Automatic language translation
Our website uses an automatic service to translate our content into different languages. These translations should be used as a guide only. See our Accessibility page for further information.
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
Aboriginal Contact Line: 1800 019 123
13YARN: 139276
Well Mob: https://wellmob.org.au/get-help/
Brother to Brother Crisis Support Line: 1800 435 799
Wirringa Baiya: 1800 686 587
Aboriginal Legal Service: 1800 765 767
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.
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.
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.
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 Safety Grant Program launched from July 2025. This initiative is a key step in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors, their children and families, and people who use or are at risk of using domestic, family and sexual violence.
This program aims to:
This grant program supports the delivery of Target 13 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the focus areas of the upcoming NSW Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan.
A total of 32 grants were awarded in July 2025 to a diverse range of applicants, including Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), Aboriginal organisations and sole traders, and non-government organisations (NGOs) in partnership with Aboriginal organisations.
This grant program represents a significant investment in community-led solutions that are grounded in cultural knowledge, healing and empowerment. Delivered over 12 months, some of the grants focus on primary prevention, while others focus on healing and recovery.
Read the full list of grant recipients and programs on the NSW government website.
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.
The Toomelah safehouse project is a social-reinvestment project co-designed with Toomelah Aboriginal community members and interagency partners.
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 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 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.
For more information, updates and enquiries please contact the Family Violence team TAOFamilyViolence@dcj.nsw.gov.au
Last updated: