Primary Health Tasmania has partnered with the Safer Families Centre at the University of Melbourne to deliver education that supports both clinical and non-clinical primary care staff in Tasmania to identify and respond to family and sexual violence.
GPs are a crucial entry point to support for many victim-survivors and complement the support service launched by Engender Equality earlier this year. This education aims to strengthen the primary care response by:
supporting early identification and intervention for family and sexual violence and child sexual abuse
enhancing health system navigation and warm referral pathways
integrating general practices with Tasmania’s specialist family and sexual violence services.
Strengthening the response to family and sexual violence in Tasmania will consist of online modules and face-to-face workshops, delivered as part of a whole-of-practice approach to build confidence and capability across all staff. The content has been tailored specifically for Tasmania through close collaboration between Primary Health Tasmania and the Safer Families Centre.
Face-to-face workshops
Primary Health Tasmania is offering separate Pathways to Safety workshops for general practice clinical and practice staff across the state to support a whole‑of‑practice response to family and sexual violence.
The clinical workshops will provide GPs and clinicians with practical, trauma‑informed tools to recognise, respond and refer. The practice staff workshops for reception, administrative and practice management teams will focus on creating safer practice environments and supporting patients within scope of role.
Thus far, clinical and practice staff workshops have been held in southern Tasmania (Hobart) and north-west Tasmania (Devonport).
There are two upcoming workshops in the north (Launceston). For more information and to register, please the event pages below:
Grounded in lived experience and long-standing research, these courses promote trauma- and violence-informed care and a systems-based approach to supporting victim-survivors.
eLearning module 1
Module 1: Identifying and responding to domestic and family violence
This module discusses the nature, prevalence and impact of family violence and outlines how and when to ask about this sensitive issue and what to do when a patient discloses. The module will assist you in assessing the level of patient risk and providing a first-line response including brief safety planning and options for support and referrals.
This module has been accredited for 1.5 hours of educational activities with RACGP and ACRRM.
Learning Outcomes
Discuss the nature, prevalence, and impact of domestic and family violence.
Enquire sensitively to a diverse range of patients about domestic and family violence.
Assess the level of risk and safety of patients experiencing domestic and family violence.
Provide a first-line response addressing the needs of patients, including brief safety planning and options for support and referrals.
Distinguish methods and resources for changing the environment you work in and getting support for yourself.
eLearning module 2
Module 2: Identifying and responding to intimate partner sexual violence and reproductive coercion
This module focuses on practical ways health practitioners such as GPs and other primary care providers can strengthen their skills in identifying and responding to people affected by intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA). The course outlines patterns of coercion and control tactics that can occur within relationships, common health presentations associated with IPSV and RCA, and how to ask sensitively about IPSV and RCA in a primary care setting. The module provides tools and strategies for delivering trauma and violence informed care and responding to people who disclose IPSV or RCA including validation, safety planning, and referral.
This module has been accredited for 1.5 hours of educational activities and 0.5 hours of reviewing performance with RACGP and ACRRM.
Learning Outcomes
Discuss the prevalence and impacts of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) in intimate relationships
Describe the nature and context of various forms of sexual violence and RCA in intimate relationships and explain why it can be difficult to recognise these experiences
Inquire sensitively to a diverse range of patients about their experiences of IPSV and RCA
Provide a first line response to patients disclosing IPSV or RCA, including validation of experiences, safety planning and options for support and referrals both nationally and in Tasmania
eLearning module 3
Module 3: Identifying and responding to child sexual abuse in primary care
This module focuses on practical ways health practitioners such as GPs and other primary care providers can strengthen their skills in identifying and responding to child sexual abuse. We outline how to recognise signs of current (child) or previous (adult) child sexual abuse, respond when there is uncertainty or no clear disclosure and have conversations about safety and wellbeing. Incorporating examples of real case studies and reflective questions, we have aimed to make this course as interactive as possible.
This module has been accredited for 1.5 hours of educational activities with RACGP and ACRRM.
Learning Outcomes
Define child sexual abuse in context
Interpret complexity and indirect presentation of child sexual abuse in a primary care setting
Respond safely without certainty to child sexual abuse
Navigate next steps in addressing child sexual abuse collaboratively and over time
Recognise the impact of working with victim-survivors of child sexual abuse on you as a primary care provider
How to enrol in eLearning
Click here to enrol in module 1, here to enrol in module 2 and here to enrol in module 3.
Clicking the ‘add to cart’ button will take you to an order and enrolment form (you will not be charged).
Once you complete the forms and check out of your shopping cart, you will receive two confirmation emails from the University of Melbourne (your University of Melbourne order confirmation and invoice for your University of Melbourne order). These emails can be ignored.
To access the eLearning module please wait for a Welcome to the learning portal email from mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au and then click the Access here button.
Please check your junk mail if you do not receive your Welcome email within 15 minutes
Once activated, you can access the module at any time you wish. Please bookmark the learning portal link: https://mlu-portal.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au so you can return to the course whenever required using the login and password provided to you upon enrolment.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine CPD hours for GPs are administered once you have completed the module and answered all the mandatory assessment questions. You can then make a request for a Completion Certificate.
