Where am I now? lawlink > Index > Appendices > Working with people with different needs   Print this page Working with people with different needs People from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds People with disabilities | People with mental health issues People in rural and remote locations | People in gay, lesbian and transgender relationships Perpetrators of domestic violence People from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people have consistently stated a preference for use of the term 'family violence' rather than 'domestic violence'. This reflects the need to work with the whole family to address issues of violence within families (not limited to violence between spouses). This can include working with perpetrators (who may also be the victims of violence) and with extended family members. People from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background may be reluctant to approach mainstream services for support for their children. Many women hold fears of admitting that their children are affected by domestic violence because of a history of authorities incarcerating their men and removing their children. On the other hand, some people may not wish to use Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander networks, or there may be particular people they do not want to have involved. Indigenous workers also can find it difficult to work with their own family or community as this can create a conflict of interest. Women need to feel comfortable with the service, and the staff, and be assured that their information will remain confidential before they will discuss any issues relating to their children. The Northern Territory Government Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy (1995) explains Aboriginal women's ties to their family. Aboriginal women, because of cultural and traditional laws, have found it very difficult to break away from their families when domestic violence has upset their lives. There are a number of reasons why Aboriginal women do not want to leave their family or community. It is unthinkable for many Aboriginal women to leave their country, community and family. It is like dying. Leaving results in alienation from the spiritual home, the family and the lifestyle. Leaving can result in a lifetime of never belonging, ever again. For communal people this is a life of disorientation and alienation. Aboriginal women are part of a kin group where the group is more important than the individual. Aboriginal women therefore usually want to work on the issue of violence within family structures. Also, if a woman has a traditional marriage and leaves without the consent of the Elders and Law People, retribution is carried out against her family. Aboriginal women may never have been outside their community. They prefer to stay within their own community and, with help from women Elders, work to change the man’s behaviour Many Aboriginal women do not see leaving as an option. Good practice Women from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background have the same entitlements to services as any other women. They may also be more vulnerable and more at risk than other women. Good practice in working with people from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders may cover: Including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in the staff and management of the service Providing a culturally appropriate environment Having culturally appropriate resources and materials Having an awareness of cultural issues and skills in cross-cultural communication Working from a framework of family violence rather than domestic violence Having linkages with relevant Aboriginal groups and Torres Strait Islander groups (including men's groups) and individuals that can provide advice or expertise. Back to top People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds Women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have the same entitlements to services as any other women. They may also be more vulnerable and more at risk than other women. There are many barriers to accessing appropriate services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. These barriers include: Lack of knowledge of the Australian law resulting in not knowing that they don't have to tolerate abusive behaviour Lack of knowledge of the services available Service providers not speaking their language or services not providing information in relevant languages Reluctance to seek assistance from services because of a fear of workers in positions of authority, such as police, as a result of having had frightening experiences in their own country Reluctance to seek assistance from within their own cultural community because of a fear of loss of anonymity or shame Services may not be culturally appropriate. Women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may have a range of specific needs which service providers have no familiarity or experience with. For example, women and children who are refugees, or fleeing their home country may have particular issues of trauma and grief related to their previous ill-treatment and leaving family and friends behind. Services need to be aware of the changing population in their area, know the main cultural and language groups, the key players, the ethno-specific services and main issues for these groups. Good practice Good practice in working with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may include: Making sure the staff and management committee of a service reflects the cultural diversity of the community Staff training in cultural awareness and communication (including identifying individual values, assumptions and prejudices and knowledge of parenting practices and attitudes to violence in different cultures) Policy and training in the use of interpreters and interpreter services, including the Commonwealth government's Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) and on-site interpreters Networking and coordination with ethno-specific services Availability of information in different languages Linking the client with culturally appropriate services Making sure the client can access community resources and relevant government benefits Making sure that the services provided are relevant to clients, and respect their cultural and religious beliefs. Back to top People with disabilities Women with a disability have the same entitlements to services as any other women. They may also be more vulnerable and more at risk than other women. Women with a disability are likely to have a greater level of dependence on others. Barriers to accessing services will be specific to the type of disability. Service providers need to have some awareness of the potential barriers to accessing the service for people with a disability, and develop strategies for overcoming those barriers. Good practice Good practice in working with people with a disability may include: Having an awareness of the barriers to accessing services for people with a disability/ various disabilities Making the building and amenities physically accessible to people in a wheelchair or to people with poor mobility Having an understanding of the additional stresses that women with a disability may be under Knowing how to access and use AUSLAN and language interpreters including the Telephone Interpreter Service (TIS), which provides telephone and on-site interpreting services Providing information in appropriate formats Having good linkages with relevant services for people with disabilities Promoting the service using mediums accessible to people with disabilities. Back to top People with mental health issues Women with mental health issues have the same entitlements to services as any other women. They may also be more vulnerable and more at risk than other women. Services may be reluctant to take on a client who presents with symptoms of a mental health problem as they may feel that they do not have the required resources or expertise. However, their need for a specific domestic violence service must be acknowledged and responded to. Case management may be shared with or managed by a relevant mental health service. Mental health issues can include a range of conditions including: Psychiatric disabilities Psychological problems Drug related disorders. No clear distinction is necessarily made between these conditions - even amongst professionals. Some are not clearly distinguishable, nor are they always assessed in the same way. Not all people with a mental health issue exhibit difficult behaviour, however, some conditions may lead to behaviour which services are ill-equipped to handle. This can include self-mutilation, depression, psychosis, violent outbursts, eating disorders and suicide attempts. It is important for staff to have some basic awareness of the range of mental health issues and how to recognise them. Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychological problem which can result from involvement in traumatic events such as experiencing and witnessing domestic violence. This needs to be picked up in assessments and appropriate referrals and services provided. Good practice Good practice in working with people with mental health issues may include: Carrying out a full assessment for all relevant clients Having good linkages, effective case management procedures and referral protocols with mental health services Staff training in working with people with mental health issues Clarifying the range of conditions and symptoms that can be met within the service, and those for which more specialised services are needed Having mechanisms for joint case management or joint assessment with mental health service providers. Back to top People in rural and remote locations People living in rural and remote areas may live a long way from support services and the range of available services may be very limited. Services, therefore, often have to deal with a much broader range of issues than urban services, and may need to have staff with a correspondingly broader range of skills. Services can, however, have difficulty in attracting suitably experienced and qualified staff and therefore have high staff training needs. This is often exacerbated by a high staff turnover. It is, therefore, particularly important that services in rural and remote locations have well documented policy and procedures to guide staff, and that staff are networked with other service providers that can provide resources, support, expertise and information as needed. Families/young people in rural and remote locations can be particularly isolated from support networks, and may need to relocate in order to ensure their safety and to be closer to supportive family, friends or services. Good practice Good practice in working with people from rural and remote locations may include: Being part of a network of services that can be called upon to provide advice and support when needed Being part of a mentor scheme with better resourced services with experienced staff Developing strong working relationships and protocols with other local or regional services Acknowledging the impact of isolation on families. For example, the difficulty of maintaining anonymity regarding the domestic violence when living in a rural community. Back to top People in gay, lesbian and transgender relationships ‘Out of the Blue’ A police survey of violence and harassment against gay men and lesbians (1995) shows that 5% of lesbians and 5% of gay men said they had experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months. Victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships may not trust the police or other agencies and services for a variety of reasons, including fear of being ‘outed', the historically adversarial relationship between the gay and lesbian community and the NSW Police, and experiences of discriminatory attitudes. This may mean that the domestic violence has escalated to a very serious level before the victim or another party calls the police. It may also be more difficult for police officers and staff of other agencies to determine the power dynamics within the relationship. Good practice Good practice in working with gay and lesbian relationships should include: Police determination about which party is the victim of domestic violence should be based on thorough investigation