework assistance
• Counselling to victim/survivors of family
  violence and sexual assault
• Assistance to victim/survivors of sexual assault
• Information, support and referral services
• Community awareness preventative initiatives
• Referral to mediation services
• Referral to perpetrator services

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Priority areas of law

• Family violence intervention orders
• Sexual assault
• Child protection
• Criminal compensation
• Family law (where it relates to family violence)

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Counselling, Information, Referral and Support

• Crisis counselling
• Ongoing counselling
• Referral to relevant services eg hospitals and
  community health centres
• Information on family violence and sexual assault
  
• Practical Support and assistance - accessing
  services

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Metropolitan Regional Victoria

• To make FVPLS Victorias services more
• accessible
• Free call 1800 legal advice and counselling
• Regional Legal Advice Clinics
• Metropolitan Legal Advice Clinics
• Regional and Metropolitan Information and
  Awareness sessions
• Provision of outreach counselling and legal
  services at metropolitan organisations

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Partnerships and Links

• Established links with key Indigenous and non
  Indigenous service providers in metropolitan and
  regional areas (ongoing)
• Represented on a number of local, state and
  national committees

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Other Projects

• Development and Accreditation of a family
  violence support and advocacy workers curriculum
• Is Prison Obsolete Conference (partnership with
  Sisters Inside Inc Koori Womens participation
  at conference)