2024 Safe & Together™ Model Asia Pacific Conference
VIRTUAL ATTENDEES
Virtual attendees will receive access information directly from the following email address: SafeTogetherAPConference-11368-1708657959@ineventmail.com
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NEW: Now In Person and Fully Streaming ALL 3 DAYS!
You can attend both the Masterclasses & Conference online
Empower Your Practice: Join the Global Community at the Safe & Together Model 2024 Asia Pacific Conference on March 13-15, 2024!
Turn Commitment into Action
Professionals from around the world are coming together for an intensive 3-day journey into the heart of the Safe & Together Model. Connect with international experts, frontline practitioners, and policy-makers dedicated to ending family violence.
- Hands-On Learning: Engage in practical, scenario-based workshops that will sharpen your skills and deepen your understanding of how to support families affected by domestic violence.
- Expert Insights: Hear from leaders in the field as they share cutting-edge research, policy developments, and inspiring success stories from across the globe.
- Networking Opportunities: Build lasting connections with professionals across disciplines in a collaborative environment dedicated to systemic change.
- Resource-Rich Environment: Access a wealth of materials and tools that can transform your practice and enhance collaborative responses to domestic violence.
**Recordings will be available to all registrants for on-demand viewing for six months following the live conference**
We apologize for any omissions in the PDF program due to event deadlines.
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Who Should Attend?
- Social Workers
- Child Protection Professionals
- Domestic Violence Advocates
- Legal Professionals
- Law Enforcement Officers
- Mental Health Practitioners
- Policy Makers
- Researchers
- Educators
- Healthcare Providers
The Safe & Together Model in the First Nations Context
Jackie Wruck – Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Safe & Together
This workshop will explore how the Safe & Together Model can support practice approaches with First Nations families in a more culturally sensitive way that incorporates the Aboriginal worldviews of being, doing, seeing, and knowing. This workshop will highlight and acknowledge the complexities of working with First Nations families affected by colonisation and domestic and family violence.
Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers
A Deep Dive Into the Paradigm Shift Behind the Safe & Together Model
David Mandel – CEO, Safe & Together
In his latest book, the Safe & Together Model revolutionizes responses to domestic violence. Author David Mandel debunks six professional myths hindering effective practices and systems. He emphasizes addressing gender double standards in parenting for meaningful system changes. This workshop will include practice exercises that will help Certified Trainers deepen their application of the Model in training and their own practice.
An Introduction to the Safe & Together Model
Hayley Tuttle
In this masterclass, participants will be introduced to the Principles, Critical Components, and other key aspects of the paradigm-shifting Safe & Together Model. Participants will learn how the Model’s concepts, skills and tools can transform individual practice, agencies culture and systems, and cross-sector collaboration. Learn about partnering with survivors, keeping children safe and intervening with perpetrators as parents. Participants are guaranteed to leave the session with new practices they can implement immediately.
The “Myth of the Child Witness”: How professionals can align their practice with children’s experience of domestic violence.
David Mandel
The discussion of domestic violence and children has been dominated by the concepts of the “child witness to violence” or “children exposed to violence.” While reflecting a critical pathway to harm from domestic violence perpetrators’ behaviors– seeing and hearing violence–it is an incomplete framework for fully and truly hearing the voice of the child and holding perpetrators accountable as parents. In this keynote, David Mandel will critique current assessment practices related to children and domestic violence and offer practical, solution-driven changes to bring domestic violence policy and practice more in alignment with child survivors’ lived experiences.
Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: Tackling gender expectations to create real change
David Mandel
Early in the twenty-first century, we still have strongly differing ideas about the behaviors associated with mothering and fathering. And these differences have consequences for how our systems respond to domestic violence where children are present. In this keynote, David Mandel will explore how true transformation in how systems protect children from domestic violence requires a radical change in what we expect from mothers and fathers. In this presentation, he will explore how fathers’ relationship to family functioning is minimized or ignored. He’ll discuss how empathy often fails as a strategy for improving practice with mothers who are domestic violence survivors. David will talk about how higher standards for fathers and more holistic assessments of mothers’ protective efforts, i.e., giving mothers more formal credit for what they do, is the key to better outcomes across child protection, family court, and other systems.
A Fresh Breath: A day in the life of a woman you know
Nneka MacGregor
We know that the most common forms of physical violence against women survivors are hits to the head, face, and neck, including strangulation. What is less known is that a significant number of survivors who have experienced these forms of violence are likely also living with a brain injury as a result. In her keynote, Nneka MacGregor will address the intersection of interpersonal violence and traumatic brain injuries. By looking at a day in the life of a survivor, Ms. MacGregor will surface the complex and layered realities for women living with gender-based violence-inflicted traumatic brain injuries as they try to find safety and support while navigating systems and help frontline workers get a deeper understanding of these realities and provide strategies to support survivors at that intersection better.
Plenary Panel: First Nation Practitioners & the Safe & Together Model
Jackie Wruck, Marlene Lauw & Berna Thurgate
In this panel discussion, First Nation practitioners will share their experience using the Safe & Together Model in the context of community. The panel will explore the intersection of the Model and cultural safety and offer examples of how the Model’s holistic and “whole of the family” approach has worked in First Nations contexts. The panel will also consider First Nation ways of knowing, doing, and being, which can help the Model be best applied to the context of community and colonization.
Using the Safe & Together Model to Support the Rights of the Child in Domestic Violence Cases
David Mandel – CEO, Safe & Together Institute
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) outlines how children have the right to express their opinions in matters that relate to them. It says that the government should ensure the “views of the child (are) being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child… the child shall, in particular, be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body…” This has particular relevance to cases involving domestic violence in child protection and family law courts. These decisions can have wide and far-reaching implications for children’s relationships with their parents, siblings, and kin. Decisions made by these systems often also have profound implications for child safety and well-being. In this workshop, David Mandel will outline how the Safe & Together Model offers a consistent child-centered framework that supports children’s needs being heard and considered at every point in government decision-making related to children.
Seven research projects with Safe & Together 2015-24: What have we learned about addressing child safety?
Cathy Humphreys – University of Melbourne, Margaret Kertesz – Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne, Cherie Toivonen – Managing Director, CLT Byron Consulting and Marlene Lauw – Statewide Senior Educator, Aboriginal Programs, NSW Health, Education Centre Against Violence, Michele Robinson – Director, Evidence to Action, ANROWS and David Mandel – CEO, Safe & Together Institute
In this presentation, we review nearly a decade of research collaboration between the Safe & Together Institute and a research team at the University of Melbourne. We ask ourselves: What has been learned? Since 2015, seven projects have explored the application of the Safe & Together Model to Australian practice, aiming to mitigate the risks posed to children and their mothers by people (mostly partners or fathers) using violence or coercive control. These projects have focussed on the interface between child protection and specialist DFV services, working with fathers who use violence, the intersection between a person’s use of violence and parental AOD use or poor mental health, and attention to children. They have had an impact on direct practice, policy, and service system alignment and the development of the Safe & Together Model itself.
