The Gunbalanya Safe House

Project

Carol Gutierrez, Training Manager

Business

P 02 8585 0333

F 02 9555 5911

PO Box 555, Drummoyne NSW 2047

ABN 58 023 656 939

Counselling

NSW Rape Crisis 1800 424 017 nswrapecrisis.com.au

1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 1800respect.org.au

Sexual Assault 1800 211 028 sexualassaultcounselling.org.au

Counselling Australia

Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia

Provides multiple counselling services across Australia

• 1800RESPECT

• NSW Rape Crisis

• Community Based Counselling Servcie (NSW)

• Sexual Assault Counselling Australia

• Mens Behaviour Change Counselling to end use of

violence

• Research and Training

• Primary Prevention

• Law Reform etc.

Formerly NSW Rape Crisis Centre

Gunbalanya Safe House

• A community service located in Gunbalanya Aboriginal Community in

East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

• Provides crisis accommodation for women and children escaping

domestic and family violence and case management to women

seeking assistance to establish safety in their lives.

• Gunbalanya has

– Approx 1,200 residents - School

– Health Centre - Police station

– Shop

– Sports Club (licensed for sale of alcohol ? hours per week)

– Close to the East Alligator River and some very spectacular

Arnhem Land country.

• Managed by Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre

3.5 hours drive from Gunbalanya.

Gunbalanya

Gunbalanya Safe House

Gunbalanya Safe House – Sept 2012

Challenges:

• Wet season begins in November, isolating Gunbalanya

from Jabiru

• No commercial flights to Gunbalanya

• Coordinator who did all of the paperwork and clinical

aspects of the job had just left the position

Consultation Process

• September 2012, Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre

contacted NSW Rape Crisis Centre with a request to

resource GSH with a locum coordinator.

• Needs analysis was undertaken revealing that GSH had

many resources

Gunbalanya Safe House – Sept 2012

Resources available:

• Safe and functional premises

• Clear policy and process in place

• Dedicated staff at the Health Clinic and at least one exceptional Police

Officer

And most importantly:

• 6?? Local women currently employed by the Safe House

• All staff highly committed to supporting women and children affected by

D&FV

So NSW RCC offered and orientation/mentoring program instead of a

locum coordinator

The Orientation and Mentoring Program

• A 20 day of training and mentoring was developed by the NSWRCC in

collaboration with the Manager of KWCC.

• It was essential that the program could be delivered flexibly and not interrupt

from core service delivery.

• Pilot project relying on feedback loops to continually develop the program.

• NSW RCC’s Clinical Director managed program, based in Sydney but

visited project on 2 occasions.

• Two additional staff members were seconded from current duties to facilitate

the program, both had experience working in direct service to Aboriginal

clients.

• Two staff based in Jabiru (1.5hrs drive from the Gunbalanya) and attended

GSH during business hours Monday to Friday.

• Additional contact between workers and manager- video journalling, Skype

and telephone.

Orientation Program for Mentors

Five Day orientation program. It included the program to be delivered,

education about the context of delivery and the evaluation processes.

The areas covered in the program included:

1. Domestic Violences in Aboriginal Communities

2. Working in Arnhem Land Communities

3. The Orientation and Mentoring Program

4. 4WD Training

5. Introduction to Gunbalanya Community and Jaiburu

Learning Outcomes for GSH

The program focused on four learning outcomes that were central to the

needs of staff at the Gunbalanya Safe House.

