<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> About the SSDV Interagency Working Group
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About the SSDV Interagency Working Group

The Same Sex Domestic Violence Working Group (SSDV WG) was conceived from the Same Sex Domestic Violence Interagency ( SSDV IA ). The SSDV IA formed in 2001 as the result of a number of non-Government and Government agencies coming together with the aim of creating a collaborative response to the issues surrounding SSDV. The Interagency has a broad membership and has met consistently for the last 4 years.

The Working Group is made up of representatives from a wide variety of organisations including the following:

  • ACON
  • NSW Police
  • The NSW Attorney General's Department
  • South East Sydney & Illawarra Area Health Service
  • St Vincent's Hospital
  • Darlinghurst Community Health Centre
  • The Inner City Legal Centre
  • Delores Women's Refuge
  • St George Domestic Violence Counselling Service

 

The role of the Working Group is to advise on the development, implementation and evaluation of an action plan that addresses SSDV issues identified by the Interagency. Some of its functions are to:

  • Review how data is collected
  • Collect and distribute readings
  • Identify and apply for sources of funding
  • Make recommendations regarding allocation or resources to various strategies
  • Advocate for policy development

 

The SSDV WG has actively and effectively responded to the issues surrounding SSDV in a number of ways. The achievements of the working group to-date:

•  Developing Australia 's first large-scale SSDV community awareness campaign (advertisements, posters, pamphlet, booklet, information card, regional events/launches),
•  A roundtable and hypothetical event,
•  Raising the issue of SSDV in a number of journal and media articles,
•  A specific SSDV website,
•  Advocating for an emergency provision for victims of SSDV in Department of Housing policy and
•  Engaging a number of mainstream DV services with the issues of SSDV.

 With the completion and release of the SSDV community awareness campaign the Working Group is now looking to the future. Current projects include:

•  Developing a system whereby agencies working with those experiencing SSDV can share information.
•  Establish a Clinical Reference Group for professionals to get together to share their knowledge of SSDV.