DVCS’ Operational Changes

The Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) is an essential service and will remain available, 24/7, throughout the lock down period commencing at 5.00pm on Thursday 12 August 2021. We are, like all of you working to ensure we meet the needs of the ACT Community while ensuring safety and compliance for our team.

 

The following operational functions will remain in place:

 

1. 24/7 crisis intervention, safety planning and access to emergency accommodation remains available via our telephone line on 62 800 900;
2. DVCS will respond to Police and Hospital requests as per usual, we are working to understand access requirements during this time for our staff to attend the Hospitals;
3. Clients can engage with DVCS during regular business hours via email, SMS, social media and online chat;
4. DVCS will continue to meet face to face with clients who require urgent safety planning, crisis intervention, emergency accommodation or other supports with COVID safe practices; Where clients do not meet a safety threshold for a face to face we will work with them to ensure we can meet their needs through contact limited accommodation check in, parcel drops, voucher exchanges and phone or online consultations;
5. Case management (Staying@Home, Room4Change and Young People’s Outreach Program) will continue to support clients during regular business hours remotely via phone and video conferencing;
6. In line with the Court’s operation we will not be working from the Court from Monday 16 to Friday 20 August 2021 inclusive;
7. DVCS will increase their community advertising across social media, radio and other media outlets to ensure our community is aware of DVCS’s presence and availability.

 

DVCS is working to ensure senior members of our team will be available, onsite or via phone, between 8am and 11pm daily throughout this period. This means we will be as flexible as we possibly can be to safely meet the needs of our clients.

 

DVCS’s on call (11pm to 8am) is fully rostered throughout this period, which means the DVCS team is available 24/7 to support those in our community impacted by domestic, family and intimate partner violence within the ACT region.

 

We are contactable via our 24/7 crisis line on 62 800 900 or via our confidential contact form.