Backed by research, Family DOORS is a tool that allows professionals to quickly identify risks, support family wellbeing and safety, and strengthen relationships.
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The Family Law DOORS screening tools were created in 2011 by Professor Jennifer McIntosh and integrated into the Family DOORS Framework by Professor McIntosh and Dr Claire Ralfs.
This was an Australian first which brought family-wide risk screening for clients in the family law, mediation and post-separation services. In 2016, Family DOORS was widened to include clients of counselling and case management services by Professor McIntosh and Dr Jamie Lee at Relationships Australia SA with MyDOORS. Young people were included in 2019 by Professor McIntosh and Dr Jamie Lee in YPDOORS (Lee & Mcintosh, 2024). The suite of tools was completed with Kids’ DOORS in 2023 (by Professor Jenn McIntosh, Allie Bailey, Dr Jamie Lee & Claire Ralfs, 2023) following extensive piloting at Relationships Australia SA
The Family DOORS is an evidence-based, universal screening tool designed for helping professionals to detect and assess family risks.
The DOORS screening tools are for professional use only, not a substitute for assessment or diagnosis, and must be used in accordance with the Terms of Use and appropriate training.
Jenn is a clinical and developmental child psychologist, family therapist and developmental researcher. She is the Director and Professor of Systemic Practice (Family Therapy) at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. In 2019, Jenn was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to child developmental psychology. Jenn is also director of ChildrenBeyondDispute.com which harnesses Jenn’s work of the past 30 years, for all to enjoy and benefit from. Over 36 years, Jenn has completed extensive training and research programs for the Australian Attorney General’s Department, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Department of Health and Human Services, Office for the Status of Women, and national family services including Relationships Australia and Anglicare. In particular, Jenn was commissioned in 2020 to adapt the DOORS into the customised DOORS Triage tool in the Lighthouse Project.
Jenn was previously Professor of Psychology at Deakin University and head of the perinatal science stream of the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development. She was also Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute from 2015 to 2019. In that role, she directed the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3’s Melbourne Attachment and Caregiving Lab (the ATP MAC Lab).
Her interests as a researcher and educator in parenting and childhood trauma arise from a blend of clinical and research experiences, studies and work in Australia, the UK and the USA have focused on the experiences of children subject to attachment trauma and loss, particularly examining the effects of parental deprivation and conflict in early childhood and the experiences of children in foster care.
Dr Claire Ralfs is a respected executive leader, educator, and counsellor with over 30 years’ experience in the community and family services sector. As CEO of Relationships Australia South Australia (RASA) and its training division, the Australian Institute of Social Relations, she leads a diverse organisation recognised for trauma-responsive, evidence-informed practice.
Claire has driven major innovations in family and domestic violence responses, including the implementation of the DOORS risk screening framework, and has shaped a wide range of child-focused and post-separation services, including Family Group Conferencing. A national leader in workforce development, she has co-designed education initiatives addressing family violence, suicide prevention, racism, and restorative practice.
Claire serves on the SA Gambling Advisory Council and was an inaugural member of the SA Child Protection Expert Panel. She is committed to social justice, cultural respect, and lived experience inclusion, and continues to influence service design and policy reform through cross-sector collaboration.
Jamie Lee PhD, is Practice Manager for Family DOORS at Relationships Australia SA (RASA). He is also a Counselling Psychologist, working with children and their families affected by parental separation. He has also worked at the Child Protection Service of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. In his time at RASA, Jamie has worked on many key initiatives around identifying and responding violence, abuse, and mental health. Jamie has presented and published on many aspects of universal screening, collaborating closely with Prof Jenn McIntosh, Dr Anna Booth, Dr Claire Ralfs and others.
Claire has driven major innovations in family and domestic violence responses, including the implementation of the DOORS risk screening framework, and has shaped a wide range of child-focused and post-separation services, including Family Group Conferencing. A national leader in workforce development, she has co-designed education initiatives addressing family violence, suicide prevention, racism, and restorative practice.
Claire serves on the SA Gambling Advisory Council and was an inaugural member of the SA Child Protection Expert Panel. She is committed to social justice, cultural respect, and lived experience inclusion, and continues to influence service design and policy reform through cross-sector collaboration.
