Identifying and Responding to Domestic and Family Violence

This short e-learning course provides practical ways that health practitioners can increase their skills in identifying and responding to domestic and family violence. We outline how and when to ask about this sensitive issue and what to do when a patient discloses to enable a best practice response and referral.

This tutorial provides health practitioners with the knowledge and skills to respectfully engage and effectively identify and respond to patients experiencing domestic and family violence. You are introduced to the nature and impact on health of this chronic social condition and your role in the service system.  We then discuss when and how to sensitively RECOGNISE families presenting with symptoms and risk factors. The following sections suggest how to assess RISK and RESPOND safely to domestic and family violence using examples from practice, including brief safety planning strategies. We then discuss how to REFER and RECORD, including information you can share. Finally, you are offered an opportunity to REVIEW how to change your health setting environment to carry out this sensitive work and REFLECT on your practice and need for support.

This course is suitable for any registered nurse, GP, student or health care practitioner.

• Tutorial 1: Identifying and Responding to Domestic Violence

The assessment is submission of the eLearning self-assessments including case studies. 
A Certificate of Completion is provided upon satisfactory completing of the course.

Professor Kelsey Hegarty
Joint Chair – Family Violence Prevention, Director - Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence

Ms Renee Fiolet
Scholar - Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence