Communities and Justice

Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Support and Initiatives

Where can I get help for domestic,  family and sexual violence 

If you or someone you know is in critical danger, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. 

If you are not in an emergency situation, free and confidential support is available to you.  A number of Aboriginal specific services are available for you to call for free and confidential support, these include: 

Aboriginal services

  • Brother to Brother Crisis Support Line: 1800 435 799 

You can find other free services for domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) support contacts and more information if you are Aboriginal person and experiencing domestic and family violence. on DCJ’s webpage to call here

In NSW, Aboriginal families and communities continue to experience violence in all its forms at alarming rates, creating ongoing social, wellbeing, health, and economic impacts. This is further aggravated by the compounding impacts of colonisation, intergenerational and collective trauma, racism, oppression, and disempowerment.  

Closing the Gap Target 13 – families and households are safe

DCJ is the NSW Government lead for Closing the Gap Target 13 – families and households are safe:

Reducing the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by at least 50% as progress towards zero – [callout box]

Within DCJ, our Aboriginal-led Family Violence team lead this work. We have strong connections to Country and community across NSW and hold subject matter expertise in domestic, family and sexual violence and working with Aboriginal people, communities and families within a trauma context.

We are responsible for contributing to and leading NSW policy and system reform under domestic and family violence governance and Closing the Gap Priority Reforms.

We understand the importance of elevating community-based and community-informed responses, and our work is in partnership with NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO) and Aboriginal communities, organisations and subject matter experts. 

Programs and initiatives

The Family Violence Team leads a range of programs and initiatives aimed at addressing DFSV in Aboriginal communities.

A program of work elevating Aboriginal ways of responding to the impacts of violence and enhancing frontline Aboriginal DFSV workforce through community-led co-design. This approach centres Aboriginal leadership and voice, prioritising self-determination, prevention, early intervention, healing and recovery for Aboriginal families. 

The NSW Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan

As a Closing the Gap Target 13 priority, NSW is developing its first dedicated NSW Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan (the plan) through a partnership with the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT.

We will release the plan in 2025, it will align with:

The Aboriginal Community and Police Joint Response to Domestic and Family Violence Program

This model is being co-designed to provide a localised and shared response to DFV matters for Aboriginal communities, promote place-based responses, improve quality of care and culturally appropriate responses to domestic and family violence  embedding Aboriginal ways of working.

Toomelah Safehouse project

The Toomelah safehouse project is a social-reinvestment project co-designed with Toomelah Aboriginal community members and interagency partners. 

Aboriginal Child and Family Centres Aboriginal Family Wellbeing and Violence Prevention project

12 Aboriginal male and female DFSV positions have been developed in partnership with, Aboriginal Child and Family Centres (ACFCs) and Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Services. The positions align with  the  NSW Health Aboriginal Family Wellbeing and Violence Prevention Strategy to provide holistic, culturally responsive, trauma informed, and timely support to individuals and families who experience DFSV.

The Aboriginal Domestic and Family Violence Court Support Program

The Aboriginal DFSV Court Support Program supports Aboriginal families with a domestic violence matter before the Moree or Gunnedah DFV List Court.  This could include families where a member has an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) in place.

The program will provide support, information, and referral services to Aboriginal people and families who are experiencing domestic and family violence.

If you would like to refer yourself or someone else into the program please use the online form.

The Aboriginal Family Violence Healing Model

The Aboriginal Family Violence Healing Model is a framework to support Aboriginal families experiencing family violence including the persons using violence. Safety is foundational to the model which recognises Aboriginal families often want to stay in contact but want the violence to stop.The model will be underpinned by and integrate Aboriginal culture, values, and healing approaches, along with broader trauma informed service delivery to strengthen safety, accountability, functionality, and healing for all members of the family. 

Contact us

For more information, updates and enquiries please contact the Family Violence team TAOFamilyViolence@dcj.nsw.gov.au

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