- Cook Labor Government boosts capacity of vital counselling services for family and domestic violence victim-survivors in Western Australia
- Funding includes $3.2 million for 10 community organisations to increase access to counselling and advocacy services around the state
- Additional $600,000 allocated to helpline counselling service DVassist for regional victim-survivors
The Cook Labor Government is committing $3.8 million to boost vital counselling services for victim-survivors impacted by family and domestic violence across Western Australia.
The funding includes $3.2 million over two years to 10 family and domestic violence counselling and advocacy services around the state, including five in regional WA.
The commitment will boost the capacity of these organisations to ensure more victim-survivors can access counselling and other assistance to aid in their safety, recovery and re-establishment.
The successful recipients are:
- Allambee Counselling, Peel
- Anglicare WA, Great Southern
- Desert Blue Connect, Mid West Gascoyne
- Indigo Junction, Perth metropolitan
- One Tree Community Services, Laverton
- Pat Thomas House, Peel
- Pilbara Community Legal Service
- Relationships Australia, Perth metropolitan
- Waratah Support Centre, Bunbury
- Luma, Perth metropolitan
An additional $600,000 has been allocated to Domestic Violence Assist (DVassist), a community-based organisation that provides free, accessible and confidential support for victim-survivors in regional, rural and remote WA.
Offering multi-session, confidential counselling via a helpline or web-based chat, DVassist enables people outside the metropolitan area to seek specialist help and advice regardless of their location and without compromising their safety or privacy.
It also delivers workshops across regional WA to help communities recognise and understand family and domestic violence and upskill frontline workers on how to appropriately respond to concerns.
Since 2017 the State Government has invested a record $817.5 million in new funding to strengthen the family and domestic violence system as part of its priority to build safe and inclusive communities.
Comments attributed to Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski:
"The organisations which provide these services play an essential role in supporting the safety, wellbeing and recovery of victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.
"We are seeing both an increase in demand for counselling and advocacy services and in the complexity of clients' experiences and needs.
"This funding will help ensure more victim-survivors can access the support they need to heal and recover, no matter where they live in Western Australia, as our Government continues to prioritise building safe and inclusive communities."
