VAADA welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) and suicide. As Victoria’s peak body for alcohol and other drug (AOD) services, VAADA brings a system-level perspective on how DFSV, substance use and suicide risk intersect over time, and how service responses can shape safety, risk and lethality.
The submission examines suicide, overdose and homicide suicide in the context of DFSV, highlighting how suicide risk is often compounded and sometimes rendered invisible by structural responses that fail to recognise or interrupt these dynamics. Evidence shows suicidality rarely occurs in isolation or solely due to individual pathology, but commonly emerges through prolonged exposure to violence, constrained agency and inadequate system responses.
Drawing on research and practice insights, including VAADA’s coordination of the Specialist Family Violence Advisor Capacity Building Program, the submission outlines practical solutions to identify DFSV-related suicide risk earlier, strengthen professional capability, address service gaps, and improve safety and accountability.