On Thursday, 26 September, together with Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman MP, we launched the expansion of the Care and Connect domestic and family violence program to include sexual violence and child sexual abuse. The Care and Connect Program supports primary healthcare professionals working in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Lithgow and Penrith areas to identify, respond and support victim-survivors.

It is important that primary healthcare professionals are supported to identify the signs and respond appropriately to patients impacted by sexual violence and child sexual abuse, as in some cases, they may be the first point of contact for victim-survivors.

Research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. Despite statistics, sexual violence and child sexual abuse often goes unreported. The launch was an opportunity to talk about the prevalence of sexual violence and child sexual abuse within the community, and to highlight how Care and Connect can support primary healthcare professionals and by extension, their patients.

The Care and Connect Program delivers training to primary healthcare professionals and provides access to Care and Connect Linkers through Relationships Australia NSW. Linkers are specially trained support workers dealing with domestic, family and sexual violence, including child sexual abuse, who can help support victim-survivors to navigate what can sometimes be an overwhelming process. Care and Connect Linkers can co-locate at general practices, with six local practices in the region currently hosting Linkers, to make access even easier for both GPs, nurses and also victim-survivors.

As a PHN, we are in the unique position of working with and supporting primary healthcare, while at the same time, being a commissioner of frontline community-based services. This means that we have a crucial role in helping to identify health service gaps and a unique opportunity to bring the pieces of the health puzzle together, at a local level, to help integrate the care response for some of our society’s most vulnerable.

The Care and Connect Program is a great example of how we can work together to integrate the response for victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence, ensuring they get wholistic care from all the different services and agencies they often need in order to deal with their circumstances.

If you are affected by domestic, family, or sexual violence, including child sexual abuse, talking to your GP can be a safe place to start your help seeking journey. With support through the Care and Connect Program, we are increasing the knowledge and resources GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have access to in order to help address this important issue.