Crisis support for survivors of domestic violence has long been a priority for governments and organisations in the sector. What has not been recognised as widely however, is the importance of providing ongoing support to women and children after they have left crisis accommodation.

Women reported that having to rebuild their lives without support, often in a new location, had a profound impact on their mental health and their capacity to move forward and heal.

Helping to support women and children as they rebuild their lives is this week’s guest Carolyn Robinson. Carolyn is an experienced Educator and the Founder of Beyond DV, a Brisbane-based charity, established in 2017 after her daughter's domestic violence experience.

Through her close work with DV survivors, Carolyn identifies gaps in existing services and creates innovative recovery programs to meet the needs of families across Brisbane. In 2020, Beyond DV opened their first Centre - a place that survivors call their "second home".

Beyond DV and Carolyn were inducted into the Queensland Government Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Honour Roll in 2020.

Stay tuned as I chat with Carolyn about her experience in establishing Beyond DV and providing a space where DV survivors could build support networks with each other, while accessing a range of support programs and services.