In the lead up to 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we held our last forum of the year on collaborative practice when working with victim-survivors of family violence.

We heard from Laura Vidal from Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand for a key note address on how collaboration is integral to social justice. Laura is a passionate advocate for women and girls, having spent ten years supporting and advocating for those impacted by human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices including early and forced marriage. Check out the Facebook live video of Laura’s address here. 

A big thanks to the following people who took part in a panel discussion of a complex case where working collaboratively was critical to achieving the best outcome for a client and her child.

• Jessica De Vries, Senior Lawyer, Inner Melbourne Community Legal

• Michelle Whyte, Community Health Registered Nurse, Bolton Clarke

• Joanne Borello, Pregnancy and Family Support Case Manager, Caroline Chisholm Society

• Hamsa Kunaratnam, inTouch Case Manager

Discussion around the case created interesting conversation and questions from the audience. Over 10 services were involved in helping the client Maria*, who is doing really well now. Read Maria’s story here.

The forum ended with a heartfelt account from Ash, a member of inTouch’s Inspire for Change victim-survivor advisory group, who openly shared her personal journey and how collaboration has impacted her life, both professionally and personally. Check out the Facebook live video of Ash’s address here.