03/18/2025

03/20/2025

2025 Coercive Control & Children - A Safe & Together Conference

A Global gathering for Change Makers

Embark on a transformative journey at the 2025 Coercive Control & Children Conference, hosted by the Safe & Together Institute. Gain valuable international and regional insights tailored to your local context, empowering you to create lasting change in your community. Connect with a global network of practitioners dedicated to turning commitment into action.

Location, Dates, and Attendance Options

Join us in person or virtually for this impactful three-day event, running from Tuesday, March 18th, to Thursday, March 20th.

In-Person

We are excited to once again welcome attendees to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Address: 1 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia
Event Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily
Doors Open: 8:00 AM local time for registration and breakfast

Tickets
In-Person | Masterclass Only -- $476.67
In-Person | 2-day Conference + Masterclass -- $1,117.67
In-Person | 2-day Conference Only --$896.89

Virtual Attendance

For those joining us online, the conference will be live-streamed via the InEvent virtual event platform. Stay engaged with all sessions and connect with fellow participants from the comfort of your home or office. Attendees will need to be registered and logged in to the platform before the conference begins

Tickets
Virtual | Masterclass Only -- $476.67
Virtual | 2-day Conference + Masterclass -- $1,117.67
Virtual | 2-day Conference -- $896.89
Early Bird tickets will be available until Jan 21 2025, 11:59pm EST on Stripe. prices include taxes & fees.

NEW IN 2025!
The Family Law Track at the Coercive Control and Children Conference.

The Safe & Together Institute is proud to present a first-of-its-kind Family Law Track, designed to revolutionize how family courts address domestic abuse and prioritize children's safety and wellbeing. This dedicated track brings together a powerhouse of expertise, including Independent Children’s Lawyers, family law practitioners, judicial officers, and domestic abuse experts, to explore transformative, practical approaches to coercive control cases.

What You’ll Gain

✔ Practical Tools: Learn how to identify and document coercive control patterns in custody, parenting time, and property disputes.

✔ Stronger Advocacy: Build confidence in presenting evidence of harmful parenting behaviors and advocating for protective parents.

✔ Effective Accountability: Discover strategies for holding perpetrators accountable while centering children's safety.

✔ Legislative Insights: Master applying recent legal reforms through a domestic abuse-informed lens.

Whether you're an ICL advocating for children, a family lawyer seeking better outcomes for clients, or a judicial officer making pivotal decisions, this track equips you with actionable strategies you can implement right away. This track also welcomes child protection workers, women’s sector advocates, and anyone eager to enhance their practice in family court-related matters.

FEATURED FAMILY LAW TRACK WORKSHOP:

Improving the Family Law System Response to Domestic and Family Violence

Speakers: Janet Carmichael, Anne-Marie Rice, & Hayley Foster

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia

Additional Family Law Track Workshops

● Beyond 'High Conflict': A Domestic Abuse-Informed Framework for Independent Children's Lawyers

● Making it Count: Maximizing the Impact of Family Law Reforms on Children's Safety and Well-being

● From Paper to Practice: Real Accountability for Domestic Abuse Perpetrators in Family Court

Secure Your Spot Today—Limited Space Available!

2024 Conference Highlights

3 Reasons to Attend

1. Master the coercive control framework to safeguard children's best interests.
2. Revolutionize your approach to family assessment and intervention
3. Acquire practical skills to elevate outcomes for families in your community.

Champion Awards

The Safe & Together Champion Awards are given to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the application of the Safe & Together Model tools and practice to their individual case practice and to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the implementation of the Safe & Together Model to move their organization and system toward domestic abuse-informed policy and practices. The two categories are:

1. Champion Award for Excellence in Systems Change

2. Champion Award for Excellence in Case Practice

More details here https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com/champion-awards/

Award candidates must be NOMINATED by one person and a second person must VALIDATE the nomination. Please have information from both parties before you complete and submit the form.

DEADLINE 21 JAN 2025

Nominate a champion

Need Assistance?

We're here to help! If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out to us. Our team is available to support you and ensure you have the best experience at the event.

Large Group Registration: mandyrousselle@safeandtogetherinstitute.com
Program & Agenda Questions: events@safeandtogetherinstitute.com
Technical Support: digitalevents@mcec.com.au

We look forward to assisting you and can’t wait to see you at the event!

