WorkUP Queensland is pleased to be able to offer the Allies for Systemic Advocacy 18-month learning cohort, facilitated by Global Alliance for Women’s Safety.

Services are invited to express interest in Allies in Systemic Advocacy for up to 3 workers, one of which is a leader or manager.

Do you work in the sector on behalf of survivors and continually see how systems do not meet the needs of survivors?

What is required to address the systemic challenges faced by survivors every day?

Allies in Systemic Advocacy (ASA) is a unique opportunity to work with other people in our sector across Queensland, exploring how to conduct systemic advocacy to make an impact.

Over the 18-month learning cohort, you will:

Learn and apply the 5 skills of systemic advocacy on a systemic problem you’ve encountered,
Receive feedback and coaching, while working towards a systemic change for survivors and
Get inspiration from ASA facilitators and others in the sector.

At the end of the cohort, you will have new skills, colleagues who share the ASA framework, and options for action to inspire and sustain your system change efforts.

The Approach of Allies for Systemic Advocacy:

This 18-month cohort process will have each organisation’s participants learning from faculty and others in the field, sharing their experiences, and applying the 5 Essential Skills of Systemic Advocacy on a project you select.

Each organisation will work on their self-selected project throughout the 18 months with available office hours with faculty available for support.

Each organisation will try out the 5 Essential Skills of Systemic Advocacy between the online sessions.

What's in it for services?

Raise awareness and shared language of good practice;
Improve human resources management processes and systems;
Strengthen your service ability to attract and recruit the right people;
Improve wellbeing and retention of your workforce; and
Share learnings and resources to enhance the broader sector and benefit service users.

Key dates:

This 18-month program runs from November 2024 to April 2026. All participants must commit to the 18-month program and are expected to attend the below workshops.

Online Information Session:

Friday 20 September 2024, 11:30am – 12:30pm (AEST)

Face-to-Face Initial 2-Day Workshop*

Thursday 7 & Friday 8 November 2024, 9:00am – 5:00pm AEST (Both days)
Fitzy’s Loganholme, Bryants Road & Pacific Highway, Loganholme, QLD 4219

*You will be automatically registered for this event when your EOI is accepted.

10 Online Group Sessions:

Dates to be determined by group after 2-day program commencement workshop

Face-to-Face Final 2-Day Workshop:

Dates to be determined by group throughout the program.

What's in it for services?

Work closely in a team with other likeminded and dedicated organisations.
Learn to apply the concepts and techniques of systemic advocacy to the challenges you see in the people you serve.
Elevate the work you are already doing, and strengthen it by expanding your knowledge to find lasting reform in your local context.
Learn new approaches to advocacy.

Eligibility and Cost

Specialist DFV, SV and women's health and wellbeing services funded by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General, Office for Women.
- QDVSN members
- Integrated Service Response services
Other target group organisations involved in systems advocacy
$300 +GST per participant (maximum 3 per organisation)

Please note: Only one EOI is required per service. EOI's close Thursday 24 October 2024.

About the facilitators

Melissa (Petrangelo) Scaia, MPA

Melissa is the former executive director of Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP) also known as “the Duluth Model”. Prior to working in Duluth she was the executive director of Advocates for Family Peace (AFFP) for 17 years, a local domestic violence advocacy program. She has also trained internationally on Integrated Responses and has led and organised three Coordinated Community Responses (CCR) to address domestic violence in Minnesota. She also has trained internationally on perpetrator programs while also co-facilitating groups for men who batter and women who use violence for nearly 25 years.

Laura Williams, MPA, HSDP

Laura Williams is a strategist, consultant, and trainer with over thirty years of experience in ending gender-based violence. As a co-founder of the Global Alliance for Women's Safety and Equality (GAWSE) and former director of the Sexual Violence Justice Institute, she has extensively written, consulted, and trained on survivor-centered practices and coordinated responses to sexual violence. Her work includes leading projects in various countries and co-authoring key resources, such as training packages for prosecutors and tools for safe consultations with survivors. Her efforts draw upon her direct experience with survivors and collaboration with multi-disciplinary response teams.

More information

Contact workforce@healingfoundation.org.au or call 0428 103 841.

Contact the host of Allies in Systemic Advocacy 18-month Learning Cohort EOI