MEDIA RELEASE

2 October 2015

Medical Provider Network And Police Join Forces to Improve Early Intervention to Reduce Domestic Violence

Yesterday’s NZ Herald article, These are not crimes of love, these are crimes of ownership, highlights one instance among many where if there had been early intervention this tragedy could have been avoided.

Early intervention is being delivered by Auckland-based medical provider network Nirvana Health Group (NHG), which includes East Tamaki Healthcare West Auckland Healthcare, in partnership with Counties Manukau Police and Sahaayta Counselling and Social Support. The partnership, using a Lotteries Commission grant, has established what is thought to be New Zealand’s first facility that offers early intervention for, initially, South Asian males.

Such intervention can assist the victims of abuse by ensuring the perpetrator complies with a Police Safety Order.

Statistics indicate that South Asian men have no place other than the established home to go back to after an act of violence against a family member and, as a result, the conditions of the Police Safety Order (PSO) are often not complied with. This is coupled with the fact that four out of 14 deaths from domestic violence are from Indian ethnicity.

Under the NHG/Police initiative, those issued with a PSO are offered access to the facility, and if they accept this offer, are referred (and sometimes transported to) this facility. Once at the facility they are assessed, and offered counselling and additional support by Sahaayta. The perpetrator accesses accommodation for the required period of the PSO, or up to three weeks, at the designated house.

The house assists in achieving a greater sense of safety for victims by ensuring they can stay in their own homes, and by providing temporary accommodation for men involved in domestic violence.

Since commencing at the beginning of this year, the initiative has worked with over 80 referrals from Police and has provided psycho-education on domestic violence, anger management, individual and relationship counseling and referrals to Care NZ, Work and Income and other support services.

Only two of those men became recidivists (repeat offenders). While the original intention for the service was to focus on South Asian males, many of the 80 referrals have been men from other ethnicities as well.

Key points regarding the facility

The concept grew from discussions between Counties Manukau Police and their South Asian Police Advisory Board, with the objective being to provide early intervention and prevention services to people identified at risk of committing domestic violence to help them change their behaviour, reduce the likelihood of further domestic violence and increase safety for families.

The facility focuses on:

• Ensuring victims are placed first by not having to leave their homes and families.

• Preventing family violence from reoccurring by providing appropriate crisis intervention counselling and support services.

• Placing greater emphasis on early intervention and prevention by identifying violence early and intervening immediately.

• Recognising and providing for diverse needs and circumstances.

Sustainability an issue

Despite the outcomes achieved and the obvious return on the Lottery Grant, future funding of this initiative is uncertain. However, we are exploring other options.

Desired outcomes

The participant becomes aware of violence and the consequences of violence on self, family, and community.

• He is equipped with tools to effectively manage and control his violence to self, family and community.

• He knows where and how to seek support and help.

• A greater appreciation of self as a role model, mentor to other men who may or may not yet be perpetrators of family violence.

• An opportunity to uncover, discover and recover from the impacts and effects of family violence.

Some outcomes to date

Over 80 people have been through the house from 18 December to 18 July (most in Jan, Feb, March, April). A control group of 99 people (in the same time periods) who did not have any further intervention apart from the PSO being issued was compared.

Of those who have been seen in the programme, all but two have had total cessation of further calls for Police intervention. There was no change in rates of calls for Police intervention in the control group.

Some individual examples of outstanding results:

• Perpetrator A: 16 calls for Police intervention in one year - none since intervention. That’s six months without any calls for service which has not happened previously.

• Perpetrator B: 15 family violence occurrences over the past few years - nil since intervention.

• Perpetrator C: 3 calls for service over a three-month period and behaviour appeared to be escalating, last one resulted in PSO and referral to the facility – nil since.

• Perpetrator D: 21 previous family violence incidents - nil since last PSO on 31/1/15.

About Nirvana Health Group (NHG)
Through its primary healthcare organisation, Total Healthcare, Nirvana Health Group operates around 30 general practices and accident & medical facilities, taking care of 180,000 people in the wider Auckland region. A high proportion of our patients are high needs, which means we understand how to deliver high-quality, convenient and affordable services 24/7 to people from a range of different backgrounds and circumstances.

Ranjna Patel, a director of Nirvana Health Group, also serves on the South Asian Police Advisory Board.

ENDS

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