of the incident, and not based on stereotypes relating to relative size or dress of the parties. Agencies and services should provide the victim with the same level of support as other victims of domestic violence. Be aware of the victim's fears of being ‘outed' and their possible lack of trust in the NSW Police and/or other agencies reassure them accordingly. Police should offer the victim the option of speaking with the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer. These officers will also be able to provide advice on appropriate referrals and working effectively with members of the gay and lesbian community. Back to top Perpetrators of domestic violence Domestic violence is a criminal offence and should be dealt with by the legal system. Any measure introduced to address domestic violence must not detract from or minimise the application of the criminal process, and must keep the safety of women and children as its highest priority. Perpetrator programs (i.e. programs to help violent men to change their behaviour) are currently under discussion. However, there is a lack of evidence about what is involved (i.e. content), how the programs understand domestic violence and whether they are ‘successful’. The Violence Against Women Specialist Unit in the Attorney General's Department released an issues paper concerning perpetrator programs in 1998 and in 2001 initiated a pilot Perpetrator Program in Penrith (NSW) which is currently being evaluated. What about counselling or treatment for perpetrators of violence? A major research project initiated by the Commonwealth Government's National Campaign Against Violence and Crime in 1998 reviewed all Australian and overseas literature about domestic violence perpetrator programs and closely analysed programs currently operating throughout Australia. The report concluded that both in Australia and overseas these programs are still in the early stages of development and are still seen as highly controversial (Keys Young, 1998). To date there is little conclusive evidence of their long-term effectiveness (Carden,1994; Gondolf,1997). While there is some evidence that programs for perpetrators may reduce physical abuse in the short term, there is also evidence that other forms of abuse - emotional, psychological, threats and harassment - may even get worse for women (Petrik at al, 1994). Counselling or educating a violent man will be of little use unless he is willing to take responsibility for his violence. Unfortunately, too many perpetrators of violence see no need to change their behaviour. Measuring the success of such programs is a major issue of debate and no doubt this will continue to be the case until minimum standards are in place and they are thoroughly monitored and evaluated. Services working with perpetrators Most services that work with children who have lived with domestic violence, work only with the abused parent. There may be little or no involvement with the abusive parent/partner, or this may be confined to the provision of information and referral. In some service models (e.g. women's refuges) working directly with the perpetrator is not appropriate or desirable and can threaten the safety of the woman and her children as well as staff. In other service models, services are provided to perpetrators but these are provided from different premises and by different staff to the services provided to the woman or child/ young person. This is done to ensure the safety of clients. Many children and young people wish to strengthen or re-build their relationship with the perpetrator, whilst others may not want to have contact with the perpetrator but do not have a choice. It can, therefore, be in the best interests of the child/young person for service providers to work with the perpetrator (or to refer the perpetrator to an alternative service) in order to improve the quality of the relationship between the child and the perpetrator. The perpetrator may be genuinely concerned for their child and want help in improving their relationship. Issues for perpetrators can include inadequate knowledge of child development, poor social skills, the need to make a commitment to non-violent and non­psychologically abusive parenting, limited empathy for their children's experience, and shame. Often, abusive men may think of fatherhood in terms of 'rights to children' and may be more concerned with maintaining control over their children than with nurturing them (Peled 1997). Working with perpetrators can increase the risk to the safety of the child/young person and their caregiver. It is therefore important that service providers have appropriate experience and skills to make an assessment of the situation in deciding whether to engage with the perpetrator, or in deciding how much information to provide regarding their work with the child/young person. Good practice Good practice in working with perpetrators should include: Working from a framework which acknowledges power and gender, child abuse and criminal issues in regard to domestic violence Making sure that the safety of the woman and child/young person is not compromised by working with/liaison with the perpetrator Making sure that the best interest of the child is always the primary consideration in assessing if and how to work with the perpetrator of domestic violence Having appropriate policy and procedures in place regarding the perpetrator's contact with the abused parent and child/young person Ensuring that service providers working with perpetrators have appropriate levels of skill and experience Having an evaluation framework and criteria by which to assess the value of working with the perpetrator Supporting perpetrators to understand the effects on their children of witnessing their abuse Supporting perpetrators to develop appropriate non-violent and non psychologically abusive parenting strategies Assisting perpetrators to take responsibility for their actions, to recognise their choices and to develop alternate conflict resolution strategies Referring perpetrators to relevant programs where appropriate Linking with perpetrators programs where appropriate. 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