Photo: ACON

Minister for Equality Martin Foley today announced $3 million over four years to develop comprehensive specialist services for LGBTI Victorians who experience or are at risk of experiencing family violence. This adds to the $1 million allocated for the initiative in 2016/17.

The funding will support family violence referral, counselling and support, peer support, early intervention and perpetrator intervention programs. This work will involve secondary consultation to mainstream family violence organisations across Victoria.

Supported by the Victorian LGBTI Taskforce, the services will bring together expertise from the LGBTI and family violence sectors to provide increased support for Victoria’s LGBTI communities.

Drummond Street Services will lead the new partnership, alongside Switchboard Victoria, Transgender Victoria and the Victorian AIDS Council.

The Labor Government recognises that specialist services are needed to meet the complex needs of LGBTI communities, who face significant barriers to seeking family violence support.

The record $1.9 billion earmarked in the Victorian Budget 2017/18 for family violence reform includes $5.3 million for LGBTI communities, along with an additional investment in LGBTI specialist court applicant and respondent practitioners and LGBTI family violence case managers.

For further information, visit familyviolence.vic.gov.au.