Marita Delany has seen firsthand the “life-changing” impact The Orange Door has made for people experiencing or perpetrating family violence in her community, and families needing support with the care and wellbeing of children and young people.

Having worked in the social services sector for more than 30 years, Marita has witnessed the difference getting the right support can have on victim-survivors.

This is especially true of her position as hub manager of The Orange Door in Ovens Murray, which she’s held for five years.

She said throughout her different roles, her focus has primarily been on the safety of children and young people.

“I’ve always felt very strongly about the opportunities we give to them,” she said.

“The idea of coming to The Orange Door was interesting to me because it gave me the chance to work in a way that reflected the needs of victim-survivors in a way that hadn’t been done before, and having children and young people seen as victim-survivors in their own right, aligned with my values.”

The Orange Door Ovens Murray was established in August 2021.

There is also statewide after-hours support available.

The Orange Door is delivered through a partnership with community service organisations, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and community-based child protection.

The partner agencies for Ovens Murray include Mungabareena Aboriginal Co-operation, Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA), Centre Against Violence (CAV), Gateway Health, Upper Murray Family Care and the Department of Families Fairness and Housing.

Marita said there can often be a misunderstanding in the community that The Orange Door is only for people experiencing family violence.

“Families can and are encouraged to seek help from us when it comes to child wellbeing concerns, or if they need help with parenting,” she said.

“Family violence does not need to be present.

"We are also here to support the wellbeing of children and young people.”

Through its integrated model, The Orange Door brings together family violence and child wellbeing responses in one place, allowing workers to quickly assess risk, understand family circumstances and connect children and families to the supports they need.

This might include parenting support, counselling, housing or specialist services, all coordinated to strengthen safety and wellbeing.

Marita said the service has been a crucial shift for victim survivors and families, changing what was once a complex and fragmented system into something much more accessible and responsive.

That change has also meant more people are reaching out earlier, including families needing support with the wellbeing of children and young people.

“Before The Orange Door, people had to navigate the system by themselves,” she said.

“Now, people only have to tell their story once.

"We can get people to the right place, at the right time.

“We’re seeing people being empowered to seek support with over one third of all of our referrals at Ovens Murray being direct contacts – meaning people presenting directly to us by phone, email or by walking into our sites.”

Marita said The Orange Door model is also one of the first times the service system in Victoria has worked with the person using violence at the same time as the victim-survivor, changing the way risk management is done, and putting accountability front and centre.

She said prior to The Orange Door, court-based responses were one of very few examples where the person using violence was held to account.

Marita said there was scepticism at the time of The Orange Door Ovens Murray opening, with some people saying those using violence would “never self-report”.

“Our reach has proven to include those who use violence, including instances where adults using violence have walked into our services saying, ‘I’m harming my family, and I need help to stop’,” she said.

“In these situations, we can now have really big conversations about what family violence is, and accountability.

"We can do a deeper dive to provide people with more opportunity for change that they may not have had before.

“Every time we work with a person using violence, we are supporting a victim-survivor, and children.”

Marita said the team at The Orange Door Ovens Murray have seen people rebuild their lives over their time engaging with services.

She said the team often receives feedback from those who have used the service, sharing their progress.

“This feedback is important to us not only because it speaks to the system working, but also our family violence workers hear first-hand how they have impacted positively on someone's life,” Marita said.

“One of many examples was from a victim-survivor who called to say, ‘I’m sitting in my new home and reflecting on what a difference The Orange Door made in my life. It gave me the courage to leave a bad situation. Now, I am away from harm in a safe space because someone – a stranger I met in a caravan park – told me to call the Orange Door.’

“There are so many stories like that where it has been life-changing for people.”

For Marita, that’s what sits at the heart of the model; supporting families earlier, reducing risk, and ensuring women, children and young people are safer and better supported.

Marita encourages anyone who may be in need of support to reach out to The Orange Door.

For more information about The Orange Door and the supports offered, visit www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.