Capital Health Network

Family, domestic and sexual violence, including child sexual abuse are serious public health issues that can cause significant physical, emotional, psychological and financial harm. It is estimated that a full-time General Practitioner (GP) is likely to see up to 5 women per week who have experienced some form of intimate partner abuse in the last 12 months. People who have experienced child sexual abuse are 2.4 times more likely to have 6 or more visits to a GP in the last 12 months.   

Primary health care professionals such as GPs are often the first point of health professional contact for victim-survivors of FDSV due to the physical injuries and/or mental health problems resulting from abuse and violence. Health professionals have an important role in prevention, early identification and responding to FDSV disclosures appropriately.  

As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32, Capital Health Network (CHN) has established the FDSV Training and Link Worker Support Pilot Program in the ACT to support primary health care professionals better recognise, respond to and refer people at the risk of, or experiencing, family, domestic and sexual violence, including child sexual abuse. This initiative forms part of Supporting Primary Care Sector Response to FDSV Pilot funded through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.       

The Pilot builds upon existing domestic and family violence pilots, which have been underway since 2020 in 6 PHNs across Australia. CHN’s FDSV Pilot is one of the 5 new PHN FDSV pilot sites. An independent evaluator (Sax Institute) has been commissioned by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to evaluate the impact of the FDSV pilots across all the participating PHN sites. 

CHN has funded and partnered with specialist local FDSV organisations, Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) and Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC), to co-deliver the FDSV Program in the ACT.   

CHN’s Family Safety Team is expertly advised by a GP sharing lived and clinical experience, and providing advice and input into the development and delivery of Pilot activities.  

National helpline 

• 1800RESPECT is a 24-hour national domestic, family, and sexual violence support and counselling service for anyone experiencing, or at the risk of FDSV.  

For more information on the pilot program, please contact our Family Safety team via email familysafety@chnact.org.au or by filling the form below.