Managers Alliance

The Managers Alliance works to promote, develop and enhance integrated approaches to family violence at a regional level to achieve safety, accountability and choice for women and children experiencing family violence.

With agency representation on Family Violence Prevention Networks, the IFVMA will drive the integration of family violence services at a regional level and oversee the reform process to achieve safety, accountability and choice for women and children experiencing family violence.

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Strategic Plan
File Size 242KB

Memorandum of Understanding
File Size 154KB

Terms of Reference
File Size 437KB

Catherine Upcher (Chair)
CEO
Rural Housing Network Limited
Working life for Catherine has seen her in the fields of education, archaeology and the community housing sector, the latter now for over twenty years in Melbourne and country Victoria.
In 1995 Catherine joined Rural Housing Network as a researcher and following management positions, was appointed to the position of CEO in early 2001.
She is a member of the Hume Homelessness Network and Management Group, the East and West Hume Mental Health Alliances, and have been a management member of the Integrated Family Violence Network since its inception.
Catherine believes that safe, secure and affordable housing is fundamental to the health and well being of all members of society, thus Rural Housing Network has developed and maintains partnerships across all disciplines to reinforce this message and to ensure a multi-service approach to every consumer.

Patrick Cummins
Senior Registrar
Department of Justice
Pat commenced working as a court administrator in 1981. He worked in that capacity in a variety of positions at regional and metropolitan courts. In 2001 Pat was appointed as Registrar in Charge of the court at Wangaratta and then, in early 2009, was appointed Senior Registrar Shepparton, responsible for management of courts in the Hume Region.

Shelley Watson
Centre Manager
Relationships Australia – Victoria, Shepparton
Shelley has enjoyed a 10 year career in the Community Health and Welfare Sectors. Prior to this, she worked in the Health industry. Shelley has gained a Diploma of Applied Science in Nursing, followed by a Bachelor of Social Work. She has undertaken a range of roles including nursing, counselling, community education, group facilitation and has an interest in quality improvement.

Susie Reid
Executive Officer
Women’s Health Goulburn North East
The experience Susie brings to Women’s Health Goulburn North East is vast and spans a range of industries and a variety of roles. Susie has worked in education, marketing and health promotion. Her fruitful time working in the media, both in production and marketing, won Susie a number of awards, including the award-winning ‘Let’s Lift the Lid: Anti-Violence Project’. More recently, Susie played a key role in the structure of the Integrated Family Violence Service System and has a continuing role on the Managers Alliance and as auspice of the FV Leadership Position. Over the past three years, she has overseen and co-launched the research report, ‘Raped by a Partner’ and features with other experts in the accompanying DVD. Susie’s passion for women’s health and women’s issues, and her experience and knowledge n these areas, fuel her enthusiasm, energy and determination to create change and improve and celebrate women’s lives.

Kerry Burns
Manager of Upper Murray Centre Against Sexual Assault and
Acting Manager of Cooroonya Domestic Violence Service
Kerry has been a member of the Integrated Family Violence Alliance since its inception. Kerry is a social worker who is informing her practice with feminist theory and holds a strong interest in the links between research and evaluation and practice. Some years ago she chose to examine feminist theory and practice and its relationship to a policy governance model through a thesis titled “Up Close and Political”. With this work she demonstrated her commitment to strengthening small specialist services through broadening knowledge about boards of management and their important governance role. Kerry is a member of CASA Forum, Victoria and the CASA Forum rural representative to the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence.

Sgt Lance Werner
Family Violence Advisor
Lance Werner has been a member of the Victoria Police for 26 years having worked operationally until 2003 when he took up his current position as the Region 4 Country Family Violence Advisor working from the Benalla Police Station. Lance is an active member of the five Family Violence Prevention Networks in his region and is a member of the Integrated Family Violence Managers Alliance (Hume Region).

Andrew Scanlan
Ovens and King Community Health Service (OKCHS)
Andrew Scanlan is the Program Manager for the Family and Children’s Services Program and is based within the Wangaratta office of OKCHS. OKCHS is one of the agencies funded for the Men’s Behaviour Change (MBC) program within the Hume region and the responsibility for coordinating the MBC program sits within Andrew’s program area. Andrew holds post graduate qualifications in Management, Social Work, Trauma and Grief Counselling and is originally from South Australia. Andrew has worked within the sub-acute and community health sectors as well with child protection and family violence services in Adelaide.

Linda Shields
Manager
Community Care Service Sector Planning and Development
Department of Human Services
Linda has approximately 25 years experience in the Victorian public sector and has worked for many years as a practitioner within the welfare sector. She holds a Bachelor and Masters of Social Work. Linda is responsible for funding, contract management and development of services of all externally funded children youth and families programs including all State funded Integrated and Indigenous Family Violence programs.

Rose Marsh
Co-ordinator
Mitchell Community Health Service
Rose is a social worker who has been involved on and off in the family violence/homelessness fields for the past 11 years. Rose has also worked with families, homeless youth and TAFE students. She has also carried out social planning project work for local government in a public and private capacity. Rose currently coordinates the Counselling, Linkages and Support Services team at Mitchell Community Health which includes the Family Violence team.

Sgt Ken O’Connor
Family Violence Advisor
Ken O'Connor has held the position of the Family Violence Advisor for Victoria Police Region 3, Division 4, which includes the local government areas of the City of Greater Shepparton, Moira Shire and Campaspe Shire, for the past five years. He has been a Policeman for the past thirty five years with extensive experience in most areas of policing and describes himself as a lowly Sergeant and a mere foreman in the factory of life. He values immensely, the excellent professional relationships that have developed between the Victoria Police and the agencies that deal with family violence in this area, and firmly believes that together we can effectively provide the best possible assistance to both victims and perpetrators of family violence.

Cheryl Lundin
Co-ordinator
Women's Centre Albury-Wodonga
Cheryl has worked in the public and NGO welfare sectors for 24 years as a practitioner and team leader. She has a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and an Advanced Certificate in Managing Social and Community Services. Her experience includes generalist counselling, offender supervision, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and sexual assault counselling and advocacy.

John Whitelaw
Manager
Counselling and Support
Gateway Community Health Service

Amanda Alexander
Manager
Marian Community

Georgie Gray
Children's Resource Worker
Central Hume Support Services

Col McLounan
Community Engagement Coordinator
Department of Planning and Community Development

Michael Cutmore
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd

Amanda Howard
Manager
Child and Family
Department of Human Services

Rebecca Lorrains
Manager Health, Families and Counselling
Goulburn Valley Community Health Service

Jan Armstrong
Regional Homelessness Networker
NESAY, Wangaratta