Behavioural program full
A SPECIALIST Geelong family violence program aimed at changing the controlling and violent behaviour of some of the worst male perpetrators has temporarily stopped accepting clients due to a surge in demand and lack of resources.
Bethany Community Support executive manager Bernadette McCartney said demand for the highly successful 27week program had increased around 20 per cent year on year since the end of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, often leaving service providers unable to meet client demand.
The program — which clients can self-refer to or be ordered to complete by a magistrate — sees men complete intensive group training sessions over a sustained period in a bid to change their behaviour and end a cycle of abusive behaviour toward women and children.
Bethany family violence manager Lisa Robinson said the organisation had currently temporarily “closed (its) referral doors” to the program because it was at maximum capacity.
“At certain times throughout the year we will close our books because of demand issues — we are at maximum capacity, we have closed our referral doors at the moment which creates a big bottleneck,” Ms Robinson said.
“We currently have three programs running at the moment — two voluntary and one mandated — that’s a lot of work over a week.”
A Magistrates Court Victoria spokeswoman confirmed the court was aware of a waiting list for the men’s behaviour change program in Geelong.
The spokeswoman said many factors, including program timings, contributed to the length of community corrections orders.
Legal Aid Geelong-based managing lawyer Shelley Bu- checker said the legal community had witnessed “a huge increase” in family violence matters coming before Geelong court.
“The men’s behaviour change program is a greater opportunity to work with men and their families to try and create more healthy relationships,” Ms Buchecker said.
“What goes along with the increase in numbers is (limitations) to the availability of programs.
“It can now be a condition of a corrections order that someone undertake the men’s behaviour change program and we really welcome the therapeutic outcome … wait times can be up to three months — that’s for people who are ordered to go on the program.”
The Victorian Government has invested $9.1 million in 2018-19 to provide access to approximately 4000 MBCP places across the state — more than doubling the availability of MBCP places since 2015-16.