The vision of White Ribbon Day on 25 November is for every woman in Australia to be respected and to live in safety.
In this podcast, Department of Human Services General Manager, Hank Jongen, speaks to social worker Jay Hellwig about how the department supports those affected by family and domestic violence.
“It can be hard to tell when someone is affected by domestic violence,” Jay said.
“That’s why our service centre staff are trained to pick up non-verbal cues and help identify if a person is in need of help.”
Download: White Ribbon Day podcast transcript (Word, 17KB)
Download: White Ribbon Day podcast transcript (PDF, 465KB)
Once a referral is made to one of the department’s social workers, they provide counselling and connect people to community housing, refuges and other support services.
“White Ribbon Day is all about men standing alongside women and saying no to domestic violence,” Jay said.
“It’s vital to act if we see something but, if it’s not safe to do so, the best option is to call the police. Enough is enough.”
More information
- Find out more about the support the Department provides for people affected by family and domestic violence.
- Read more about White Ribbon.
- Listen to more podcasts from the department.