
Women Exiting the Corrections System
In 2018 Synapse partnered with the NSW Department of Justice and Guthrie House, a not-for-profit transitional service for women exiting the prison system, to support women who may have a brain injury.
Read moreA strong association has been found between brain injury and domestic violence, from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims. Without appropriate support brain injury can predispose some individuals to violence and domestic violence, putting family members at risk.
Both men and women can be victims of domestic violence, but women experience a far higher rate of violence. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that one in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner from the age of 15 (AIHW, 2018). Domestic violence carries a high risk of brain injury, with forty percent of victims of family violence attending Victorian hospitals in the 10 years between 2006 and 2017 found to have sustained a brain injury (Brain Injury Australia, 2018). A brain injury can have profound implications for the person and their family for the remainder of their lives and can happen relatively quickly.
Research has shown that women who have a brain injury through domestic violence experience significant disadvantage and are a high-risk group for further marginalisation including poor health, homelessness, out of home care, mental health problems and contact with the criminal justice system (Baldry et al., 2013). Depending on the area of the brain that is damaged, people can have debilitating injury that affect many different areas of their lives including long-term and short-term memory loss, the ability to remember and sequence basic tasks, physical mobility and the ability to communicate. Brain injury is often called the invisible disability because there may be no physical signs of injury.
Synapse is partnering with Guthrie House in New South Wales, who run a residential program for women exiting the criminal justice system to identify whether they have a brain injury.
The project aims to improve the service capacity to respond to the unique needs of women with brain injury and ultimately contribute to maximising successful and sustainable transition back to community. This project will be overseen by a collaboration of partners representative of various non-disability systems that impact successful transition outcomes (eg. Family and Community Services, Department of Justice, Department of Housing, Domestic Violence etc).
AIHW (2018). [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare] Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia 2018. Cat. no. FDV 2. Canberra: AIHW
Baldry, E., Clarence, M., Dowse, L., & Trollor, J. (2013). Reducing vulnerability to harm in adults with cognitive disabilities in the Australian criminal justice system. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 10(3), 222-229
Brain Injury Australia (2018). The prevalence of acquired brain injury among victims and perpetrators of family violence. Report commissioned by the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2018 Synapse partnered with the NSW Department of Justice and Guthrie House, a not-for-profit transitional service for women exiting the prison system, to support women who may have a brain injury.
Read moreThe Guddi Way Screen is a culturally appropriate screening process to identify brain injury and complex disability. Once a brain injury has been identified, it may enable a pathway to appropriate support via the NDIS. For some people, this may the first time in their lives that a brain injury has been identified and that they have the opportunity to receive support.
Read moreSynapse is working with Griffith University to review the processes for assessing the disability needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander prisoners.
Read morePractical assessments to identify how a brain injury is affecting your daily life and planning to ensure appropriate support.
Read moreTailored personal support across aspects of daily living, enabling you or someone you support to participate in desired community, vocational and educational activities.
Read moreInformation and practical housing support options to help you or someone you support live in the home and community of their choice.
Read moreSpecialised information to help you manage life after a brain injury and navigate the complex systems of care and support. Get in touch today.
Read moreRegistered NDIS pre-planning, support coordination and specialised services to ensure you, or the person you are caring for, get the most suitable support.
Read moreUnique, specialised training to help you and your team better understand the needs of people impacted by brain injury.
Read moreIf you’ve got questions or need advice, support or further information, get in touch with us today. We’d love to help