Type:	Policy/Protocol
Title:	Management of the whole family when intimate partner violence is present : guidelines for primary care physicians
Authors:	Council Against Violence
Keywords:	Health;Child protection;Standards;Screening
Year:	2006
Publisher:	Victoria Dept of Justice
Notes:	This is a set of guidelines, published by the Victorian Government, for primary care physicians (family physicians or general practitioners) when dealing with families experiencing intimate partner violence. It includes definitions of intimate partner violence including in all types of relationships (heterosexual, gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender relationships). This is based on international collaboration, using a formal consensus method that developed guidelines on whole family care. The set of 31 consensus recommendations are to guide primary care physicians in the identification and management of patients experiencing partner violence, those who abuse and their children. Recommendations on identification include that family practitioners should routinely ask all pregnant adult and adolescent women about partner violence and in other situations, should ask patients with symptoms of partner violence and those with symptoms of abusive behaviour. Recommendations on safety include: if previously seeing the couple, consider referring one partner to another colleague; assess the patient’s safety, risk of harm to themselves and others; ask about any weapons; and discuss a safety plan with the abused patient. Recommendations on children and parenting include: discuss any parenting concerns in the partner abuse context; assess the risk to and adult perception of the impact on children; consider the risk to and children’s perception of the impact on their lives; consider children’s access to significant supportive others; offer referral of children to therapeutic support; report children at risk according to mandatory laws; consider the patient’s level of fear about the children’s removal; assess patient’s level of social support; do not offer couple counselling in practice; ongoing monitoring of the woman, her partner and children for safety and progress. Recommendations on documentation include: document comprehensively and carefully; ensure posters and leaflets in the clinic waiting area offer support and referral to the patient; seek own and staff family violence training for management of all family members experiencing partner violence; ensure patient file is confidential and not accessible to other family members; use a clinic protocol for monitoring danger to patient and other family members by any clinician seeing patient; and ensure staff safety protocol includes the risk from and needs of those patients.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/17742
ISBN:	9781921028281
Physical description:	12p
Appears in Collections:	Miscellaneous

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