< Family Support and Domestic Violence
Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) – Oberon
The Staying Home Leaving Violence Program (SHLV) is a trauma informed, culturally safe initiative designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families in Oberon and surrounding regions to remain safely in their homes after leaving violent relationships.
Established under the NSW Government’s Homelessness Acton Plan, SHLV operates within a broader strategy to reduce Indigenous homelessness by 33% by 2025, by focusing on addressing systemic barriers to housing stability and safety.
The program aligns with OLALC’s existing Domestic and Family Violence services, including the Bathurst Women and Children’s Refuge, and Marang Gunya, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program, ensuring a continuum of care for survivors.
Who this program is for
SHLV prioritises support for:
- Aboriginal women aged 18 and over experiencing post-separation abuse
- Women assessed as “very high risk” using the Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool (DVSAT), who receive intensive case management
- LGBTQI+ communities, older women and people with disabilities, reflecting OLALC’s commitment to intersectional and inclusive access
How we can help
- Safety planning
- Risk assessment
- Property security
- Immediate domestic and family violence specialist support
- First Nations domestic and family violence specialist support
- Assistance accessing victim services
- Police and court support
- Referrals to specialist health services
- Referrals to internal and external support programs
- Preventing homelessness, by helping women sustain living in their own homes
How to make a referral
Our case worker facilitates referrals through OLALC’s established Safer Pathway Network. Self-referrals are also welcome, with both an online referral option and a paper copy available through services in the Oberon area.
For legal support, we partner with the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) to help prepare AVO applications and court evidence, so clients understand their rights under the Family Law Act 1975.
Working together for safety
SHLV is embedded within the Safer Pathway Network, a NSW wide initiative that coordinates cross agency responses to high risk domestic and family violence cases. OLALC takes part in Safety Action Meetings (SAMs) alongside partners including:
- NSW Police Force, for joint safety audits and rapid response protocols for ADVO breaches
- Housing NSW, for priority housing applications, allocations and tenancy sustainment support
- WDVCAS, for court accompaniment and legal advocacy
Cultural safety is paramount to how we work. SHLV integrates the Good Practice Guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander DFV Responses, with a focus on kinship networks, community led decision making and healing practices, and an understanding of the historical dispossession and systemic inequities that continue to impact Aboriginal families.
