Promising Practice Programs

Victorian CASA Forum Inc

Agency CASA House
270 Cardigan Street
Carlton, Vic. 3053
Website http://www.thewomens.org.au/SexualAssault
Contact

Marg D'Arcy Helen Makregiorgos

(03) 9347 3066
marg.darcy@rwh.org.au
Start date 1987
End date On-going
Program type Community awareness/education
Service provider training
Training for community groups
Advocacy program
Therapeutic responses to victims
Geographical area State/Territory wide
Target group Women
Adult survivors
Children
Male victims
Description The Victorian CASA Forum Inc is the peak body of the 15 Centres Against Sexual Assault, and the Victorian Sexual Assault Crisis Line (After Hours).
Together we work to ensure that women, children and men who are victim/survivors of sexual assault have access to comprehensive and timely support and intervention to address their needs. We also work towards the elimination of sexual violence through community and professional education, informing government policy, advocating for law reform and facilitating research to increase community understanding of the nature and incidence of sexual assault.

The Forum promotes a close working relationship with mutual respect and understanding between services which allows for the provision of a 24 hour statewide service system, clear catchment areas, joint priorities, a unified voice with funding bodies and the opportunity for discussion to ensure informed policy and practice. It also facilitates continuing education for workers in the field through the counsellor/advocates forum and occasional workshops and forums.

The forum has provided representation and input on every key working group and advisory body that has addressed the issue of legal, policy and social reform for sexual assault in Victoria, since its inception.
Promising practice examples 1. The introduction in 2004 of a single 1800 number across the state which provides access to the closest regional CASA during business hours and the Sexual Assault Crisis Line after hours. This facilitates promotion of one number for access to services across the state and avoids the situation of the victim/survivor having to work out which CASA to contact or make several calls to contact the correct service.

2. The establishment of the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (after hours) in 1991. Originally called TelSASA (Telephone Service Against Sexual Assault) the service was established to provide a minimum of universal access to counselling, information and referral across the state and act as a back up after hours support to the 15 regional CASAs. It provides a single point of access after hours to crisis care for victim/survivors of recent sexual assault for the nine services across the state that provide an after hours service. This ensures easy access and early intervention at the point of crisis for victim/survivors, police and others effected by sexual assault.

3. The development of the Victorian Standards of Practice for Centres Against Sexual Assault which have been recognised as setting the benchmark for the provision of counselling and advocacy for victim/survivors of sexual assault in Victoria.
This Program also demonstrates Good Practice in the following ways:
  • Takes account of contemporary research and practice developments in the field of sexual assault.
  • Positions diversity as key to the development, understanding and delivery of good practice models.
  • Contributes to improving systems' responses to sexual assault, and is directed at preventing sexual assault.
  • Demonstrates a sensitivity towards the barriers faced by victim/survivors in disclosing and reporting sexual assault.
    Has a clearly defined conceptual framework.
  • Demonstrates a capacity for replication (i.e. other services/organisations could adapt/re-model the program for their use).
Based on existing program No
Philosophical framework

The Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault Forum is committed to addressing all inequalities within society, which result in the perpetration of sexual violence against women, children and men.

The Victorian CASA Forum therefore acknowledges that:

  1. Sexual assault is both a consequence and a reinforcer of the power disparity existing between men and women/children.
  2. Sexual assault occurs along a continuum of violent behaviour which includes: any uninvited sexual behaviour which makes the recipient feel uncomfortable, harassed or afraid; unwanted touching or remarks; sexual harassment; coerced sexual activity; and rape with physical violence and threat to life.
  3. The impact of sexual assault on the lives of victim/survivors is multi-faceted and complex. It includes emotional, social, psychological, legal, health and political consequences.
  4. In order to facilitate a victim/survivor's recovery from sexual violence, the Forum recognises the importance of responding to each aspect in an appropriate and effective manner.
  5. The impact of sexual assault can be compounded by factors relating to the stratification of society by gender, culture, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, religion, ability and socio-economic class.

Consistent with the above knowledge is the belief that:

  • Sexual assault is a crime against the individual and society.
  • The entire community and all tiers of government should take responsibility for its occurrence and consequences and work towards its elimination.
  • All CASAs must work toward the empowerment of service users, through the adoption of a service management (victims' rights advocacy) model where the focus of service provision must be to recent and past victim/survivors of sexual assault.
  • The experience and resulting needs of victim/survivors of sexual assault must influence the scope and direction of services provided by CASAs.
  • Within this model service users are offered:
  1. choices and information about the services
  2. help with looking at their options
  3. support in making informed choices and decisions in regards to the systems with which they will come into contact.
Research informing program N/A
Publications
  • Dean, Cath; Hardiman, Annarella; Draper, Gail. (1998) 'Standards of Practice Manual for services against sexual violence.' Melbourne, Victoria: CASA House/Royal Women's Hospital, 1st ed., 178p
  • Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault Forum (1996), 'Where Can I Go to If I Am Sexually Assaulted?: A guide to Centres Against Sexual Assault' Victoria, Melbourne: CASA House.
Evaluation Informal feedback from services.
Funding Individual services funded by Victorian Department of Human Services

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