Mandated family violence program on schedule for June 30 start

CEO Relationships Australia Tasmania Michael Kelly said the Community-Based Mandated Behaviour Change Program for Family Violence Perpetrators would be delivered in Launceston, Hobart and Devonport.

Under the $2.09 million program, a magistrate can mandate that a family violence offender take the course once the Family Violence Reforms Act 2022 is proclaimed on June 30, 2024.

The program is one of two programs funded by the Federal Government's $3.3 million Innovative Perpetrator Responses measure between 2022-23 and 2025-26.

Each state and territory will receive $3,373,750 to trial innovative approaches to hold family, domestic and sexual violence offenders to account, prevent them from reoffending, and improve the safety of women and children.

A spokesperson for the federal Department of Social Services said a second $1.28 million program earmarked for Risdon Prison, Family Violence Interventions for People on Remand and Offenders on Short Sentences, was set to start in August 2024.

Dr Kelly said it was important that responses to family and domestic violence were delivered as a set of integrated family safety services providing support to victim-survivors, including children.

"It is also critical that services are provided for men who use violence and other coercive behaviours in the form of men's behaviour change programs," he said.

Dr Kelly said RA Tas delivered a men's behaviour change program to men in the Men Engaging in New Strategies (MENS) program since 2016.

"The MENS program, funded by the Department of Justice, is a CBT-based psychoeducational group program supported by individual assessment and therapeutic intervention with participants self-referring to participate," he said.

"The program is designed to prioritise the safety of women and children by assisting men to take responsibility, developing skills and strategies to change their behaviour.

"RA Tas is working closely with the Department of Justice to expand service delivery to include men who are mandated to attend a community-based men's behaviour change program as part of a Family Violence Order once the proclamation is made on June 30 2024.

"The expanded program will be delivered from RA Tas sites in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

Dr Kelly said RA Tas was well-positioned to broaden the reach of the service once the proclamation was made.

He said other programs supported perpetrators of domestic violence, victim survivors, and their families through programs such as the Acorn - Specialised Family Violence Children's Counselling Service, Family Advocacy Support Service, and the Men Engaging New Strategies program.

Dr Kelly declined to comment on how many staff were required and whether recruitment was on target.

So far, the federal government has paid $1.2 million to the Tasmanian Department of Justice.

The national debate on violence against women has gathered momentum after new figures found 34 women murdered in 2022-23 across Australia.

Figures from Tasmanian courts indicate family violence is on the rise.

The Examiner revealed last week that Magistrates Court figures showed an eight per cent increase from 1594 to 1729 in applications for family violence orders in 2022-23. This compares with 1172 applications in 2017-18.

Tasmania Police figures show a 12 per cent increase to 4399 in the number of family violence incidents in the financial year to April 2024 - 212 of the incidents had a weapon present.

In 42 per cent of cases, an offender was taken into custody.

As well Tasmania Police have laid 180 counts of the new crime of strangulation against 139 defendants since the Family Violence Reforms Act 2022.

Strangulation is seen as a controlling behaviour which can be a precursor to serious assault or homicide.