Prioritise funding for therapeutic interventions and counselling for children and young people

Funding is being increased for therapeutic interventions for children who have experienced family violence. More evidence-based therapeutic interventions are also being trialled and evaluated across the state to improve the responses available to support children to recover from their experience of family violence.

The 2018/19 State Budget has provided for therapeutic and flexible supports for children, adolescents and their families over four years. This will fund approximately 6,500 Flexible Support Packages each year to keep victim survivors, including children and young people, safe and to support them to recover from their experience of family violence.

This has built on the 2016/17 State Budget allocation of $33.9 million over two years to enhance therapeutic interventions for victim survivors, including children.

The 2017/18 State Budget provided $100.1 million over four years and $30 million ongoing for counselling and therapeutic support for victims of family violence and sexual assault. This funding has been used to extend the demonstration projects for a further 12 months to the end 2018–19.

Twenty-six therapeutic demonstration projects have been funded, including four projects specifically for Aboriginal families with experiences of family violence. The full list of projects is available on the Department of Health and Human Services website.

To support this work, a Therapeutic Responses Advisory Group has been established, comprised of peak bodies, academic experts, service providers and government representatives.

An evaluator has been appointed to gather key learnings from the projects and inform longer term implementation of therapeutic responses. The evaluation has commenced.