Core Competency 1

Effectively identify and provide responses to women and children victimised by family

and domestic violence

Core Competency 2

Effectively use workplace technology

Core Competency 3

Hold a working knowledge of vicarious traumatisation and utilise effective self-care

processes to manage vicarious trauma

Core Competency 4

Comprehend and operate within the management structure and processes of

Gunbalanya Safe House and Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre

Development of Skills and Knowledge of GSH

Workers

1 = Beginner – requires training to undertake this task

2 = Intermediate – understands task and has some skills required

3 = Being observed – can effectively undertake task with supervision

4 = Competent – can undertake task competently without supervision

5 = Mentoring skills – is able to train others to effectively undertake task

_______________________________________________________________

Competency Competencies Measurement Scale

Development of Skills and Knowledge of GSH

Workers

Effectively identify and provide responses to women and children

victimised by family and domestic violence

Understand and be able to articulate the different types of DV

Understand the causes and consequences of SA, D and FV within the specific

cultural context of Gunbalanya Community

Understand possible criminal justice system responses to SA, D and FV and how to

refer women to these systems

Achieve competency in safety planning

Understand risks to children in families where violence is used

Understand mandatory reporting obligations relating to domestic violence and

children and young people at risk of harm

Achieve competency in the generation of case notes relating to women/families to

whom Gunbalanya Safe House has provided services

Development of Skills and Knowledge of GSH

Workers

Effectively use workplace technology

Produce photocopies

Send and receive email

Answer and make telephone calls

Scan documents and send them via email

Send and receive fax communications

Print documents from a PC

Development of Skills and Knowledge of GSH

Workers

Hold a working knowledge of vicarious traumatisation and utilise effective

self-care processes to manage vicarious trauma

Understand the concept of vicarious trauma

Understand why vicarious trauma occurs

Understand how self care activities positively interact with vicarious trauma

Identify self care activities that can be personally useful

Provide and receive effective handover to Gunbalanya Safe House workers.

Development of Skills and Knowledge of GSH

Workers

Comprehend the management structure of Gunbalanya Safe House and

Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre

Understand the connection between Gunbalanya Safe House and Katherine

Women’s Crisis Centre

Know how to contact the Manager of Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre

Understand the process and importance of completing accurate timesheets

Understand the roster process and importance of adherence to roster

Understand and complete client forms

Mentoring Activities with Workers

Some of the activities the mentors were involved with were to mentor

workers to:

• Roster – Prepare roster and ensure the 24hr shift was covered

• Time Sheet –how to fill in the time sheet accurately. Mentors supported the workers to understand that filling out the time sheet accurately was important in terms of them getting paid for their hard work.

• Building confidence in using technology – This included helping staff to use phone effectively - that is to identify the safe house and introduce self, confidence in using fax machine.

• Filing –Mentors explained the importance of organisation of documents and files. Mentors helped workers in developing a working admin. system - creating folders, labelling, filing and storage.

Mentoring Activities with Workers

• Handover – Mentors role modelled handing over process for staff. For example,

when the night shift finished, it was important for morning staff to sit down with

the night staff to find out about the clients that arrived at the safe house, to talk

to each other about what support were offered, what needs to be followed up

and to document this accurately for next handover.

• Shopping – Mentors assisted the Safe House workers to prepare shopping list

for safe house, for clients and their children on a weekly basis. Mentors

provided support with budgeting due to limited funding and also supported them

to prioritise clients and children nutrition requirements.

• Hygiene/cleanliness – Mentors regularly role modelled the importance of

keeping the safe house clean. Mentors worked alongside workers to clean the

house. Together they created a list of chores for staff to do during their shift.

Mentors ensured the chores were fair for all staff and that they communicated by

ticking the tasks that were done. There were discussion about the importance of

hygiene and how important it was to role model this to their clients.

Mentoring Activities with Workers

• Community Engagement – Mentors allocated days to

visit the Police station, community centre and school to

help build relationships with the community. This was to

raise awareness about the safe house, its purpose and

for interagency referrals. Mentors included safe house

staff during meetings and visits to the community centre

to build their confidence and understanding the

importance of community engagement.

Evaluation of the Program

Quantative Methodology

1. Mentor-rated competency scale. Each staff member

was rated individually on each item.

2. Post-program; mentors re-rated staff and noted changes.

Evaluation of the Program

Learning Outcome Mean

Increase

Standard

Deviation

Outcome 1.

Achieve competency in effective identification and

responses to women and children victimised by

family and domestic violence

1.00 0.489

Outcome 2.

Achieve competency in effective use of workplace

technology

2.16 0.694

Outcome 3.

Demonstrate growth in ability to accurately identify

vicarious trauma and use effective self-care

processes to manage vicarious trauma

2.24 0.625

Outcome 4.

Comprehend the management structure of

Gunbalanya Safe House and Katherine Women’s

Crisis Centre

1.64 0.793

Evaluation of the Program

Qualitative Analysis

Thematic Analysis was used to identify the variables which influenced the

Outcomes of the project overall. Data was collected from:

• Mentors’ video diary recordings made at the end of each work day. These 15-20 min. videos were free flowing narrative of the challenges, constraints, surprises and successes faced by the Mentors. Occasionally when the mentors felt that Safe House staff members could better explain an issue, they were included in the recordings

• Safe House staff members’ comments during the course of the program

• Reports from professional members of the Gunbalanya community such as Police and clinic staff

• Reports from Katherine Women’s Crisis Centre manager.

Feedback From The Community

The Mentors received positive feedback about the project from

local Police and the manager of the Katherine Women’s Crisis

Centre. The feedback from the manager of the Katherine

Women’s Crisis Centre, was that she was “really grateful” that

the program was able to be provided and that the program was

“enabling a healthier workplace environment”.

The feedback from local Police was that the project “made a

difference to the community”, bringing out the “strengths of

each worker” and harnessing their confidence and self-efficacy.

Success Of The Program

At the end of the program, the staff members were able to

effectively and efficiently use technology, service

documentation, processes, specialised knowledge and

team-work to run the Gunbalanya Safe House on their own.

The major outcome of the program was that local staff

members were able to operate the Gunbalanya Safe House

without a coordinator for the ensuing wet season. This

enabled critical violence prevention and response services

to continue to be available to community members.

What Made This Project Work?

• Staff seconded were highly respectful and engaged with

staff at the Safe House

• Generosity of Safe House staff

• Safe House staff highly motivated to learn

• Commitment to working as a team

• Clinical Director and mentors had experience living in

Indigenous communities.

• Orientation and Induction Program for Mentor/Project

Staff.

• Innovative technology solutions- video diaries. Assisted

with creating a responsive flexible program that met the

needs of staff members and the Safe House

What Made This Project Work?

• Staff seconded were highly respectful and engaged with

staff at the Safe House

• Generosity of Safe House staff

• Safe House staff highly motivated to learn

• Commitment to working as a team

• Clinical Director and mentors had experience living in

Indigenous communities.

• Orientation and Induction Program for Mentor/Project

Staff.

• Innovative technology solutions- video diaries. Assisted

with creating a responsive flexible program that met the

needs of staff members and the Safe House

Questions?

Business

P 02 8585 0333

F 02 9555 5911

PO Box 555, Drummoyne NSW 2047

ABN 58 023 656 939

Counselling

NSW Rape Crisis 1800 424 017 nswrapecrisis.com.au

1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 1800respect.org.au

Sexual Assault 1800 211 028 sexualassaultcounselling.org.au

Counselling Australia

Contact Us

Carol Gutierrez

training@rape-dvservices.org.au

02 8585 0349

rape-dvservices.org.au

24/7 telephone and online professional counselling and support

is available for anyone in Australia who has experienced

sexual assault, domestic or family violence and their non

offending family members and friends.

Clinical debrief and support for professionals assisting

someone who has experienced sexual assault, domestic or

family violence.

Counselling in NSW Women’s Health Centres for adults who

experienced sexual assault in childhood.

Business

P 02 8585 0333

F 02 9555 5911

PO Box 555, Drummoyne NSW 2047

ABN 58 023 656 939

Counselling

NSW Rape Crisis 1800 424 017 nswrapecrisis.com.au

1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 1800respect.org.au

Sexual Assault 1800 211 028 sexualassaultcounselling.org.au

Counselling Australia

© Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia 2016

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