The workshop will begin with some reflections by Professor Cathy Humphreys on the collaboration and the research over the last decade. This will be followed by an overview of the seven projects and the key learning from each. A panel discussion will explore the impacts of these projects from the perspectives of the Safe & Together Institute, the research team, Aboriginal trainers, and a key contractor of the research. The panel, facilitated by Margaret Kertesz, will conclude the presentation with questions taken from the audience.
Improving the family law system response to domestic and family violence
Janet Carmichael – Executive Director, Court Children’s Service Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Jennifer Crawley – Senior Judicial Registrar and Director – National Registrar Operations, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and Hayley Foster – Director, Family Violence / Director, Access, Equity and Inclusion, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
Since 2021, a raft of world-first initiatives have been introduced by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) to improve both the Courts’ and the broader family law system’s response to family violence and other forms of risk. These initiatives include confidential screening and triaging on application, enhanced support service referral, the introduction of specialist lists, enhanced information sharing with child protection authorities and police. Concurrent with the rollout of these initiatives, the FCFCOA has undertaken an ongoing and widespread program in which judges, registrars and social science staff have been comprehensively trained in the Safe & Together Model, with senior court staff working closely with the model’s founder, David Mandel, in the application of the model to the family law context. This workshop will provide an overview of these initiatives and outline how the model has been systemically integrated into the way that the Courts manage family law cases. The presenters will also give examples of how the initiatives and training undertaken by the Court are having a positive ripple effect across the broader family law system.
The Safe & Together Model in action: Building a shared understanding of Substance Use Coercion
Emma Shaw – Acting Manager Child and Family Services, Tania Milburn – AOD Specialist Family Violence Advisor and Alannah Cavalieri – AOD Family Violence Advisor, Odyssey House Victoria
Odyssey House Victoria (OHV) provides alcohol and other drug treatment across metropolitan and regional areas of Victoria. OHV’s work intersects with multiple sectors, including family violence, mental health, child protection, justice, housing and disability. Over the past 5 years OHV has been on a journey of embedding both the statewide MARAM framework reforms, as well as the Safe & Together Model, into building a Family Violence proficient practice across the organisation.
A key part of this journey has been developing an approach and accompanying language for Alcohol and other Drug clinicians to use, in order to unpack, map and better document the tactics and realities of substance use coercion. Substance use coercion is defined as “coercive tactics where a person using violence leverages their own or their partners AOD use, which forms part of a broader pattern of abuse[1].” These tactics have been articulated by Victim Survivors for many years, but have only recently emerged in in a burgeoning evidence and practice base.
We will be sharing how OHV has utilized the Safe & Together Perpetrator Mapping Tool and the Intersections Approach exploring how perpetrators Cause, Exacerbate, Interfere, Weaponize & Fabricate
Victim Survivor’s substance use. This conversation supports the development of both a practical & shared language – a language that can visiblise and advocate effectively across sectors, to better reflect the complexities at the intersection of AOD and family violence. And in doing so, strive to be better equipped to respond to substance use coercion, resist collusion with persons using violence and to truly partner with victim/ survivors.
Children have a voice! (Keeping Father’s accountable and in the therapy room)
Fiona Brown – Team Leader Child and Youth Counselling, Community Action Gympie
The child and Youth counselling team at Gympie Regional DFV service have implemented the Safe & Together model when working with Mother’s/Carers and their children. The five Critical Components are the basis for partnering with Mother’s to gather information from about their earliest experiences with PUV from dating to how the behaviours impacted her and the children.
By using the S&T questions about the PUV’s behaviour, we explore how the children have experienced being fathered and how the PUV’s behaviour has impacted the family functioning and each child’s functioning. The first step of counselling is for the children to feel safe and secure. Although all the counsellors are experts at connecting with children. Once a bond and relationship is established the child is able to lead the sessions and may choose to share their experiences or process their emotions through art, sand tray, play, clay, role playing, movement or just having space to lie down.
The PUV is brought into the room when the timing is right for the child and they are fully supported to share their perspective of their experience with the PUV.
The Caboolture Prison Release Taskforce (PRT): An Integrated Service Response developing “Interruption Plans” while working with incarcerated perpetrators of domestic and family violence
Carolyn Cochrane – Domestic Violence System Coordination Facilitator, DVSC Mercy, Metta Trousdell – Program Officer (Walking with Dads) Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services and Angela Pritchard – DFV Coordination Lead, Mercy Community
The PRT intentionally and actively addresses the Caboolture integrated service responses and human well-being simultaneously. Creating change and shifts can be challenging within a siloed system with each agency at times having differing goals, limitations, varied financial resources and legislated jurisdictions. In this session we will learn about the forming of a collaboration using the Safe & Together Model as the foundation and shared language for a community of practice (CoP) to address these challenges for perpetrator accountability.
The collaboration utilised an Information Session from David Mandel on the Safe & Together Framework, and the learnings from Rodney Vlais a leader on Behaviour Change and DFV in Australia who provided consultations on the project. The PRT group developed an Interruption Plan that can assist the management and monitoring of perpetrators being released from prison, assist assessing risk to survivors and family members (children), to promote, record and evidence behaviour change.
The session will review the development of the Interruption Plan and show how the Safe & Together framework was used to solidify collaboration with a focus on:
• What is vital for collaborative coordinated multi-agency practice for perpetrator accountability and intervention
• Working with Men as Parents: Fathers’ Parenting Choices Matter
The session will cover how the group utilised the multiple pathways to harm approach, the choose to change network, survivor-led work and the focus on good outcomes for survivors. It will also demonstrate how the group were able to work within the current legislation for Information Sharing.
The session will demonstrate how the principles inform the Plan and seek consent as a two-way process to support partnering with the survivor and for practitioner’s to work on both internal and external motivations for change and set goals for perpetrator accountability. Finally, it will discuss the successes, the challenges, and highlight future recommendations.
Mapping coercive control through an intersectionality approach
Jolene Ellat – CEO, DART Institute Inc.
Many factors combine to form an individual’s identity and experience. Intersectionality can be defined as different aspects of a person’s identity that can expose [that person] to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation. These aspects can include gender, class, ethnicity and cultural background, religion, disability and sexual orientation. It is critical that family violence service providers and agencies adopt an intersectional approach. In the context of family violence, this means that services need to identify how the factors noted above can be associated with different sources of oppression and discrimination, and how those intersections can lead to increased risk, severity, and frequency of experiencing different forms of violence. Practitioners should appreciate the role that multiple sources of identity play in a person’s lived experiences, and be accessible, inclusive, non-discriminatory, and responsive to the needs of diverse groups. Join DART Institute on a transformative workshop here we dive into intersectional layers, how perpetrators weaponise these layers and how they become barriers for survivors in seeking supports.
“He is an abusive partner, but he is a good dad”
Mark O’Hare – Operations Manager and Colleen West – Business Manager, Stopping Family Violence
This workshop will discuss the systems responsibility to not only challenge the common statement “He is an abusive partner, but he is a good dad” but to also take an active part in lifting the parental expectations of fathers.
Where did we go so wrong?
Jen Korn – Program Manager, Act for Kids, Rockhampton
They were invisible… they were just another family….. until they weren’t”. I have told this story on so many occasions. The family has provided consent. This is their story that they have entrusted me with.
*This is the story of a Mum who was brutally murdered in an act of Domestic and Family Violence. Her two young daughters witnessed the murder while their brother was at home wondering how long it would be until he heard the news that his father had taken his own life.
*The immediate impact for the family? A family that had just been torn a part now needed to come together but in a different form. Grandparents who lived in a different town and who had just retired…. Suddenly became full time carers. An Uncle who had a home, partner and career had to give it all up to move into a home with his aging parents and his nieces and nephew.
*The uncovering of a secret life of Domestic and Family Violence. As more information came out from the court case, police reports, people talking…. a new grim story was discovered.
*Where are they 3 years on? A Legacy has been built and will continue to grow. A new secure housing unit has been named in Karen’s honour. Books have been published and donated, events have been attended and a family has mourned and grieved and finally come together.
*What has changed in our sector? Honestly, not much from an agency point of view. Created a fierce advocate that will continue to say “I hope that no other family has to go through this”.
Applying the Safe & Together Model: Putting children & young people at the forefront of practice while reducing risk & trauma and rising up out of a vortex of destructive practice
Emma Rogers – DFV Principal Project Officer, Seniors and Disability Services and Megan Duffy – Senior Team Leader, Department of Child Safety, QLD Department of Child Safety
In Queensland, the amendments to the Child Protection Act 1999 implemented in 2023 were to reinforce the children’s rights and strengthen their voice in decision-making. How does this translate into practice when a child or young person is living with DFV perpetrated by their father? We will present a deidentified case that demonstrates this. We will explore our shift from destructive practice to proficient DFV practice by applying the Safe & Together Model, to support a reunification of a child from residential care back with their mother. We will present in detail how practice spiraled down into a vortex of oppressive practice and led to the child being removed and placed in residential care for a long period of time, and by applying the Safe & Together Model we rose out of the vortex with a comprehensive understanding of risk, trauma and safety. The adult and child survivors’ views and wishes were heard and acted on. We will discuss the importance of whole-sector action and shared responsibility for needless removals and the necessity of multiagency work in reducing the risk for children and supporting children to be safe and together with their mothers.
The benefits of collaboration – using your network
Clare Brady – Practice Consultant FDV Services, Anglicare WA, Simone Ruscuklic – Family Services Practice & Performance Lead, Anglicare Victoria, and Lynda Dunstan – Family and Domestic Violence Advisor, Anglicare Sydney
As a result of the 2023 conference in Melbourne, networks were made between Anglicare WA, Anglicare Victoria, Anglicare Sydney and Anglicare South Queensland. The practice leads in these organisations met online following the conference and identified the benefits in supporting each other through the implementation and embedding of the model, with tips on training and sharing resources. We identified that we were all doing similar things in our respective organisations, reviewing and updating policies and procedures and writing frameworks and we should pool resources to share information to prevent us all from ‘reinventing the wheel’ as well as build a supportive network to help smooth the road of the implementation and embedding journey. In this presentation we will share the benefits and importance of collaboration and how sharing the journey, the pitfalls and the wins can make getting to the destination so much easier.
The Evaluation Outcomes of a Socio-Ecological Framework for supporting Children’s Safety and Recovery that integrates the Safe & Together Model
Catherine Gander – CEO, DV West and Terrianne Hughes – Aboriginal Manager of Wirrawee Gunya, DV West
DV West’s Children and Young People’s DFV Specialist Program commenced in September 2022 with a Specialist Children’s worker employed at each refuge to work directly with children and young people in partnership with their mother/carers, who are engaged in our Refuges, Transitional Houses and Outreach Services. This program is guided by “The Children and Young Person’s Framework: Supporting families in domestic and family violence refuges and services (CYP Framework) (Gander, 2015)”.
The CYP Framework recognises that there are many negative and cumulative impacts of domestic and family violence on children and young people, but also acknowledges that children have their own agency, strengths, resistance, and coping strategies. It draws on a growing body of literature exploring the complex range of the strategies that children and young people use to cope and recover. While children and young people are victims/survivors of domestic and family violence ‘in their own right’, the CYP Framework recognises that their recovery requires intervention that addresses the contexts of their lives: their experiences and developmental stage
their relationship with their mother/carer and with their wider family/Kinship network and the interconnection with broader social and community life.
This presentation will draw on the Safe & Together Partnering Approach with victim-survivors, Multiple Pathways to Harm and DV-informed assessment, case planning, and documentation. The aim will be to demonstrate DV West’s specialist practice with Children and Young people and their mother/carers, applying the CYP framework together with the Safe & Together model.
First Nations’ Experience of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV): A Safe & Together Remote Yarning
Deb Hall – Regional Practice Leader, Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Queensland Government, Davina Hickling – Team Leader, Warringu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, Sana Pedro – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice Leader, Warringu ATSI Corporation & Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Queensland Government
A collaboration between Queensland’s Department of Child Safety, the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP) and Warringu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation facilitators, saw the coming together of indigenous DFV program staff from community-controlled organisations across Far North Queensland, including Cape York and Torres Strait Islander communities. All shared the understanding that the DFV experience is different for First Nations women and children: Different from mainstream and from the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse women and children. The collaborators developed a Safe & Together training that intended to respond to the unique cultural environments across a broad geographical footprint and within varied program applications (Family Wellbeing Shelter/Refuge setting). The context, intent, process and outcomes of the training evidenced the requirement for a culturally designed Safe & Together training model. The facilitators knew as indigenous people themselves and/or child protection professionals who have worked within the communities, this presentation would require a different approach that would align with the diverse communities represented and that the model must respond to the Indigenous world view, mainstream intersections and the need to build community capacity to support families.
Collaboration Beyond a Conversation
Samantha Jones – Practice Manager, CatholicCare Sydney and Jessica Langtry – Senior Practitioner, CatholicCare
The intersection of family law and the child protection system often results in setbacks for families, primarily due to a lack of collaboration between these systems. CatholicCare Sydney’s Family Law Counselling program addressed these challenges by applying the principles of the Safe & Together Model in assisting a woman and her two children who were facing continued abuse from her former partner. Despite multiple criminal charges against the perpetrator and an active child protection case, the Family Court did not recognise the risk he posed, ordering equal time with both parents and perpetuating harm.
We took a proactive approach, initiating dialogues with other services to enhance their intervention capacity. Leveraging the Model, we focused on perpetrator patterns, the impact on parenting, and identifying intersections to demonstrate the ongoing harm inflicted post-separation. Through open communication and collaboration, we completed numerous client sessions, child protection reports, referrals, case conferences, and conversations with relevant authorities.
Our commitment to collaborative practice proved instrumental in illustrating the clear link between the children’s harm and the persistent abuse by their father. Consequently, the Family Court ordered the children to be returned to their mother’s sole care, with supervised contact visits for the father, prioritising the children’s safety and well-being. The experience highlighted the importance of patience in collaboration, centring clients’ voices, and empowering practitioners to recognise the link to the perpetrator’s behaviour. In the presentation, we aim to share insights into how the Safe & Together Model can drive systemic change in the family law sector.
Our Journey of Shifting Practice in the Northern Territory
Julieanne Davis – Executive Director of clinical practice and professional services and Denella Detourbet – Senior Aboriginal Practice Leader, Territory Families Housing and Communities
In 2019, the NT commenced implementation of the Safe & Together model, Signs of Safety framework and Aboriginal Cultural Security framework in child protection. The last four years has seen significant shifts in practice and although challenging at times has been an exciting journey. Understanding and providing practical examples as to how the approaches have and do align has been an unique journey with many learnings along the way. We would like to share that journey and some examples of how we have landed in terms of our practice.
A new approach to traditional safety planning
Leah O’Dwyer – Domestic and Family Violence Practitioner, Mercy Community Services
Elliot Larter – Intake Specialist, Mercy Community Services
Our objective when working with families is to empower them to make decisions for their own lives. When working with families to address the risk of domestic and family violence, it is our belief that this needs comprehensive assessment and information gathering, as we are engaging with families who are experiencing multiple and
complex needs.
We work with the persons who are experiencing violence, the persons who are using violence and the wider support network (informal and formal) to develop planning for safety and healing within the home. A large portion of our catchment is in isolated/rural regions, this means that we needed to adapt and develop our approach to what a ‘safety plan’ was and how we could use this within our work to be able to ensure safety for families. This may look different for every family.
Our workshop will facilitate an interactive discussion around innovative ways that we can safety plan with families, including the child/ren. This workshop will focus on the overarching goal of “the safety of the child/ren” and the ways in which we can use safety planning to ensure the safety and well-being of families in our work. Our workshop will discuss the effect of ‘safety planning’ on people who experience violence and how our practice of safety planning is able to empower families to develop a sense of strength in their ability to manage their own lives. The workshop will explore ‘unconscious and conscious biases/assumptions professionals can make when working with families where DFV has been identified and explore ways in which gathering information, exploring the family dynamics and working with the family as a unit
can ensure that our biases are not impacting our work.
A future for men’s behaviour change programs: Can they truly partner with survivors?
Rodney Vlais – Policy Advisor, Trainer and change agent focusing on gender-based violence
Men’s behaviour change programs (MBCPs) – also known as Batterer Intervention Programs, Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes, Partner Abuse Programs and Stopping Violence Programmes – can be an important part of a service system’s response to improve safety and space for action for adult and child survivors. Ideally operating as part of a coordinated community response, these programs attempt to scaffold and support journeys of accountability for men who cause family violence harm, and in the process, contribute to the assessment, management and monitoring of risk.
Domestic violence risk assessment and perpetrator pattern mapping: How might they work together?
Rodney Vlais – Policy Advisor, Trainer and change agent focusing on gender-based violence
Many states, territories and provinces – and sometimes whole nations – have developed their own common domestic violence risk assessment (and risk management) framework. These frameworks typically outline principles, guidance and tools to support services and practitioners to use a common and consistent approach towards assessing and managing risk.
Acts of Resistance and Protection by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Domestic Violence Survivors
Jackie Wruck – Safe & Together Institute, Asia Pacific Regional Manager
This workshop explores the unique resistance strategies and actions used to protect their children employed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are surviving domestic violence. The workshop will consider how Indigenous women resist abuse and violence in their intimate relationships through culturally grounded coping approaches, including connecting to community and Country, preserving traditions and cultural practices, accessing services and healing modalities that are safe and relevant to their needs, and other means of fostering strength, resilience, and wellbeing for themselves and their families. The presenter will help the audience connect these strategies to the Safe & Together Model’s principles and tools, especially partnering and the Perpetrator Pattern Mapping Tool.
The Myth of Parental Alienation
David Mandel – CEO, Safe & Together Institute
The use or misuse of parental alienation in the family court environment, especially in domestic violence cases, is a major source of controversy. This occurs despite the fact that, by definition, parental alienation is not applicable in situations where there are even suspicions of child abuse or domestic violence. Drawing on David Mandel’s book “Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to Transform the Way We Keep Children Safe From Domestic Violence,” this workshop will explore the misapplication of parental alienation in domestic violence cases and alternative approaches to keeping the focus on the harm to children caused by domestic violence perpetrators’ behaviors.
Speakers
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Michele RobinsonDirector, Evidence to Action, ANROWSMichele Robinson has extensive experience in building knowledge partnerships and developing strategies for the translation, application and exchange of research evidence to reduce domestic, family and sexual violence. Michele has provided strategic advice to Australian and international governments and peak bodies on legal, policy and practice initiatives to prevent and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence.
For the last five years in her role as the inaugural Director of Evidence to Action at ANROWS, Michele has led a multidisciplinary team who have had considerable impact on policy and legislative reform in the areas of coercive control, improving police responses to domestic and family violence, and at the intersections between child protection and domestic and family violence services.
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Jessica LangtrySenior Practitioner, CatholicCareJess is the Senior Family Law Counsellor at CatholicCare Sydney’s Family Counselling and Separation Services, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. With a background as the manager of a prominent Government Funded Children’s Contact Centre, Jess has proven her dedication to facilitating positive outcomes for families experiencing separation. As a qualified social worker and supervisor with the Australian College of Applied Professions, Jess leverages over a decade of diverse community service experience. She is also a licensed facilitator of internationally recognised parenting programs. Jess actively contributes to strengthening parent-child relationships and promoting healthy family dynamics through programs such as Keeping Kids In Mind, Circle of Security, and the Wrapped in Angels program.
With a wealth of knowledge and dedication, Jess is a compassionate advocate for families facing challenges, consistently striving to empower and support them through her comprehensive skill set and commitment to professional development.
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Jennifer CrawleySenior Judicial Registrar and Director, National Registrar Operations, Federal Circuit and Family Court of AustraliaJennifer was appointed as a Judicial Registrar in both the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia in October 2020. She was promoted to Senior Judicial Registrar in the FCFCOA in October 2022. In her role as Director of National Registrar Operations, Jennifer works closely with the CEO and Deputy Principal Registrar in support of all registrars and registrar support staff in the FCFCOA.
Before commencing with the Court, Jennifer was the Assistant National Manager in the Office of General Counsel at the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS).
Jennifer commenced practising family law in 2008 in Wollongong before taking up a role with a specialist family law firm in Canberra in 2009. Jennifer worked in private practice, as well as Legal Aid NSW and Legal Aid ACT, before joining AGS and then the Court. Jennifer is an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and managed Legal Aid ACT’s FDR program, and the Helpline and duty solicitor services. Jennifer also managed the Grants Division of Legal Aid ACT during which time she was the primary decision maker in relation to grants of legal assistance. Jennifer was a member of the Legal Profession Act and Ethics Committee of the ACT Law Society for 6 years until 2019. -
Julieanne DavisExecutive Director Clinical Practice and Professional Services, Territory FamiliesJulieanne has lived and worked in Northern Australia for a number of decades. She commenced working as a Youth Justice Officer in the late 80’s in Darwin, Northern Territory and held a number of positions in Community Corrections for approximately 18 years. She then decided with her partner to do a road trip which ended in the Kimberley, Western Australia where she held the position of District Director West Kimberley, Department of Child Protection for over seven years. Julieanne then spent two years as Executive Director Country Services with the Department in WA returning to the Northern Territory in 2017. She commenced with Territory Families in late 2018 and is currently Executive Director Clinical Practice and Professional Services.
Julieanne is passionate about improving outcomes for Aboriginal children and their families and has a keen interest in how systems and attitudes can change to better meet the needs of vulnerable families. As a proud grandmother, Julieanne appreciates that looking after and valuing children and the role of parents will make the world her granddaughters grow up in a safer and kinder place.
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Denella DetourbetSenior Aboriginal Practice Leader, Territory Families, Housing and CommunitiesDenella Detourbet is an Aboriginal woman who was born and raised in Darwin, with family connections throughout Darwin, and Daly River in the Northern Territory, and in the North West Kimberley’s Western Australia.
Denella has worked for Territory Families for more than 7 years, and currently works as a Senior Aboriginal Practice Leader with the Clinical Professional Practice Leadership Directorate, providing professional leadership and direction in strengthening Aboriginal Cultural competency including building practice capability whilst developing a culture of practice excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.
Denella further strengthens productive working relationships with Aboriginal stakeholders, non-government organisations and the local community to enhance collaborative practice with Aboriginal children, families and the community.
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Leah O'DwyerDomestic and Family Violence Practitioner, Mercy CommunityLeah has worked within social welfare/social justice roles for the past 10 years predominantly around regional and rural locations within Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. She completed her bachelor of psychological science in 2014 at La Trobe University in Albury/Wodonga.
Leah has held a diverse range of roles throughout the years working within or alongside statutory Child Protection Services in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
She has significant experience working with a broad range of issues that affect vulnerable families and has worked specifically as a Domestic and Family Violence Practitioner/Specialist in Townsville and Ipswich regions. Within a DFV space, she has provided practice guidance to Intensive Family Support (IFS) Teams, as well as designed and facilitated training regarding intersections of the issues that families may be experiencing, holistic risk assessment and alternative safety planning in a rural/regional setting.”
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Hayley FosterDirector – Family Violence / Director – Access, Equity and Inclusion, Federal Circuit and Family Court of AustraliaHayley Foster, holding a BBus (Ec) LLB (Hons) GDLP GDFDRP GAICD, has been appointed to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia as the Director of Family Violence and Director of Access, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, she advises the Chief Justice and Chief Executive Officer/Principal Registrar on enhancing the Courts’ response to family violence and increasing accessibility for diverse and priority populations.
Hayley is a recognised leader in the field of family, domestic, and sexual violence, with over 20 years of experience creating impactful change in business, community, and government settings.
Throughout her career, Hayley has worked in frontline specialist family, domestic, and sexual violence services, accredited behaviour change, family law practice, family disputes resolution, financial advisory services, training, consulting, policy development, law reform, and organisational leadership.
More recently, Hayley has turned her attention to sector and organisational development, working with a wide range of entities, including government, statutory agencies, judiciary, universities, sports, media, arts, ASX-listed companies, and various industry bodies, supporting boards and executives to drive cultural change for safer, more inclusive organisations. It is this experience base that she now brings to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in this new role.
In the past decade, across multiple roles, Hayley has played a key part in influencing and shaping substantial policy and law reforms at the state and federal levels. These include, but are not limited to, the criminalisation of coercive control, affirmative sexual consent laws, a national curriculum on respectful relationships, paid domestic violence leave, Respect@Work, and prioritising safety in family law. Notable advisory roles include being a member of the Commonwealth Advisory Group for the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, as well as the Fair Work Commission’s Sexual Harassment Working Group. -
Metta TrousdellProgram Officer for the Walking with Dads Program with the Department of Child Safety, Seniors, Disability ServicesI am a Program Officer for the Walking with Dads Program with the Department of Child Safety, Seniors, Disability Services. The Walking with Dads program was developed in response to the identified need to strengthen the engagement of fathers in Child Protection system by implementing the Safe and Together framework as best practice in understanding and responding to families living with domestic and family violence. I have recently completed her first part of my certification to become a Safe and Together trainer and have started presenting to community and Child Safety staff. I have worked in the Child Protection field for the past 10 years working across the continuum, including working on the Domestic Violence High Risk Team in Mackay Queensland as the Child Safety representative. I hold a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of the Sunshine Coast, and most recently I have participated in the MARCC two project alongside Mercy and other government and non-government agencies on the prisoner release program project.
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Angela PritchardDFV Coordination Lead, Mercy CommunityAngela has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University majoring in Psychology and Criminological research. Angela also received her Master of Social Work at ACU.
Following Angela’s career in human services, she held leadership roles in child safety and DFV services. Currently, Angela also serves on the board of a DFV charity and actively participates in Steering Committees within the Legal and DFV sectors.
Following on from Angela completing the S&T Core Training, in 2021, she qualified to become a trainer in Safe & Together and has since successfully facilitated several Safe & Together Core Training sessions. This supports her ability to publicise the strengths of the model in practice, and facilitate several Communities of Practice.
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Colleen WestBusiness Manager, Stopping Family ViolenceColleen has worked in management roles in health and mental health for the last 7 years in Government, not-for-profit and the private sector. Seeing the impact of family domestic and sexual violence through services has influenced a passion for creating change and increased awareness and creating better systems and practices. Colleen has a strong interest in holistic health and well-being and is currently finalising a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science from The University of Notre Dame Australia and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from the Swinburne University of Technology.
Working for Stopping Family Violence since early 2021 as part of the leadership team in engagement with stakeholders to support SFV organisational goals as well as project management, event planning, and delivering training across the organisation. Working on the front line in one of the busiest public emergency departments in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia managing over 200 staff brings an understanding of the role of service response and the role each service must work together for better outcomes. Whilst also bringing the experience of working in the private sector running a busy mental health department that looked after 80,000 employees including managing critical incident responses, well-being programs and general counselling on a global scale for Australian workplaces with the insight of the intersect to the work needed in family, domestic and sexual violence.
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Alannah CavalieriAOD Family Violence Advisor, Odyssey House VictoriaWorking on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin nation, Alannah is employed as an AOD Family Violence Advisor at Odyssey House Victoria. A social worker with 14 years’ experience in both residential and community settings, she is passionate about anti oppressive practice and systems transformation.
Alannah has completed Safe & Together Core and Supervision training.
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Jolene EllatCEO, DART Institute Inc.Jolene Ellat is founder and Director of the Domestic Abuse Resource and Training Group (DART Group) and principal of DART Institute.
Jolene is a domestic family violence (DFV) and sexual violence specialist. She provides research, workforce development consultancy, professional training and supervision for government and non-government agencies and community groups. She provides policy and practice expertise in prevention, early intervention, perpetrator intervention, supervision and trauma recovery. She has a special interest in cultural diversity and competency when working with families from diverse backgrounds.
Jolene is experienced in perpetrator intervention research and training. She worked with peak bodies implementing the COVID-19 response to ensure perpetrator visibility across Western Australia throughout COVID-19 and into economic recovery.
Jolene has a track record for leading multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approaches to FDV intervention. Recently, she conducted research into supporting the Family Domestic Violence Response Teams (FDVRTs) and facilitated cross-sectorial professional development with Police (WAPOL), child protection and the Coordinated Response Service (8 specialist sector agencies).
As a Safe and Together trainer, Jolene has personally delivered CORE training to now over 1000 practitioners across Australia with a global first delivering to the Department of Justice and since, Department of Health. Jolene works with organisations to ensure the model is able to be embedded within heir organisation by specialist consultations prior to training.
Jolene has an impressive academic and research record. Jolene is an active contributor to academic publications. She presents nationally and internationally at conferences and is invited as a guest speaker on live panels. -
Tania MilburnAlcohol and Other Drug, Specialist Family Violence Advisor in Western MelbourneTania Milburn is a social worker who is currently working as an Alcohol and Other Drug, Specialist Family Violence Advisor in Western Melbourne. Tania has a passion for reducing AOD-related harm to individuals and families while advocating for an inclusive and systemic change within service streams particularly for individuals experiencing family violence. She has worked within multiple service areas including mental health, harm reduction, youth, and specialist family violence. Tania’s experience includes direct client work, leadership, social welfare in an outreach capacity, group facilitation, and training. Tania believes in the principles of confidentiality, social justice, access and equality, and the protection of human rights. Tania works on Wurundjeri, Bunurong, and Wadawurrung Country collaboratively with respect, an open mind, and a passion for continued advocacy for change.
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Hayley Tuttle Manager, Regional Services, Greater Darwin Territory Families, Housing and Communities
Hayley TuttleManager, Regional Services, Greater Darwin Territory Families, Housing and CommunitiesHayley Tuttle is a certified Safe & Together Trainer who is currently working in Territory Families, Housing and Communities on Larrakia country. Hayley has a Bachelor Psychology with Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. Hayley is currently completing a Masters in Criminology through Bond University, to be completed in April 2024. As part of the Masters course, Hayley has undertaken research, analysing policy relating to domestic violence-related death review processes globally. Hayley has commenced planning to complete a PhD, researching the connection between perpetrators of domestic abuse, diagnosed personality disorders, and the capability for behaviour change. Hayley has worked in child protection for over 19 years in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Hayley advocates for integrated service delivery where a shared language and co-ordinated response, supports positive outcomes for victim survivors.
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Berna ThurgateBernadette Thurgate is a Ngugi Noonuccal woman from Quandamooka Country and is currently acting as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice Leader in the South East Region of Queensland. Berna is dedicated, motivated and passionate to improving the life outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families who experience vulnerability. Berna believes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children deserve every opportunity to grow up feeling nurtured and safe in a caring environment and to realise and reach their full potential and thrive within their family and community. Berna has worked in the Queensland Government for nearly 30 years, the last 13 have been in a range of roles with a child protection focus and she became a certified trainer in the Safe & Together model in late 2023.
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Terrianne HughesAboriginal Manager of Wirrawee Gunya, DV WestTerrieanne is a proud Wiradjuri Aboriginal woman, with over a decade of experience in Aboriginal program management. Serving as the Aboriginal Manager at Wirrawee Gunya since 2018, she adeptly oversees diverse programs, while managing Aboriginal Domestic Violence Specialist workers.
Terrieanne plays key roles as the Co-Chair of DV West’s Reconciliation Action Plan working group and Chair of the Aboriginal Cultural Reference Group, actively shaping strategies for reconciliation and cultural understanding. A driving force in improving organisational cultural competency, she develops policies and provides support/mentoring for staff.
Terrieanne currently sits on the Board of the local Aboriginal Health Service (GWAHS) and advocates to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Terrieanne is one of a few Aboriginal Certified Safe & Together Trainers in NSW where she has co-delivered the first two Aboriginal only Safe & Together Core Training Programs, with her colleague Kelly Le Mene.
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Lynda DunstanFamily and Domestic Violence Advisor, Anglicare SydneyLynda has worked for Anglicare Sydney for 15 years both as Senior Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Child Consultant at Parramatta Family Relationships Centre, and as DFV Advisor since 2017. Lynda has been an accredited Safe and Together trainer since early 2020. She is passionate about supporting DV survivors and helping both organisations and churches be domestic abuse-informed and proficient in all areas of practice. She is editor of Renew- An Australian Guide for Christian Women Survivors of domestic abuse (2022).
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Simone RuscuklicFamily Services Practice and Performance Lead, Anglicare VictoriaSimone Ruscuklic has been with Anglicare Victoria since 2010 and has been in the Family Services Practice and Performance Lead role for the past eighteen months. Simone has undertaken a variety of roles at AV, from case management to leadership and senior management. Simone has a background in the delivery and oversight of Family Services, Out of Home Care, Family Violence and Community Services. As Family Services Practice and Performance Lead she is responsible for promoting state-wide consistency in implementing best practice approaches, frameworks and legislation. She has played a pivotal role in strengthening the agency’s response to family violence, driving the creation of a comprehensive Family Violence Practice Framework to enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for children, youth and families who have experienced harm from family violence.
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Elliot LarterIntake Specialist, Mercy Community ServicesElliot is currently working as the Intake Specialist for Mercy Community’s Connected Families Program in Ipswich. Elliot obtained his Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Queensland. Since completing his studies, Elliot has engaged in innovative therapeutic work with young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder where video games, such as Minecraft, are used as tools to develop the ability of young people to communicate and build connections.
In his current role, Elliot oversees all referrals that come through for Intensive Family Support (IFS), and works proactively with other services to ensure safety is maintained for families where domestic and family violence has been identified as a concern. Elliot has strived to increase interagency collaboration across the Greater Ipswich region through presentations to stakeholders, and has been integral in discussions around how the Safe and Together model can be implemented further within the IFS space. Elliot completed the Core Safe and Together Training in 2023 and has utilised the model within his own practice when engaging with both parents as part of the IFS intervention.
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David MandelCEO, Founder, Owner, Safe & Together InstituteWith over almost 30 years’ experience in the domestic violence field, David’s international training and consulting focuses on improving systems’ responses to domestic violence when children are involved. Through years of work with child welfare systems, David has developed the Safe & Together™ Model to improve case practice and cross-system collaboration in domestic violence cases involving children. He has also identified how a perpetrator pattern-based approach can improve our ability to help families and promote the development of domestic abuse-informed child welfare systems.
David and the Safe & Together Institute’s staff and faculty have consulted to United States’ child welfare systems in a number of states including New York, Louisiana, New Jersey, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Vermont, Oregon and Ohio. In the last five years, their work has expanded outside the United States with research, training and consultation in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and other countries. The Safe & Together Institute works closely with domestic violence advocates, in the United States and abroad, to help them more effectively work with child protection systems and better advocate for child welfare-involved adult and child domestic violence survivors. David has written and published online courses which has launched a new Safe & Together Model Certified Trainer initiative that will increase the Institute’s ability to support sustainable implementation of domestic abuse-informed practice in the US and abroad.
David has written or co-written journal articles on batterer’s perceptions of their children’s exposure to domestic violence, domestic violence case reading tools, and the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare practice. His chapter on “Batterers and the Lives of Their Children” was published in the Praeger Series Violence Against Women in Families and Relationships.
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Fiona BrownTeam Leader Child and Youth Counselling, Community Action IncFiona is an experienced child focussed practitioner. She has worked in early childhood, been a child safety officer for many years, a referral practitioner and a specialist DFV worker for Family and Child Connect on the sunshine coast before taking on the role of child and youth counsellor in Gympie DFV service. Fiona has also been a parent, has lived experience and has her own business in Mental health and Wellbeing working with women, teens and children specialising in complex trauma recovery and transpersonal development.
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Margaret KerteszSenior Research Fellow, University of MelbourneDr Margaret Kertesz is a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne, with two decades experience in the areas of domestic and family violence, child protection and out-of-home care. Her specific research interests include the impact on children of domestic violence, approaches that promote recovery post-violence, with a focus on evaluation, applied research and knowledge translation. She works in close collaboration with service providers to promote good practice and the systems that support it. She has worked on four research projects involving the Safe & Together Institute.
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Emma ShawActing Manager Child and Family Services, Tania Milburn – AOD Specialist Family Violence AdvisorEmma Shaw is a certified Safe & Together Trainer, who is currently working as an Alcohol and Other Drug, Specialist Family Violence Advisor at Odyssey House. She is a social worker with over 18 years of experience within the social and community sector. Emma has a passion for social justice, advocacy, critical thinking and radical systemic change. She has worked within multiple service areas including mental health, homelessness and specialist family violence. Emma has held positions in numerous workforce areas including direct client work, leadership, program development, project management, workforce development, training and research. Emma believes that when we work collectively in solidarity, we can encourage incredible systemic change. Emma works on Wurundjeri Country.
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Cherie ToivonenManaging Director, CLT Byron ConsultingCherie Toivonen is an independent researcher working in the violence, abuse, and neglect space. Cherie has over 20 years’ experience working on research and evaluation projects. Whilst employed at the University of Sydney she managed two complex multi-agency ARC funded research projects and was the Senior Researcher for the NSW component of three ANROWS funded multi-state research projects. At ANROWS, she led the project that developed the National Risk Assessment Principles for Domestic and Family Violence and held the role of Acting Director of the Research Program. As Managing Director of CLT Byron Consulting she was contracted by the Ministry of Health (NSW Health) to design and run the Adult Survivor Pilot Project which utilised an action research approach to develop new integrated ways of working with adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. Cherie also has extensive experience in teaching and supervision of students in the social work program, across both the Masters and Undergraduate programs at the University of Sydney. She has a continued commitment to teaching and learning within the social work profession and a strong commitment to social justice, feminist principles, and intersectionality, and holds these central to all aspect of her work.
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Cathy HumphreysProfessor of Social Work, University of MelbourneCathy Humphreys is Emeritus Professor of Social Work at University of Melbourne. She specialises in applied research. Seven projects have worked with the Safe & Together Institute using practice-led, action research through facilitated multi-stakeholder workshops and Communities of Practice. This approach reflects a profound interest in knowledge translation to ensure the support of practice through research. Her research focuses on DFV and child abuse. She has a long-term interest in the intersection of DFV with other complexities including mental health and AOD. Cathy Humphreys is a well published author of more than 170 journal articles. She worked at the University of Warwick for 12 years leading a domestic violence and child abuse research centre before returning to Australia in 2006. For 15 years she worked as a social worker.
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Jackie WruckAsia Pacific Regional Manager, Safe & Together InstituteJackie Wruck has been a Certified Trainer with the Safe & Together Institute in Australia since 2017 and joins the Safe & Together Institute as the Asia Pacific Regional Manager! Jackie lives in Queensland, AU, and has been working within the community sector for over 20 years. This included working within Government and Non-Government agencies that worked with vulnerable individuals and families in Australia. Jackie has worked in the fields of Child Protection and Domestic Violence as a frontline practitioner in both advocating and crisis support of families. She has also worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations as a DV Specialist and would consult on cases that involved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Jackie has the lived experience, knowledge and understanding of the issue of DFV in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and was the cultural lead for the Walking With Dad’s program, which is grounded in the Safe & Together Model. Jackie has assisted in bringing both Safe & Together and the Child Protection Child Placement Principles framework together to enhance the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Australia to assist in keeping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children out of the Child Protection system. In addition to training on the Safe & Together Model, Jackie continued to use the Safe & Together Model directly with families as a child protection professional, coaching and consulting on cases with domestic violence. She continues to be committed to the safety and well-being of children and families through practice changes through the Safe & Together Model. Jackie will be representing, assisting and supporting Safe & Together Institute in the development and implementation of the model across Australia and Asia Pacific regions.
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Nneka MacGregorCo-founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Centre for Social JusticeNneka is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Centre for Social Justice, better known as WomenatthecentrE, a unique non-profit created by and for women, trans, and gender-diverse survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) to champion survivor-led innovations in the domestic & family violence field.
She is a Black intersectional abolitionist feminist, international speaker & trainer, and expert advisory panel member of the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. She also co-founded the Black Femicide Canada Council and was appointed as one of two 2024 Activist-in-Residence at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. -
Marlene LauwStatewide Senior Educator – Aboriginal Programs, NSW Health, Education Centre Against ViolenceMarlene Lauw, is a Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal woman who has had extensive experience working with Aboriginal communities providing support, counselling, advocacy and group work. Marlene holds specialised skills and knowledge in competency-based training, supervision and workforce development in the area of trauma, healing, family violence, sexual assault and child protection.
Marlene explores and integrates Aboriginal worldviews and theorise, trauma informed care and healing frameworks in course design and delivery for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal practitioners working in clinical, community and policy settings to increase professional capability in responding to the unique needs of Aboriginal people.
Making change and improving policies and strategies for working with Aboriginal people across the whole of sector is Marlene’s core business and passion and this has been succeeded through much collaboration and partnership with Gov and Non-government organisations across the State.
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Rodney VlaisPolicy Advisor, Trainer and change agent focusing on gender-based violenceRodney Vlais is a psychologist, trainer, supervisor and transformative justice activist contributing towards the end of men’s use of family, domestic and sexualised violence. They are passionate about learning from community-based processes of collective accountability towards how we can respond to people who cause harm, in ways that centralise adult and child victim-survivor struggles for safety, dignity and space for action. Together with the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research, Rodney was responsible for first bringing David Mandel out to Australia just over ten years ago, and has adopted Safe and Together principles and practices into his training since that time.
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Janet CarmichaelExecutive Director, Court Children’s Service Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia,Janet is the Executive Director of the Court Children’s Service in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. In this role, Janet is responsible for the work undertaken by the psychologists and social workers who are engaged by the Court to assist families, registrars and judges make decisions that are in the best interests of children.
Directly prior to joining the Court in 2017, Janet was a Director with the Australian Government’s mental health service for serving and ex-serving defence force members. Janet has held roles managing family counselling, family mediation and men’s behaviour change programs and was the inaugural manager of the Sydney City Family Relationship Centre. In addition to her 18 years in clinical management roles, Janet has over 20 years’ experience doing direct clinical work with children and families. Janet is a registered psychologist and also holds a Master’s degree in
management.Janet has worked closely with David Mandel in the development of the Safe & Together Training for the social scientists working for the Courts.
