Primary health care professionals are ideally placed to recognise the signs of domestic and family violence (DFV), respond in an appropriate way and refer patients to the right supports. To support this vital work, Brisbane South PHN developed the Recognise, Respond, Refer (RRR) program.

‘Being part of the RRR program has been a beautiful progression,’ explains Mikaela, an RRR DFV Local Link worker with the Centre for Women & Co. Logan.

‘When I first started working from the general practices it was a bit awkward for everyone. A lot of the staff didn’t know who I was or the purpose of my role.

‘Over time, they attended the RRR training and they got used to having me around. Very soon I started getting referrals. The more time I spent in the practice, the more they started referring patients to me or talking to me about patients they were concerned about.

RRR DFV Local Link workers are specialists who support general practices by acting as a single point of referral. Their work integrates general practices with local DFV services; they also support general practices to debrief from traumatic disclosures.

Find out more or arrange a visit by a DFV Local Link worker here