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Responsive pandemic practice

LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19 [2022].

LGBTIQ+ family violence services in Victoria, Australia, underwent a significant transformation due to the impacts of COVID-19. Responsive pandemic practice explores how two LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations responded to the suspension of most in-person family violence services in 2020. Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria, through its Rainbow Door helpline, were responsive to the needs of clients during the pandemic, rapidly introducing remote service delivery practice and telehealth options.

This report demonstrates that as demand for services grew during lockdowns, the two organisations innovated to prevent further family violence service interruptions. This provided crucial support to victim survivors, such as those living with a perpetrator, and improved access for many clients in regional or rural Victoria. Lessons learnt from this rapid service innovation during COVID-19 might help inform future responses to LGBTIQ+ family violence during public health emergencies and the use of technology as part of hybrid service models.

Reports

Responsive Pandemic PracticeCover of 'Responsive Pandemic Practice: LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19', by Shane Worrell, Jackson Fairchild, Carolyn Gillespie, Alyssha Fooks, Stephanie Lusby, Marina Carman, Libby Jamieson and Adam Bourne, September 2022, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, with the logos of La Trobe University, Family Safety Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard and ARCSHS, and a cartoon design of a person at a table with laptop and a coffee, surrounded by bubbles containing other diverse people joined by dashed lines

LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19

Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria, through its Rainbow Door helpline, were instrumental in LGBTIQ+ family violence services undergoing a major transformation throughout 2020-21 in response to COVID-19 and its associated impacts.

This report explores how these two LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations in Victoria, Australia, innovated to provide telehealth and other flexible services to victim survivors and perpetrators despite the suspension of almost all in-person family violence services.

The accompanying Practice guide presents lessons learned from the pandemic response, and how these can be used for the benefit of LGBTIQ+ and family violence services in the future.

Download Responsive Pandemic Practice
Download the practice guide

Associated publications

Researchers at ARCSHS are working on more academic publications from the Responsive pandemic practice project. They will feature here as they are published.

Partners and Funding

Responsive pandemic practice was produced as part of a research partnership between the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University (ARCSHS), Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria, with funding from Family Safety Victoria.

Researchers

Shane Worrell, Jackson Fairchild, Carolyn Gillespie, Alyssha Fooks, Stephanie Lusby, Marina Carman, Libby Jamieson, Adam Bourne