Men’s behaviour change programs (MBCPs) aim to improve the safety of women and children by increasing men’s accountability for their use of domestic and family violence. Most MBCPs in Australia are relatively short interventions, typically involving weekly group sessions over a 16-20-week period. These timeframes may not be sufficient to enable men to embed new behaviours and strategies and maintain these changes over the long-term.

The Men Sustaining Change (MSC) program is a voluntary program that provides men with an opportunity to continue their change journey with other men who are similarly seeking to embed new ways of thinking and acting. Partners, ex-partners and children are offered support from a MSC Domestic and Family Violence Advocate. A greater focus on referrals, support to develop pro-social relationships, and open-ended engagement (i.e. not time limited) are features of MSC.

Beginning in July 2021, UnitingCare embarked on a two-year pilot of MSC, with an independent evaluation conducted alongside. The results show that the MSC program is achieving its stated aims to support men’s long-term desistence from domestic and family violence and enhance women and children’s long-term recovery.