The PATRICIA Project: Pathways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency Practice

The PATRICIA Project (2015–2017) was a comprehensive Australian research initiative that examined collaboration between child protection services and domestic violence organizations across five states, using the Safe & Together Model as its primary analytical framework to shift practice focus from mothers to perpetrators of domestic violence.

Through case reading analysis of 20 child protection files, case studies of collaborative initiatives, and extensive practitioner training led by David Mandel, the project revealed critical gaps in current practice—including inadequate documentation of perpetrator behavior, minimization of severe violence as “parental conflict,” and limited meaningful engagement with abusive fathers—while demonstrating strong practitioner motivation for change.

The research produced evidence-based recommendations for implementing Safe & Together training, developing perpetrator intervention pathways, and formalizing collaboration protocols, ultimately establishing the model as essential for improving child welfare practice in domestic violence contexts and enhancing cross-system collaboration to better protect women and children while holding perpetrators accountable.