Deliver the Men’s Referral Service
Responsible government
- Tasmania
Fourth Action Plan actions
- Improve support and service system responses
- 18 Improve access to and embed trauma-informed support for perpetrators of domestic, family and sexual violence to prevent reoffending and promote rehabilitation and treatment.
What are we doing?
Under this action, No To Violence will continue to deliver the Men’s Referral Service (MRS). The MRS is a men’s family violence telephone counselling, information and referral service operating in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. As part of the funding agreement, the MRS provides an early intervention response which involves proactively contacting all male perpetrators involved in family violence incidents attended by Tasmania Police, as well as providing a referral line for men seeking assistance with their abusive behaviours. It also provides referrals for women and men seeking information on behalf of their male partners, friends or family members, and support services seeking assistance for their clients
- Deliver the MRS is an action under Safe Homes, Families, Communities: Tasmania’s action plan for family and sexual violence 2019-2022 (Safe Homes, Families, Communities), which invests $26 million over three years from 2019-20 to 2021-22 to prevent and respond to family and sexual violence in Tasmania.
What have we achieved so far?
Safe Homes, Families, Communities commenced implementation on 1 July 2019. The Men’s Referral Service is an ongoing initiative that commenced under the previous action plan, Safe Homes, Safe Families: Tasmania’s Family Violence Action Plan 2015-2020.
Since 2016, No To Violence has provided the Men’s Referral Service in Tasmania.
In October 2017, the Men’s Referral Service introduced an early intervention component (Early Intervention Response) where perpetrators are called within 48 hours of a family violence incident attended by Police and offered counselling and referral to appropriate services.
What is next?
Ongoing delivery of the service.
What difference will we make?
Through this initiative, family violence perpetrators will be held to account for their actions and will also be assisted in helping them to change their violent behaviours.
Delivering the Men’s Referral Service also supports families affected by violence.