North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) has commissioned GenWest and Berry Street to provide family violence support, advice and referral navigation to primary care providers in its catchment.
The service connects primary care practitioners with specialist family violence providers for expert advice by phone or email between 9am and 5pm on business days.
What does the service provide?
GenWest and Berry Street family violence experts will support primary care practitioners to understand:
- different referral pathways for support based on a patient’s individual needs
- information sharing options to increase safety
- safety planning options for patients experiencing family violence
- where to access support to respond to patients identified as perpetrator of family violence.
The service helps practitioners to:
- build knowledge and increase capacity to respond in future consultations
- improve sensitive engagement with different types of patients
- consider a whole-of-family approach
- understand how family violence may present in different communities and advise on services that provide culturally safe services or support for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people
- access family violence resource packs.
Please note: this is not a crisis response line.
How to contact the service
Advice and referral information is available by phone or email to primary care providers on business days from 9am to 5pm. Please contact either GenWest or Berry Street based on your location.
GenWest provides services in the Melbourne, Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Wyndham, Brimbank and Melton local government areas (LGAs).
Contact GenWest on 1800 436 937 or by email to: gpfvconsults@genwest.org.au
Berry Street provides services in the Hume, Merri-Bek, Yarra, Darebin, Moorabool and Macedon Ranges LGAs.
Contact Berry Street on (03) 9450 4700 or by email to: gpconsults@berrystreet.org.au
Practices outside of these LGAs are still able to contact the service for support and advice, however the local referral information shared may be more general.
The service is funded until 30 June 2025.