Agenda

Mar 18

Master Class: Documenting Harm to Children from Coercive Control

As CEO and creator of the Safe & Together Model, David Mandel has spent more than two decades pioneering approaches to understanding how domestic violence and coercive control impact children and families. In this Masterclass, he will examine how professionals across child-serving systems can better document and demonstrate the harmful patterns of coercive control that often go unrecognized. Mandel will share strategies for capturing how perpetrator patterns affect children's wellbeing, focusing on practical tools for practitioners to identify and respond to these dynamics within their specific roles. Through this presentation, he aims to equip professionals across multiple sectors with concrete methods for making coercive control visible and actionable, ultimately supporting decisions and interventions that prioritize child safety.

Speaker: David Mandel

Start

9:00 AM

End

4:00 PM

Master Class: Intersections: When Domestic Violence Perpetration, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health Meet

Drawing from the “Myth of Trauma-Informed Practice” and other material from David Mandel’s recent book, this masterclass explores the complex intersections between domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues in families. Participants will learn strategies for comprehensive assessment and intervention when multiple issues co-occur.

Through lecture, case studies, small group exercises, and guided discussion, attendees will enhance their ability to provide trauma-informed, integrated care that addresses the unique dynamics of families facing multiple, intersecting challenges. Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to improve outcomes for adult and child survivors.

Speaker: Jackie Wruck

Start

9:00 AM

End

4:00 PM

Master Class: Introduction to the Safe & Together Model

In this masterclass, participants will be introduced to the Principles, Critical Components, and other key aspects of the paradigm-shifting Safe & Together Model. Participants will learn how the Model’s concepts, skills and tools can transform individual practice, agency culture and systems, and cross-sector collaboration. Learn about partnering with survivors, keeping children safe and intervening with perpetrators as parents. Participants are guaranteed to leave the session with new practices they can implement immediately.

Speaker: Deb Nicholson

Start

9:00 AM

End

4:00 PM

Mar 19

Keynote: Nothing More Relevant: Post-Separation Coercive Control and Children

This keynote challenges the dangerous myth that domestic abuse becomes "historic" and "irrelevant" after separation. Drawing on recent work with the family court sector in Australia and the UK, David Mandel, creator of the Safe & Together Model™, highlights the critical importance of recognizing and addressing post-separation coercive control in judicial decision-making around custody and parenting time.

Speaker: David Mandel

Start

9:30 AM

End

10:45 AM

Beyond 'High Conflict': A Domestic Abuse-Informed Framework for Independent Children's Lawyers

Join us for an interactive workshop exploring groundbreaking approaches for Independent Children's Lawyers handling domestic abuse cases. Learn how the Safe & Together Model is being adapted to strengthen child-centered advocacy in the family law system. This session will feature expert perspectives from practicing ICLs and create opportunities for collaborative discussion about elevating outcomes for children impacted by domestic abuse.

Speaker: Deb Nicholson

Start

11:15 AM

End

12:15 PM

Coercive Control in Rural and Remote Contexts: Unique Challenges and Intervention Strategies

Coercive control is a pervasive form of domestic abuse that extends far beyond physical violence. It involves a range of tactics used by a perpetrator to isolate, intimidate, and degrade their partner, leaving them feeling trapped and powerless. This presentation will examine the multifaceted complexities of coercive control within rural and remote families and communities. We will explore how factors unique to these communities can exacerbate the impact of coercive control and hinder access to support services. Finally, we will discuss innovative approaches and strategies specifically designed to support families in rural and remote areas, considering these communities' unique challenges and cultural sensitivities

Speaker: Hayley Tuttle

Start

11:15 AM

End

12:15 PM

Expectations of “success” through a bi-cultural lens

This workshop shares the experiences of Home & Family, a human services agency in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand, as it integrates the Safe & Together Model™ into its work with families in crisis. Since adopting the model in 2021, the agency has trained all frontline staff and collaborated with the professional community to embed Safe & Together principles across Christchurch, achieving both notable successes and facing significant challenges.

Speakers: Zara Robson & Hamish Mepham

Start

11:15 AM

End

12:15 PM

Ingredients for the 'A-Ha Moment': Delivering the CORE training across the Australian professional context with adult learners

This workshop offers practical strategies and lessons learned for trainers and aspiring trainers of the Safe & Together™ Model CORE training. Focusing beyond the content, it highlights the nuances of navigating learner contexts and fostering effective training environments. Drawing from experience as a trainer in child protection and the NGO sector, as well as delivering accredited training in Australia, this workshop blends real-world examples with actionable advice to support trainers at all levels.

