Specialist Family Violence Secondary Consultations for local GPs

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network has partnered with GenWest and Berry Street in offering specialist family violence secondary consultations for GPs within their local catchment areas.

This pilot commences from July 1st 2024 concluding June 30th 2025.

The pilot aims to promote GPs to actively seek consultations with specialist family violence services to build their professional capacity in responding effectively to the family violence needs of their patients identified as victim survivors and enhance their knowledge of the family violence sector and referral pathways.

Specialist family violence services play a crucial role in guiding and assisting professionals in their response to family violence, ultimately contributing to the safety and wellbeing of those patients affected.

This provision is part of the broader Primary Care Pathways to Safety program for primary care professionals which involves family violence capability-building activities delivered by North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN). Activities include family violence training, communities of practice sessions, and online self-learning modules. For more information, see website: nwmphn.org.au/our-work/children-and-families/family-violence

In the first instance, GPs can request a secondary consultation directly with the GenWest’s Pathways to Safety Coordinator. This service is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

How to request a secondary consultation with the Pathways to Safety Coordinator from 1st July:

1. Contact 1800 436 937 to lodge a request with our reception team or email gpfvconsults@genwest.org.au with your request.
2. Please indicate you are requesting a consult with the Pathways to Safety Coordinator
3. The Pathways to Safety Coordinator is available to provide consultations either at the time of your request or at a mutually available time.
4. Please indicate if your request is urgent.

Please note secondary consultations are not a crisis provision, however we will seek to prioritise urgent consultation requests.

Prior to a consultation:

1. Please seek consent from the patient where safe to do so to share de-identified information with GenWest.
2. GenWest will confirm consent has been sought at the time of consult.
3. GenWest will also verify your information at the time of consult.

GenWest can support de-identified consultations where the patient has not provided consent for their information to be shared during the consult or in instances where consent was not able to be sought.

Post consultation:

1. Please take the time to complete a brief feedback survey sent to you post-consult. This will be provided back to the NWMPHN as part of measuring the pilot deliverables.
2. A ‘GP FV Info Pack’ will be available on offer following consultation. 1 package will be provided per clinic.
3. GenWest will provide a follow-up as part of our continued engagement support throughout the pilot.

Secondary consultations are a provision available to professionals only to build on their capabilities to respond effectively to family violence. Consults do not result in direct engagement with a victim survivor nor result in direct action taken by GenWest on behalf of the GP. Services referrals, direct engagement with the victim survivor, and information-sharing requests remain separate to this support provision.

If you have further questions or would like to request one of GenWest’s GP Family Violence Information Packs, please contact the Pathways to Safety Coordinator on 1800 436 937 or email gpfvconsults@genwest.org.au.

Consultations will eventually be embedded into GenWest’s broader family violence secondary consultation provision to support sustainability for GPs in seeking consultations post-pilot.