CMY has been working with, addressing and responding to family violence across our work in the community sector, undertaking work in the Gender Equity, Healthy and Safe Relationship space over the past few years through programs such as Speak Up, Shout Out & Culture Spring.
Working with numerous partner organisations throughout the years, CMY is proud to have expanded its Family Violence portfolio into research as well as service delivery. CMY’s latest work has involved the development of a framework for recognising and responding to multicultural young people experiencing family violence, as well as program delivery in the Adolescent Family Violence (AVITH) space.
Our work has included:
- Contextualising and understanding the causes of violence when we are talking about young people from multicultural communities
- Providing an intersectional and trauma informed lens to the work
- Managing FV risk and recognising the unique experiences of each young person and family we work with
- Whole of family work in addressing how harmful behaviour has ripple effects in the home, community and beyond
- Providing an integrated response to young people and their support systems with the aim of reducing conflict and addressing harm
- Meeting young people ‘where they are at’ in providing innovative and creative methods of engagement, and therapeutic interventions
- Co-location in the service delivery areas linking in with youth clubs, parenting groups and wider community engagement
- Co work working alongside key youth and family services to provide holistic wrap around support
Read more below.
Restart
In partnership with CMY and Melbourne City Mission (MCM), Restart works with young people who are using violence in the home. The program aims to reduce harm, support change and improve safety and connection within the family. Restart practitioners will work with the young person in a flexible and responsive way to promote change, support healing and strengthen family relationships.
Restart practitioners work with the young person and their family to develop a plan and support the young person and their family to understand why they are using violence and the impacts that it is having. The program aims to work with all aspects of a young person’s identity and remove some of the barriers that may prevent them from accessing help and support.
The Restart program is for Young people living at home, aged between 12-17 years, living in the Brimbank/Melton area. The service is for young people who are using violence in the home, placing them at increased risk of contact with police and the youth justice system; homelessness; substance use; poor mental health; and school disengagement.
Supporting Multicultural and Multifaith Young People and Families (AVITH)*
In partnership with CMY and Drummond Street Services, the AVITH program understands the complexities of family dynamics and the challenges faced by both young people and parents in navigating family interactions and challenges, offering a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone’s voice is heard and respected.
AVITH programs offer a specialist response for young people and/or their families when there have been experiences of harm and family violence within the home, including where young people (up to 18 years of age) have enacted harm. Our Multicultural/Multifaith workers support young people with:
- Understanding and managing emotions
- Building positive relationships
- Safe and confidential space
- Tailored support
This service supports multi-cultural/multi faith families in North and West Melbourne, with a particular focus in the Wyndham and public housing areas of inner city Melbourne. This program is funded by the State Government of Victoria.
*AVITH. Adolescent Violence in the Home.
‘Better the devil you know than the system you don’t understand’ Framework
Creating better outcomes for newly arrived young people experiencing family violence
The needs of newly-arrived young people have often been overlooked in government investment in strategies to reduce family violence. These young people face barriers to accessing support and knowledge due to the family violence system being oriented primarily towards women and dependent children. Moreover, service systems often lack cultural responsiveness and safety for those from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
This paper discusses insights gained from consultations with multicultural young women and service providers working with newly arrived young people and families, highlighting how family violence is understood, what types of violence are prevalent, and the challenges faced when seeking help.
The paper also discusses the heightened risk of family violence faced by newly arrived young people during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for more information, understanding, and culturally sensitive support.
‘I Need to Know You’re Safe’ Framework
Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) and Anglicare Victoria have produced a practice framework for engaging multicultural young people experiencing family violence.
The ‘I need to know you’re safe’ framework highlights the lived experience, needs and challenges of multicultural young people when accessing the family violence service system. Drawing on consultations with multicultural young people and family violence practitioners, the framework elevates the voices of multicultural young people and identifies how the wider service system can better support their engagement.
Under the ‘Working Together’ project, CMY has trained and supported six multicultural young leaders to design and deliver workshops to sector professionals about the framework. Throughout these workshop, youth facilitators have shared their perspectives, anecdotes and advice to practitioners about best ways to engage and support young people from multicultural backgrounds experiencing family violence.
CMY’s work in the sector continues to centre the voices of young multicultural people.