Speaker: Sophie Curson

Start

11:15 AM

End

12:15 PM

Taking S&T to Tassie!

Tasmania’s journey with the Safe & Together Model™ is a work in progress, with significant strides being made to embed this approach into family violence practices. This workshop highlights the collaborative efforts to implement the model, the challenges faced, and the progress achieved.

Speaker: Tanya Brooks-Cooper

Start

11:15 AM

End

12:15 PM

Better Together: A journey of healing from Domestic and family violence using Safe and Together and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy models of practice

This workshop highlights the innovative integration of the Safe & Together Model™ (S&TM) and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) at Benevolent’s Centre for Women’s, Children’s, and Family Health in South-Western Sydney. Participants will explore how combining the S&TM’s perpetrator pattern-based approaches and DDP’s focus on relational healing fosters stability, nurturance, and improved parent-child relationships. Practical strategies and success stories will demonstrate how these frameworks work together to prioritize safety and create lasting change for families affected by relational trauma.

Speakers: Michelle Thiele & Roweena Moffatt

Start

1:15 PM

End

2:15 PM

Destructive to Competence Practice - My Journey with Safe and Together

Practitioners hold a privileged position to influence lives and decisions, making it essential to strive for well-rounded practice that prioritizes safety and meaningful outcomes for children and families. By taking time to reflect on our work and the type of practice we want to engage in, we can create space for collective growth and positive change. This workshop invites participants to share experiences, problem-solve barriers, and discuss ways to embed the Safe & Together Model™ with more purpose. Through collaborative conversations, we can build a Community of Practice that strengthens the application of the framework, creates safer communities, and ensures our collective efforts are aligned with the needs of children and families.

Speakers: Jacinta Maloney & Brooke Staff

Start

1:15 PM

End

2:15 PM

Improving the family law system response to domestic and family violence

Since 2021, a raft of world-first initiatives have been introduced by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) to improve both the Courts’ and the broader family law system’s response to family violence and other forms of risk. These initiatives include confidential screening and triaging on application, enhanced support service referral, the introduction of specialist lists, enhanced information sharing with child protection authorities and police. Concurrent with the rollout of these initiatives, the FCFCOA has undertaken an ongoing and widespread program in which judges, registrars and social science staff have been comprehensively trained in the Safe & Together Model, with senior court staff working closely with the model’s founder, David Mandel, in the application of the model to the family law context. This workshop will provide an overview of these initiatives and outline how the model has been systemically integrated into the way that the Courts manage family law cases. The presenters will also give examples of how the initiatives and training undertaken by the Court are having a positive ripple effect across the broader family law system.

Speakers: Janet Carmichael, Anne-Marie Rice, & Hayley Foster

Start

1:15 PM

End

2:15 PM

Workplaces for Change Implementing the S&T model to improve outcomes for women in the workforce impacted by Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV)

This workshop showcases how the Workplaces for Change program uses Safe & Together Model™ principles to help workplaces support employees affected by domestic and family violence. Through specialised training and trauma-informed support, the program equips workplaces to recognize DFSV, foster supportive cultures, and prioritize survivor safety and recovery. Key insights and data will illustrate how these strategies enhance workplace responses and outcomes.

Speakers: Laura Brooks & Marcia Friend

Start

1:15 PM

End

2:15 PM

Plenary: Developing and establishing the Safe & Together Model in Australia: a research to practice collaboration 2015-2025

This plenary explores a decade-long collaboration between the Safe & Together Institute and the University of Melbourne's research team, showcasing how the integration of Safe & Together training with practitioner-led research has transformed responses to domestic and family violence at practice, organizational, and policy levels.

Speakers: Prof. Cathy Humphreys, Dr. Margaret Kertesz, & Cherie Toivonen

Start

2:45 PM

End

4:00 PM

Mar 20

Engaging users of coercive control as fathers in ensuring child safety and wellbeing

This interactive workshop explores effective strategies for interviewing fathers who use violence. It focuses on understanding coercive control patterns, micro-aggressions, and their profound impacts on child and family functioning.

Speaker: Jolene Ellat

Start

11:00 AM

End

12:00 PM

Making it Count: Maximizing the Impact of Family Law Reforms on Children's Safety and Well-being

The amended Family Law Act brings new opportunities to center children's safety in cases involving domestic abuse. This workshop provides a practical framework for applying domestic abuse-informed analysis to the revised best interest factors. Gain concrete strategies for documenting patterns of coercive control and their impact on children's safety and wellbeing.

Speaker: David Mandel

Start

11:00 AM

End

12:00 PM

Risk and the Therapeutic Task: A Uniting Approach

This session explores the integration of the Therapeutic Model of Care (TMoC) with the Safe & Together™ Model’s principles to address family violence and coercive control through a therapeutic lens. Co-presented by Jackie Wruck (Safe & Together) and Christina Melrose (Uniting), and MC’d by Amanda Exley (Uniting), this presentation demonstrates how collaborative systems and a safety-focused culture can effectively safeguard children.

Speakers: Christina Melrose, Amanda Exley, & Jackie Wruck

Start

11:00 AM

End

12:00 PM

Safe and Together Tool Box Sessions

This workshop highlights Upper Murray Family Care’s monthly 45-minute online Toolbox Sessions, designed to reinforce and expand on Safe & Together Model™ concepts. Based on practitioner feedback, these subject-specific sessions provide interactive opportunities to revisit key tools and principles. Participants will learn how the sessions are developed using the Safe & Together Framework and gain practical tips for creating similar sessions to enhance practice in their own areas.

Speaker: Kelly Daley

Start

11:00 AM

End

12:00 PM

From Client to Colleague: Addressing Workplace Discrimination Against Survivor Practitioners

Speakers: Cathy Oddie & Ruth Reymundo Mandel

Start

1:00 PM

End

2:00 PM

From Paper to Practice: Real Accountability for Domestic Abuse Perpetrators in Family Court

What does meaningful perpetrator accountability look like in family law cases? This workshop moves beyond standard approaches to explore concrete strategies for documenting patterns of harmful parenting choices and their impact on children. Learn practical tools for presenting evidence of coercive control and creating conditions for real behavior change.

Speaker: David Mandel

Start

1:00 PM

End

2:00 PM

Implementation of Domestic Violence Informed Practice in the WA Context

This workshop explores how the Safe & Together Model™ is being localised across Western Australia to address the unique challenges of supporting families experiencing domestic violence in diverse and remote regions. The Department of Communities has trained over 40 place-based Certified Trainers and partnered with Legal Aid WA to adapt Blurred Borders, a visual resource designed to enhance domestic violence-informed practice, particularly with First Nations families. Participants will learn how these initiatives support cross-systems collaboration, engage men as fathers, and improve outcomes for adult and child victim-survivors, showcasing practical examples from Child Protection practitioners.

Speakers: Carmen Sampson & Rachael Biffen

Start

1:00 PM

End

2:00 PM

Working with the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book

In this workshop Professor Heather Douglas will introduce participants to the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book. Professor Douglas has coordinated the Bench Book since 2016. The Bench Book is an open access resource primarily designed to assist lawyers and judicial decision-makers in their work. However, since its introduction it has been utilised by many non-legal practitioners working in family violence and also by unrepresented litigants. The session will include a demonstration of how to navigate the Bench Book, it will show what resources can be found there and consider how this resource can be useful in the work of practitioners. Using a case study involving coercive control, particpants will have an opportunity to take part in a guided exploration of the Bench Book.

Speaker: Heather Douglas

Start

1:00 PM

End

2:00 PM

Awards Presentation

Honoring individuals excelling in the Safe & Together Model™, these awards celebrate outstanding achievements in two categories: Excellence in Systems Change, recognizing transformative leadership in domestic abuse-informed practices, and Excellence in Case Practice, highlighting exceptional application of the model in individual casework.

Start

2:30 PM

End

2:45 PM

Keynote: A view from the bench: the transformation of approaches to family violence in the family court system

A key judicial leader from the FCFCOA, Judge Kylie Beckhouse, will speak about recent developments in case law, legislation and procedure to better address family violence. She will provide practical guidance on how family lawyers and family violence practitioners can elevate outcomes for families in cases where coercive control is a feature.

Speaker: Judge Kylie Beckhouse

Start

2:45 PM

End

3:45 PM