The Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre has set its course for the next three years, unveiling its vision to strengthen recovery services for women during a launch event on Friday, September 11.
CEO Elise Phillips said the Centre’s new strategy reflects a growing recognition that while crisis responses save lives, recovery requires a different kind of commitment.
“Women can and do rebuild their lives after violence when they have access to the right support,” Ms Phillips said.
“Our role is to provide the long-term, specialist care and connection that makes recovery possible.”
The Centre is an Australian-first service designed specifically to address the long-term recovery and healing needs of women who have experienced domestic, family and sexual violence.
As it approaches its second anniversary, its Strategic Plan 2026–2029 outlines a roadmap to expand services, strengthen advocacy and build a sustainable model of trauma recovery that could influence policy and practice nationwide.
The strategy is underpinned by the belief that recovery and healing are essential components of preventing future harm and breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma. It commits to amplifying the voices of victim-survivors and embedding lived experience in service design, governance and advocacy.
It also aims to increase access for women across the Illawarra, particularly First Nations women, women from culturally diverse backgrounds, women with disability and other communities that often face barriers to support.
“Women have consistently told us what works: they want services that are safe, respectful, culturally responsive and available for as long as they need them,” Ms Phillips said.
“Our responsibility is to listen and build a system that reflects those realities.”
Over the next three years, the Centre will focus on securing long-term public investment, building the evidence base for its model of care and embedding recovery within the broader health and community services system.
A key priority will be securing a permanent home for the Centre, creating a lasting place of healing, connection and recovery for women across the Illawarra.
Ms Phillips said the next three years would focus on demonstrating the impact of a model already delivering results.
“We know recovery works,” she said.
“We see it every day in the women who rebuild their lives with the right support.
“This strategy is about demonstrating that impact and securing the investment needed to ensure more women can access it.
At its heart, the strategy is built on a simple belief: women who have experienced violence deserve more than safety. They deserve the opportunity to heal, recover and thrive.