Event Resources

Please find the presentation slides here

Event Description

This is a disaster recovery and resilience event for health professionals and those who work in the recovery space.

Natural disasters don’t just disrupt communities, they can increase the risk of domestic and family violence.

In times of crisis, stress, displacement, financial pressure, and isolation can create conditions where violence escalates behind closed doors. Yet this is often the part of disaster response that remains unseen and under-discussed.

This session explores the critical connection between disasters and domestic violence, and what we can do, as professionals, community members, and bystanders, to recognise risk early and respond safely.

Together, we will:

• Unpack the link between disaster events and increased domestic and family violence
• Explore the early warning signs and patterns that often go unnoticed
• Understand the role of community, services, and bystanders in prevention
• Build practical confidence in how to respond, support, and take action safely

This is not about having all the answers. It’s about building a community that notices, cares, and acts. Because prevention doesn’t start with services, it starts with people.

Presenters

Kirsty Tschirpig

Kirsty is a strategist and culture leader with more than two decades’ experience across justice, leadership and community development. As Co-Founder of The Be There Group, she partners with executives, boards and leadership teams to strengthen accountability, shift entrenched behavioural patterns and build safer, more respectful workplace cultures.

Her experience spans government, corporate and grassroots sectors, providing her with a broad systems perspective and a deep understanding of how culture is shaped at both operational and governance levels. Kirsty is known for her ability to engage people at every level of an organisation and to navigate complex, high-stakes conversations with clarity, steadiness and care.

Her work focuses on aligning values with everyday leadership behaviours — ensuring that respect, equity and psychological safety are not simply articulated, but embedded into decision-making, systems and practice. She is deeply committed to equipping organisations with the confidence and capability to sustain meaningful cultural change long after formal programs conclude.

Shaan Ross-Smith

Shaan is a psychologist, accredited mediator and organisational culture specialist with more than 25 years’ experience leading behaviour change and the prevention of harm across complex systems.

Her experience spans Director and Board Chair roles across corporate, government, higher education and community sectors, providing deep governance insight and a system-level perspective on culture, risk and accountability.

As Co-Founder of The Be There Group, Shaan is passionate about strengthening psychosocial safety, embedding accountability and building enduring cultural maturity. Working across corporate, government, education and community sectors, she brings strategic clarity and behavioural expertise to complex environments.

Shaan is known for her ability to navigate difficult conversations with both compassion and precision. She supports organisations to confront challenging issues constructively — translating values into practical leadership behaviours that endure beyond programs, policy statements or compliance requirements.

Her work sits at the intersection of organisational psychology, governance and culture strategy, ensuring that change is not only initiated, but sustained.

Click here to download a printable flyer

Registration

By registering for this event you consent to GCPHN using your personal information in line with our Privacy Policy and for your details to be shared with City of Gold Coast and Gold Coast Health.

If you are unable to attend for any reason, please let us know immediately by emailing rsvp@gcphn.com.au to CANCEL your registration, as we may have time to offer your place to someone else.