In this issue

Big warm welcome to..

Catholic Care DFV Response Program, who have partnered with Helem Yumba to support victims and perpetrators of DFV in Central Queensland.

https://www.catholiccare.org/

We have recently had discussions with two services that have not been able to join the Police Referral Network at this time but thought it worth sharing their details with you all as it might just assist someone who comes across your path.

13YARN (13 92 76)
https://www.13yarn.org.au/

This service is the first national service of its kind for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people in crisis. 13YARN provide crisis support 24/7 to yarn in a culturally safe space about needs, worries or concerns. It is a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

 Whitecloud Foundation Tele-Mental Health Service
https://whitecloudfoundation.org/

For treatment and support when you need it call 07 3155 3456

No referral required. No mental health plan needed. No need to travel. No cost to you.

1. Strive to improve TAT – turn around times of Police Referrals actioned. Remember to try 3 attempts at contact with referred clients over 2 days and then the referral can be closed off in the Police Referral System.
2. Please complete the Outcomes Component for appropriate referrals. It’s so easy to do and benefits the Police Referrals Program results. See tip sheet here.
3. Please keep us updated with any service changes particularly around staff movement. We do regular user audits for the Police Referrals so any staff that may not require access please inform us to help maintain security.
4. It is worth sharing that the system will lock your access after 6 weeks of inactivity. If this does happen please email us at rmcs@redbourne.com.au and we can assist.

Police Referral Outcome Summary as supplied by one of our Far North Service Providers QuIHN Cairns.

A, a 35-year-old female, was referred to QuIHN via the Police referral system in May 2021. A completed an initial screen in May 2021 and began face to face counselling in July 2021.

A’s primary treatment goal was to understand her alcohol use and to work towards reducing her alcohol consumption. She disclosed that she was consuming up to 2 cartons of beer on weekends and her alcohol issues were impacting her relationship with her partner, in particular communication was strained, and domestic violence concerns precipitated police involvement and her referral for counselling.

A attended 3 face-to-face counselling sessions throughout July-August 2021 and was closed in September after several attempts to follow up were made when she ceased engagement without notice. During A’s engagement in counselling sessions, she had gained some insight around the factors that were impacting on her life and had set some clear and achievable goals to work towards reducing her alcohol consumption safely and setting limits for her use.

A referral to Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service was discussed and A was aware of the 1800RESPECT telephone support number to call if needed. At her last counselling session, A reported that she was drinking less than usual, and things had improved with her partner. She had begun working on a plan with her partner to address their ongoing issues and had developed a plan for managing the settings in which she would drink.

QPS Corner

May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month (#DFVPM2022) and this year’s theme is, All of us, together.

This theme reminds us that to achieve real and lasting positive cultural change, all levels of society need to be involved and take action against domestic and family violence (DFV).

We are excited to announce that as part of our ongoing commitment to take action against DFV, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has enhanced the Police Referrals process. As of 4th April 2022, the QPS commenced sharing Domestic Violence Protective Assessment Framework (DV-PAF) indicators completed by QPS officers with specialist DFV services providers. This information sharing, which includes category 1&2 DFV specific risk factors and victim fear level, will support service providers with triage and prioritisation of DFV referrals to enhance victim safety and perpetrator accountability.

This initiative supports the Third Action Plan of the Queensland Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016 – 2026, specifically: Enhancing integrated service responses and service sector capacity to respond effectively to those who experience domestic and family violence from crisis to recovery.

DV-PAF indicators are outlined in Appendix 9.1 Domestic Violence Protective Assessment Framework (DV-PAF) of the QPS Operational Procedures Manual which is publicly available here.

I believe the sharing of the DV-PAF indicators with specialist DFV services providers demonstrates how, All of us, together, can collaborate to effectively respond to those who experience domestic and family violence, support them from crisis to recovery, and continue to progress towards a Queensland free from domestic and family violence #EndDV.

To further support DFVPM2022, the Queensland Government suggests including the below hashtags on social media posts and in communications. Additionally, visit the DFVPM2022 Toolkit to access a suite of downloadable electronic resources.

• #DFVPM2022
• #EndDFV
• #notnownotevertogether

By now, you’ve no doubt noticed that I ask for Good News stories each bulletin edition. The reason I do this is because we honestly need more. We continue to share the Good News stories you have provided in the past, but we need more!

Do you have a Good News story as a result of a Police Referral? If so, please take a moment or two to submit them via email to the QPS Police Referrals team at Police.Referrals@police.qld.gov.au.

By highlighting to QPS members the incredible difference you make to our most vulnerable Queenslanders, I am able to provide district education to QPS members about the benefit and effectiveness of Police Referrals.

De-identified Good News stories help us to showcase Police Referrals externally during stakeholder engagement sessions, in our Year in Review documentation, and in many other events throughout the year.

Good News stories provide an opportunity for our team to showcase the effectiveness of Police Referrals. By sharing this information on our internal QPS communication platform Workplace (a platform very similar to Facebook – see example below) I can:

• share stories about the referred client’s Police Referral journey
• share the outcome of Police connecting vulnerable persons with a support service
• highlight the value of connecting with supports
• enhance the quality of future referrals
• showcase providers who have joined our Police Referrals network
• update officers about providers who are no longer within our network
• remind officers about matters you raise with the Police Referrals team, including:

o             referring against the most appropriate category

o             appropriate information within a referral

o             confirming contact details and recording safe to contact methods correctly

o             parent/guardian information in referrals for youth under 16 years.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to strengthen our relationships to understand the support you provide to our referred clients, and to identify opportunities for improvement. Should you wish to arrange a meeting, please contact the team at Redbourne via rmcs@redbourne.com.au or the QPS Police Referrals team via Police.Referrals@police.qld.gov.au.

Until next time, thank you for all your work in helping to build safe, caring and connected communities, but most importantly, stay safe and well.

Project Coordinator Amanda Hagaman