Ending Sexual Violence Hub
Cross Peak Pathways Project
About the project
In 2024, SASVic and Safe and Equal partnered to strengthen collaboration between the sexual assault and family violence sectors.
Together, we created a range of resources to support our work, including fact sheets and an interactive tool that demonstrates pathways and points of intersection in the two sectors.
Thank you to everyone who shared their expertise to make these resources possible.
Fact sheets
Are you a specialist family violence practitioner? Learn more about working with the specialist sexual assault sector:
Fact sheet 2. Responding to disclosures of sexual assault in the context of family violence
Fact sheet 4. Secondary consultations with the specialist sexual assault sector
Make this information easy to reference by displaying our ‘tip sheets’ in your workplace!
Supporting continuity of care through collaborative practice guide
This guide aims to help specialist sexual assault counsellor advocates and specialist family violence practitioners to ensure safety, support and continuity of provision of services for victim survivors in their work together.
Pathways through the specialist sexual assault and family violence sectors
The following maps illustrate pathways through the specialist sexual assault and family violence sectors.
They provide information on points of entry and access, and support practitioners in the specialist sexual assault and family violence sectors to understand the journey of victim survivors and other people impacted by sexual violence in each sector.
The maps identify the points of intersection where sexual assault and/or family violence may be identified. When need and/or risk is identified there are opportunities for secondary consultations and/or referrals, ensuring practitioners are utilising a continuity of care approach to ensure a victim survivor is supported throughout this process.
Important note: Victim survivors must be provided with information about informed consent and they must provide informed consent related to any supports proposed while engaging with professionals at all points of their journey.
Click on the headings below to select the map you’d like to view:
Glossary
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL)
The Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL) operates statewide from 5pm on weeknights, throughout weekends and public holidays. SACL provides crisis counselling and an after-hours crisis response coordination to disclosures of sexual assault. The SACL number is 1800 806 292.
Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT)
Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCITs) are made up of specialist detectives. They are specially trained to respond to and investigate child abuse and sexual crimes, and support victims. Find more information here.
Specialist sexual assault services (SSAS)
Specialist sexual assault services, sometimes known as a Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs), provide counselling and advocacy as well as a specialist crisis response to disclosures of sexual assault. SSAS operate during business hours. After 5pm, services’ phone lines divert to the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL). Find your local SSAS here.
Specialist family violence services
Specialist family violence services provide crisis responses and case management to victim survivors of family violence. Specialist family violence practitioners walk alongside victim survivors as they navigate a complex human service system while managing dynamic risk posed by perpetrators of family violence.
Multidisciplinary Centre (MDC)
Multidisciplinary Centres (MDCs) co-locate a range of agencies in the one building to provide a victim-centred, integrated and holistic response to victims of sexual crime and child abuse. An MDC shares a central location with practitioners from SSAS, SOCIT and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) to provide a holistic, specialist and integrated response to victim survivors. Find more information here.
Informed consent
A victim survivor must be provided with information about informed consent and they must provide informed consent relating to any procedures proposed whilst receiving a crisis care response.
All information needs to be clear and provided in an appropriate way which is accessible and mindful of the following: Language, culture, disability, age, mental health, trauma responses, influence and/or impact of alcohol and/or other drugs and pressure from family, friends, and/or other professionals.