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Samantha JonesPractice Manager, CatholicCare SydneySamantha Jones is the Practice Manager of CatholicCare Sydney’s Family Counselling and Separation Services. Samantha has extensive experience working with individuals, children, and families impacted by domestic and family violence, who are intersecting with family law, child protection, and mental health systems. Samantha has spent the last few years focused on post-separation domestic violence and child development. Her work has involved the development of evidence-informed play therapy groups for children to improve child outcomes after separation when domestic and family violence is present. She is passionate about supporting children’s voices to be heard to enact real change and supporting whole-of-family approaches to responding to domestic and family violence in the family law sector.
Samantha holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of NSW and a Master of Human Resources (Organisational Change Management) from Charles Sturt University. She is a licensed facilitator of the parenting programs: Keeping Kids In Mind, Tuning Into Kids, and Circle of Security. Samantha has completed the CORE Training, the Supervisors & Managers Training and has recently undertaken the Trainer Certification Program. -
Carolyn CochraneDomestic Violence System Coordination Facilitator, DVSC MercyCarolyn graduated University of Chester (UK) with a BA Hons in Social Work. Carolyn also holds a Diploma in Child Care Health and Education. Carolyn has worked for numerous years in the UK as a Child Protection Social Worker for the local authorities, she has also worked for several foster and kinship care agencies in both UK and Australia, before moving onto DFV crisis and specialist DFV responses.
Carolyn completed Safe & Together training in 2021 and has co-facilitated Community of Practices highlighting the significance of the Model for collaboration. Carolyn recently received an award for developing new or improved processes, methods, systems or services that have inspired or improved outcomes for woman impacted by DFV.
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Mark O'HareOperations Manager, Stopping Family ViolenceMark O’Hare is a Senior Social Worker with over 20 years experience in working in Men’s Behaviour Change Programs, Violent Offender Treatment Programs, Sex Offender Treatment Programs and working with Men with AOD issues. Mark has held a number of positions in government including a specialised FDV Coordinator and consultant role with WA Department of Justice.
Mark’s work with Stopping Family Violence, as Operations Manager has involved extensive consultation across the sector in WA with a focus across FDV advocacy, policy, research and training. Mark is an experienced FDV specialist in WA and fully accredited trainer in the Safe and Together model and Caring Dads program. Mark is also the proud father of two incredible girls.
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Jen KornProgram Manager, ACT for KidsJen’s passion for Domestic and Family Violence prevention and awareness came from when she was a Probation and Parole officer undertaking a Social Work placement. After 4 years she realised that her interest laid with Domestic and Family Violence prevention rather than working with perpetrators who have already been sentenced. She then moved into a case management providing intensive support to families while growing her knowledge of Domestic and Family Violence and the intricacies that are involved. From here her desire to make a difference for Domestic and Family Violence prevention was firmly in place. The next move was into a specialised Domestic and Family Violence role which allowed her to discover the Safe & Together community. Advocating for her community to become Safe & Together aware was her next challenge. From here she moved Management which allowed her to overlay Domestic and Family Violence. Her drive to mentor, provide a supportive workplace and upskill, develop and grow staff, is what bought Jen to Act for Kids. She still very much thrives on “hands on family work” as this is why we work in this field.
She is the Co-Founder of a local Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Charity. The Charity aims to provide free bespoke education sessions to businesses/sporting groups/government agencies, physical support to victims, referral pathways and individualised resources for large companies.
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Emma RogersDFV Principal Project Officer, QLD Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability ServicesEmma has over 25 years of experience working in the social work field in Australia and the UK specifically in the areas of domestic and family violence (women’s refuges and services) and child protection. Emma has developed and worked in the Walking with Dads Program – a QLD child protection program focused on adult and child survivor-led intervention, to design engagement with father/father figures who perpetrate coercive control to increase safety and wellbeing for families. Currently Emma works for the QLD Dept of Child Safety for the Sunshine Coast and Central Region consulting, training, and supporting child protection practitioners to apply and embed the Safe & Together Model to increase safety and wellbeing for families, support reunification of children to their mothers and families, and to stop needless removals of children from their mothers. Emma has been a Safe and Together trainer since 2018 and trained over one thousand practitioners across Queensland.
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Megan DuffySenior Team Leader, Department of Child Safety Department of Child SafetyCurrently a Team Leader at Child Safety, in Rockhampton. I have worked with the Department for 5 years and during my time with child safety have worked with many families experiencing domestic and family violence. I have completed safe and together training and is currently completing my masters in Domestic and Family Violence Practice. In my work with families experiencing DFV, I am passionate about bringing the child’s voice to the forefront, partnering with mothers, and supporting perpetrators to change their abusive behaviours.
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Clare BradyPractice Consultant FDV Services, Anglicare WAClare Brady is the Practice Consultant for FDV Services in Anglicare WA. In this role Clare oversees all FDV services provided by Anglicare WA, working on policies and procedures that underpin our work, provides clinical supervision when required, as well as providing support and guidance to staff working on complex cases. A large part of Clare’s role is sector engagement and program development. Clare is a qualified social worker of 26+ years and has worked in both the victim survivor and perpetrator space. Clare did her initial CORE training in 2020, loved the model and since this time has been working to introduce the model to Anglicare WA’s frontline FDV workers and counsellors throughout 2023 and beyond.
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Catherine GanderCEO of DV WestCat Gander has four decades of experience in the Domestic and Family Violence and Social Justice Sector at a both a policy and practice level, including advocacy for First Nations people. Cat has held the position as CEO of DV West for the past 5 years where she has led the implementation of the Safe & Together Model into practice. Prior to this, Cat worked in an advisory capacity to government and as an expert representative for the sector at both a state and national level.
Between 2003-2012, Cat held the position as CEO NSW Women’s Refuge Movement, Peak body for 60 women and children’s domestic violence services across NSW. In 2007 Cat was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and travelled to Canada the US, UK and Austria to investigate policies, programs and approaches to reduce the short and long term effects of domestic violence on children. On return to Australia she continued to use this work to influence the development of legislation, practices and policies that increase the protection and support of children and their mother/carers. This resulted in changes to the NSW Domestic Violence Act, to include children as protected persons on Apprehension Violence Orders.
Cat is the author of The Children and Young Person’s Framework: Supporting families in domestic and family violence refuges and services (2015) which guides DV West’s Children and Young People’s DFV Specialist Program. In 2022 Cat received a Safe & Together Champion Award for demonstrating excellence in systems change. -
Sanna PedroAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice Leader, Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability ServicesSanna is a Torres Strait Islander woman with family connections to St Paul’s Village on Moa Island, Mer (Murray Island) and Besi (Mabuiag Island). Sanna has worked in the Child Protection sector for 10+ years commencing in the Recognised Entity role. Sanna was born and raised in Cairns and has lived and worked in Brisbane, Ceduna and Canberra. Sanna’s current role is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practice leader in the Far North region. Sanna’s focus areas are prevention and early intervention for families, self-determination for families, building strong safety and support networks, embedding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles and building cultural capability. Sanna has a Bachelor of Business and enjoys volunteering in her community, especially working with young people – using sport as a vehicle to promote teamwork, commitment and confidence. Completing the Safe & Together 4 Day CORE Training, Sana has gone on and is now completing the Train the Trainer course.