Same Sex Domestic Violence Clinical Reference Group

The Same Sex Domestic Violence Working Group Clinical Reference Group will provide a forum for workers to discuss clinical approaches for working with same sex domestic violence. The aim of the group is to build clinical expertise in the area of same sex domestic violence.

The inaugural meeting will feature a presentation from Kassa Bird. Kassa has worked in the domestic violence field since 1980, originally in Melbourne and since 1992, on the North Coast NSW. She has been involved in community education for lesbians and service providers for almost 10 years. Some of this work culminated in the publication of “Making Waves: attending to lesbian relationship abuse” in 2003. She is now undertaking postgraduate research, exploring Aboriginal lesbians’ experience of relationship abuse.

Kassa will briefly present how a feminist approach informs her therapeutic work and her group work model for lesbians who have experienced abuse.

The group will be jointly facilitated by Anthony Schembri, Clinical Director, Sydney South West Area Health Service, and Bet Childs, Social Worker at St Vincent’s Community Health Service. The meeting will also discuss the format and content for regular meetings in the future.

Who: Social Workers, Counsellors, Psychologists and other clinicians working with clients experiencing same sex domestic violence.
When: 1 – 4pm, Friday the 7th of April, 2006.
Where: Darlinghurst Community Health Centre (301 Forbes St, Darlinghurst – behind Taylor Square)

RSVP:
Bet Childs,
St Vincent's Community Health Service
(02) 8382 1969
echilds@stvincents.com.au