Dan - Aboriginal practice leader
As Senior Aboriginal Practice Leader at The Orange Door, employed by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), Dan Laws works to ensure that services are culturally appropriate.
Dan Laws, Senior Aboriginal Practice Leader The Orange Door
“When an Aboriginal person comes through the service, my colleagues will consult me as a first step, before the person is assigned to a worker. It’s a way for us to ensure that Aboriginal people get the most suitable and best possible service,” Dan says.
“I’m lucky to have the support of VACCA and The Orange Door to pursue our approach, which is ‘Aboriginal people working in the Aboriginal way.’”
Reflecting on the career pathway that led to his current role, Dan highlights the importance of being a good listener, being prepared and of taking time to reflect.
“You must have good listening skills and you must be prepared to hear about some pretty awful behaviour,” Dan says.
“Secondly, you have to understand your role. When we’re recruiting new workers, I think it’s very important they understand exactly what we do and the sorts of things you have to deal with. It’s hard not to be affected by it. But no matter what you hear, you have to remember that you’re there to help.
“What I love most about my work is helping someone break free from the cycle of violence – it could be the affected family member, or it could be the children.
“You’re helping them get away from something that has troubled them for a long time. You’re helping to change their life and seeing them change as people, developing a sense of self-empowerment and self-determination. It’s a new freedom they might not have felt for years.
“Family violence can be a challenging area to work in for a sustained period. But for me, the guiding light is the moment when I can say to someone, ‘Right now, you’re going through this. But we’re going to help you get out of it.’”
Working at The Orange Door
The Orange Door provides practitioners with a unique opportunity to be part of a world-first service model.
Updated 19 February 2021
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide