42959 - Embodied Clinical Supervision: Anchoring Clinical Supervision

in a Framework of Implicit and Embodied Processes for Trauma

Therapists
Sheri Zala
Australian Association of Social Workers, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Institute, University of Melbourne Australia

The past decade has seen increasing interest in the role of the body within
psychotherapy, particularly within the trauma field. Contemporary trauma
literature notes limitations of cognitive-oriented psychotherapies emphasising
instead a paradigm shift towards interpersonal, implicit models, grounded
within the body. Despite these developments, theory and practice of clinical
supervision in the trauma sector remains predominantly cognition-oriented.
Clinical supervision for practitioners in the helping professions is recognised
as beneficial and purposive. Within the trauma sector, clinical supervision is
also considered responsible for limiting and responding to issues of
secondary trauma or vicarious trauma, recognising the therapeutic impact of
providing support to clients from traumatised populations.
In recent years the emergence of literature pertaining to supervision sensitive
to the specific needs of trauma counsellors is increasing with a simultaneous
expansion on embodied processes within trauma counselling evidencing a
paradigm shift towards body-oriented therapeutic practices. Therapists are
also increasingly implicated in the therapeutic process, with recent studies
exploring the therapists embodied experience. Arguably however, the
somatic experiencing of the therapist, including embodied knowledge,
movement, psychophysiological processes, and body awareness, is underacknowledged in both clinical supervision theory and practice, potentiating in
the loss of rich therapeutic knowledge and the means to process secondary
traumatic material.
Anchored within the notion of embodied wisdom as derived from
phenomenological theories, embodied mind perspectives, and the principles
of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, this paper explores the relevance of implicit
and procedural processes centred in the body to Clinical Supervision of
trauma therapists, particularly as they relate to experiences of secondary
trauma; stress management and reduction; and the supervisory relationship.

43007 - Story Medicine with Children

Using stories after trauma to engage children and facilitate healing
K. Billington
1

Connections, Windsor Victoria, Australia

Western Region Health Centre, Footscray, Victoria, Australia

This paper explores the beneficial therapeutic effects of story therapy when a
child hears a story and identifies with a hero who faces adversity and
overcomes a significant challenge.
Oral storytelling of traditional folk and fairy tales and myths in particular are
identified as valuable stories to use as story medicine in the understanding
and transformation of trauma and suffering.
Storytelling therapy is explained as linked but not the same as Narrative
therapy. It is shown to be developmentally appropriate, pleasurable, can
reduce resistance, can enhance the therapeutic relationship and allows the
child to feel in control of the emerging story by creating their own imagined
inner-pictures as they listen to the heros trials and tribulations. The
importance of heroic encounters with evil are also discussed.
The paper includes an example of a brief therapeutic story, indications of how
to select useful stories, as well as how to learn and introduce story medicine
to children.

43075 - Managing the cost of caring - Research on the impact on

carer psychological profiles and the impact on carer capacity
The focus of the study was the investigation of the psychological profile of
carers engaged in the support of young people with complex needs in the
OOHC settings in NSW. Specifically the study assessed the relationship
between primary trauma, resilience and expectations and how these factors
impact on aspects of capacity to care. The study builds on the work of
practitioners and researchers exploring the profile of support required to
facilitate trauma recovery, the impact of vicarious trauma, the nature of
resilience and aspects of carer capacity; but currently stands as unique in its
particular focus on the psychological profile of direct carers. The study used a
mixed methods model, and was divided into two major sub-projects, including
the administration of three normed psychological scales, and carer interviews
delivering both qualitative and qualitative data. A total of 125 participants
where achieved representing foster carers, birth relatives or kinship carers
and paid staff carers, with one third (34) of the sample being of Aboriginal
origin. The key findings of the study has been the discovery of a profile of the
OOHC carer population as one that reflects a significant experience of
primary trauma, while also reporting to be positively resilient. The study also
discovered that the carer sample as a whole tended to hold expectations that
tend to under-estimate the support needs of the children and young people
they cared for, and that variations in carer expectations appeared driven most
by carer type. It was found that Aboriginal carers shared the identified
psychological features of the broader sample. This research has begun to
address the gap in the established literature related to knowledge of the
psychological features of the carers, and how this links to capacity to care.
The findings highlight both the vulnerabilities and strengths of carers who are
charged with looking after the most distressed and challenging children and
young people in our community.

43295 - Reactive to Responsive: A Neuro-politics of Trauma and

Resilience
A. Jenkins
Nada Consulting, Adelaide, South Australia

We cannot even know of what a body is capable . what forces belong

to it or what they are preparing for. (Deleuze, 1983)
This presentation explores a politics and practice for working
therapeutically with young people who have experienced disadvantage
and trauma and who have subsequently engaged in abusive behaviour.
In the thrall of dominant power relations, the force of trauma often
returns in habitual memory to limit a young persons identity through
reactive affects which include shame, along with a sense of
worthlessness, culpability, resignation and blame.
How might we promote the discovery of expansive and creative aspects
of memory to allow the force of trauma to flow productively in the body
and to free up responsive affects that can engage with resilience and
political resistance to abuse?
How might we enable the responsive potential in shame, its neurobiological antecedents and functions, whereby young people can
transcend limited views of self and discover what they may be capable
of?
A process for intervention which operates in the political spaces of
therapeutic and family relationships, will be presented and illustrated.
This model is informed by a neuro-politics that develops from affect
theory and the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze.

43515 - Unlocking Trauma: 4 pathways to retraumatization or healing

N. Halpern
Delphi Training & Consulting, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

It is within the context of close and intimate relationships, such as parents,

other family members and trusted adult authority figures that most childhood
abuse occurs. Betrayal trauma disrupts attachment bonds and sets the stage
for complex internal and external relational dynamics as adults. Early
attachment experiences form the basis of subsequent internal and external
relational dynamics of the adult.
Paradoxically, the environment in which healing from past abuse is conducted
is frequently terrifying for survivors of abuse. The therapeutic relationship, like
child-adult relationships has an unequal balance of power and therapy is
conducted in secrecy (confidentiality), which is reminiscent of abuse
dynamics and settings. Early childhood relational constructs are activated in
therapy, presenting under the various guises of four core trauma dynamics; i)
the problem is not the problem, ii) the locus of control shift, iii) attachment to
the perpetrator and iv) the victim-rescuer-perpetrator triangle [1]. These core
dynamics can be a platform upon which therapy stumbles or utilized as
reference points to ground trauma-informed approaches to assist both the
client and the counsellor to mindfully navigate the road to healing.
References
[1] Ross, C. A., & Halpern, N. (2009) Trauma Model Therapy: A Treatment
Approach for Trauma, Dissociation and Complex Comorbidity. Manitou
Communications: TX, USA

43671 - An Integrated Approach to Evaluation of Refugee Children

K. L. Seymour
Department of Education Western Australia

The United Nations 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees defines a

refugee as: Any person who owing to well-founded fear of being
persecuted...is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to
such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that countryor,
owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it (p.137). The number of refugees
across the world has fluctuated between 13 and 16 million people since 1990
(UNHCR, 2011). States offering refugee resettlement programmes has
increased to 26 in 2012 with the United States, Australia and Canada being
the top three resettlement countries.
Refugee children are a uniquely identifiable group of children since they have
typically experienced war, displacement, trauma and loss in addition to poor
living conditions, food scarcity and limited or disrupted schooling (Kaplan,
2009). These numerous and significant stressors increase the risk of health,
emotional, behavioural, cognitive and academic difficulties while in temporary
housing and later, when they are resettled.
Psychologists typically work with refugee children upon resettlement, when
children must adapt to a new environment in a different culture, learn a new
language and navigate a distinct school system. Therefore, psychologists
must be highly knowledgeable culturally competent clinicians, particularly in
relation to refugee children. This paper describes the unique factors, stressors
and hardships that impact refugee childrens development.
References
[1] United Nations General Assembly. (1951). Convention relating to the
status of refugees.
[2]. United Nations Commissioner for Refugees. (2011). UNHCR Global
Trends 2010.
[3]. Kaplan, I. (2009). The effects of trauma and the refugee experience on
psychological assessment processes and interpretation. Australian
psychologist, 44, 6-15.

43795 - Bumps to Babes and Beyond; Improving Outcomes for Young

Aboriginal Women and their Children
B. Allen1, M. Watson2
1 QEC
2 Mallee

Early Parenting Centre, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia

and District Aboriginal Services Mildura, Victoria, Australia

Mallee District Aboriginal Cooperative and QEC received funding from the
Vulnerable Aboriginal Children and Families Strategy and so Bumps to Babes
and Beyond began.
BBB engages highly vulnerable and at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women aged between 14 and 25 during their pregnancy and through
the first 18 months of their childs life. The program starts during pregnancy
when parents are highly motivated about their unborn child and incorporating
a childbirth preparation program that helps vulnerable parents to prepare for
the future relationship with their child. Parents learn infant cues and the
expected behaviour patterns and explore issues around being a parent. They
begin to hold their baby in mind while they are in utero.
The program seeks to build and enhance healthy relationships between
mother, child/ren and her family. It facilitates the development of family, social
and professional connections whilst providing case management, support,
education and facilitated groups.
An action learning research component has gathered the experiences of
women attending the program at six time intervals
The womens experiences have been analysed and represented in a series of
paintings by Sharon Kirby, a local Aboriginal artist, providing a culturally
responsive way to share the research findings.
Positive indicators include 90% of the women carried to full term, attended
ante natal services, increased attendance at key ages and stage visit,
increased breast feeding and immunisation rates.
The program has received awards for an Outstanding Prevention Initiative. 2
Business Innovations awards and is presenting at WAIHM Conference in
Edinburgh 2014.

44383 - Supporting Trauma Recovery in High Needs Children Through a

Targeted Equine Facilitated Learning Intervention
L. Fahey, C. Mowbray
Quovus, Sydney, NSW, Australia
C Horses EFL, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Therapeutic interventions involving participation in equine based programs

have been used with success in assisting trauma recovery for children and
adults for many years in Australia and worldwide.. Equine therapies
encompass a range of psychotherapeutic and experiential learning modalities
involving interactions between people and horses.
While the efficacy of equine programs is well recognized, practical and
financial concerns can limit access to these programs by those most in need
of them. Over a three-month period from June 2013, a pilot Equine Facilitated
Learning (EFL) Program was implemented on site at a residential service in
outer Sydney. The EFL program was tailored to mesh with the agencys
ARC+C model of care, with a particular emphasis on attunement. The
outcomes for the clients exceeded expectations on a number of measures,
and an analysis of the program indicated that an on-site EFL program could
provide a practical and highly effective trauma recovery intervention for
children and young people. The value of having caregivers become involved
in the EFL program became particularly evident, as expected under the ARC
framework, and has resulted in the development of an Applied Attunement
program of EFL workshops for individuals working with and caring for children
at risk.

44419 - When Traumatised Children Grow Up to be Traumatised Parents

A. Candlin1
1CatholicCare,

Sydney, NSW Australia

In Australia, the number of children in Out of Home Care (OOHC) continues to

grow and parents whose children are removed often have a history of
childhood trauma. It is essential that parents with multiple and complex needs
are able to build a trusting relationship with skilled professionals in order for
change to occur. Parents who are involved in the OOHC system report
having overwhelming feelings and traumatic histories which can impact their
ability to function in an ordered world. In turn, policies invariably prevent
these parents accessing state-based family support services, leading to
cycles of child protection intervention with subsequent children
CatholicCare Sydney and Wollongong have worked together to create a
psycho-educational/therapeutic parenting course for parents whose children
are in OOHC.
The program, My Kids and Me, is unique and has been
positively evaluated by the University of South Australia, Australian Centre for
Child Protection [1].
Skilled and trained facilitators use the Circle of Security principles of being
with and provide a secure base/safe haven for the participants to explore
their situations, challenging them where necessary and celebrating the
insights and growth. This presentation will introduce participants to the
course, outline the results of the evaluation and explore how group facilitators
and participants together can create an environment of change. Participants
will gain a deeper understanding of how they might interrupt the cycle of
generational trauma.

References
[1] C. Gibson, S. Parkinson, Evaluation of My Kids and Me. Final Report.
University of South Australia, Australian Centre for Child Protection.

44535 - The air that they breathe: A collaborative practice model for
responding to women and their children impacted by domestic violence.
Want,C. And Escartin,M.
Rosies Place Incorporated, NSW, Australia.
The attack on the mother child relationship in domestic violence highlights the
need to link the protection and support of women with the protection and
support of children. Traditional practices between womens and childrens
services often exaggerated the presumed divide between the protection and
wellbeing of children and the protection and wellbeing of the mother. Defining
effective intervention from the position that safety and support of the mother is
critical to the ongoing protection of children naturally brings the work together.
This paper describes the development of a three year partnership between a
womens service and child protection service in the outer western suburbs of
Sydney to provide a joint therapeutic approach to women and their children
impacted by domestic violence. The practices of counselling and most
importantly group work were woven together by workers from both services to
ensure that families were given the opportunity to come together and share
stories of the impact of the violence in their homes and ways they tried to
manage its destructive force.
A clear benefit of such unifying practice has been understanding the different
and similar ways women and children hold the violence and the impact of
this on their own wellbeing and their relationships. As one child stated, It
seemed to be in the air that we breathed.
Critical to the work was therefore to identify that air, understand its impact
and also the ways they found, separately and together, to just to take a
breath.

44619 - The Therapeutic Parenting Program: a parenting program

facilitating healing and transformative change for families
S. Petersen1
1

Relationships Australia (SA), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The Therapeutic Parenting Program was developed in 2007 by the Post

Adoption Support Service, a program of Relationships Australia (SA), for
parents with children adopted from overseas. The program is built around
recognition of core challenges which exist for families where a child has
experienced trauma, disrupted attachments and compounding losses. Parents
play an important role in assisting children to overcome trauma, manage
transitions and build resilience. However, commonly accepted parenting
strategies may lead to frustration and increasing conflict. Common-sense
parenting strategies may manage the behaviour of the child, but are not
always effective in bringing a sense of emotional safety to counteract the
impact of earlier experiences. This program provides an understanding of why
the child may not respond positively to behaviour-management focused
parenting and provides alternative approaches focusing on emotional safety
and building connectedness.
Therapeutic Parenting is relevant and transferrable across different
populations, including culturally and linguistically diverse families, foster
parents, kinship carers, parents with locally adopted children, and parents
with biological children where developmental differences, early trauma,
homelessness or behavioural challenges without an identified cause exist.
There are additional complexities where the parent has also experienced
trauma or lacks adequate social and emotional supports. The program has
been re-shaped with these families in mind, providing alternate versions
addressing the additional needs of Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically
diverse families, the homelessness sector and kinship carers.
In this presentation participants will learn about the intent and application
behind the program, its potential and its limitations across various
populations.

44983 - Understanding the childs experience of trauma

M. Garrett
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX, USA

Trauma work is considered a cornerstone of mental health counselling

accounting for a significant portion of counselling services sought today.
Increasingly, children of all ages present with symptoms as a result of a wide
variety of traumatic experiences from abuse, to environmental disasters, to
situational crises. This paper draws from extensive historical research in the
areas of childhood sexual trauma and other trauma experiences of childhood
and proposes a ten factor model to help clinicians better conceptualize and
understand how children clients internalize traumatic experiences. This tenfactor model discusses common clinical symptoms and complaints within a
systemic framework of understanding how differences in these experiences
may impact the parents or caregivers response to the childs trauma, the
clinicians appropriate therapeutic responses, and the childs ability to
successfully address healing issues in therapy. A better understanding of
how childhood trauma symptoms may unfold can help therapists to plan more
effective interventions to more effectively meet both the child and familys
needs. This article describes the following ten factors and how differences in
each of these interactive dimensions can impact clients experiences of
trauma and their healing trajectories. These factors are: time, threat of
danger, intervention attempts, injuries experienced, support structures,
developmental status, coping strategies, relationship to the offender (or
trauma causing agent), legal or financial issues, and extenuating
circumstances.

45259 - Trauma Focussed Tuning in to Kids: A pilot study

J. Murphy1, and S. S. Havighurst2
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Despite increasing evidence regarding the impact of complex trauma on

childrens psychological functioning, there are limited evidence-based group
parenting programs aimed at improving childrens emotional competencies.
The Tuning in to Kids program (a skills-based parenting group aimed at
improving childrens emotional competencies) was adapted for use at
Australian Childhood Foundation with parents and carers of children who
experienced complex trauma. The adapted ten-week program (TraumaFocused Tuning in to Kids) provided education about trauma and child
development, and taught parents about their role in shaping childrens
emotional competencies and associated skills. It aimed to improve parentchild relationships and assist children in developing emotional competencies.
Seventy-seven parents or caregivers of children aged three to fifteen years of
age were involved in the program. The study utilized a single-group design
with pre- and post-intervention parent report measures, examining emotion
socialization (emotion dismissing, emotion coaching and empathy); parentchild relationship; parent mental health; and childrens emotional and
behavioural functioning.
Significant improvements were found in all areas. Post intervention, parents
were more likely to emotion coach, less likely to be emotionally dismissive
and displayed greater levels of empathy. Children displayed fewer anxiety and
behavioural difficulties. Parents reported greater levels of parenting
confidence, and attachment and communication with their child, and a
decrease in relational frustration. Whilst not specifically targeted, parents also
reported significantly improved mental health. In a field where there are
limited evidence-based parenting programs, this study provides preliminary
support for an emotion-focused program and is a valuable addition for
treatment of complex trauma.

45263 - Children's Therapeutic Accommodation in Action!: A case study

from South Australia.
R. Munn
Community Accommodation and Respite Agency (Cara), Adelaide, South Australia,
Australia

Children under Guardianship of the Minister often have experienced trauma

within their short lives, and those who also struggle with the additional needs
associated with diagnosed disabilities are even more susceptible to traumatic
experiences due to the additional obstacles they face on a daily basis.
In South Australia, Cara, in conjunction with Families SA are supporting four
children under the age of 14 years with a diagnosis of intellectual disability
within a therapeutic accommodation setting. The last 12 months has seen
many obstacles overcome both for the service and each individual child. This
has resulted in significant quality of life advances for each child within.
With a philosophy of Person Centred Active Support combined with the
theoretical underpinnings of strength based practice, positive behaviour
support, staff understandings of attachment theory and an understanding of
the positive influence of play; the accommodation team provide a program of
support for children that has enabled them to become active members of their
community. This has reduced incidences of behaviours of concern to a point
where children now can see futures beyond long term care.
This paper will describe how trauma informed practices, combined with
understandings of attachment and play theory have shaped the provision of
accommodation support to children who do not necessarily fit the traditional
foster care model for 'out of home placements, and the positive outcomes for
these children in their journey so far.

45543 - Artistic Expression in the Treatment of Childhood Trauma

- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications.
Daphna Markman Zinemanas (Ph.D., ATR)
Haifa University, Haifa, Israel. The Kibbutzim College, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
The capacity to symbolize and mentalize develops in the context of
attachment relationships. Symbolization capacity is essential for mental
health. In childhood trauma these capacities are usually impaired.
The childs experience of the trauma can be perceived as an intersubjective
experience with his caregivers.
In art - psychotherapy intersubjectivity and visual symbolization are like wrap
and woof of the same fabric of consciousness that underlies therapeutic
processes. In visual symbolization I refer to painting, drawing, sculpturing etc.
In addition to intersubjectivity that occurs in any type of psychotherapy, there
are ways in which implicit intersubjective processes can become explicit
through visual symbolization:
1. Art materials exchange is a visible non-verbal form of intersubjectivity.
It may facilitate remembering earlier intersubjectivity and embodies
current therapeutic relationships.
2. Joint patient-therapist art projects can be executed (like Winnicotts
squiggle game). The product is present for joint reflective
contemplation. Thus, developments in the patient symbolization of
relational contents can commence. If a change has occurred, it will be
evident in future visual symbolization and reflects patient condition.
3. Joint art projects can be useful with traumatized families by
transforming the implicit, sub-symbolized relational contents to explicit
entity available for reflective contemplation. Mentalization of the
relationship may cause change. A coherent joint narrative of traumatic
contents may develop.
Traumatic content may be externalized first through visual symbolization,
before it can be verbalized. Through contemplating the products,
repressed traumatic contents can be worked through and validated. The
presentation
is
based
on
psychoanalytic,
philosophical,
neuropsychological and developmental research and on clinical examples.

45547 - Resting heart rate variability predicts current levels

of general distress in healthy females depending on early life
interpersonal violation and adult trauma exposure
D.A. Chu1,2,3 and J.M. Gatt1,2
1

Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW

2145, Australia.
2 Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW
2006, Australia.
3 Cumberland Hospital Clinical Psychology Services, Western Sydney Local
Health District, NSW 2150, Australia,
Background: Low resting heart rate variability (resting-HRV) is associated with
psychophysiological morbidity and has also been reported in individuals who
report early life stress (ELS) exposure. ELS involving interpersonal violation
(ELS-IPV) in particular differentially predicts increased risk of
psychopathology. We predict therefore that ELS-IPV will be differentially
associated with relatively greater distress levels and lower resting-HRV in
otherwise healthy adults.
Method: Distinct ELS-types were derived from factor analysis of self-reported
exposure to a range of ELS events in 1,201 healthy adults (aged 18-71
years), then entered alongside adult trauma (Adult-TR) exposure into
hierarchical regression analysis predicting resting-HRV and general distress
in a subsample of 833 depression and anxiety disorder-free adults (54%
female). Post-hoc analyses were conducted to determine the direction of
effects for significant interaction terms involving ELS-types, Adult-TR and
general distress or resting-HRV.
Results: After accounting for socio-demographic factors, greater general
distress only in females predicted lower resting-HRV. Conversely lower
resting-HRV, and additionally ELS-IPV and Adult-TR exposure, predicted
greater levels of general distress in females. Evaluation of significant threeway interactions involving ELS-IPV, Adult-TR and resting-HRV predicting
general distress showed that females with neither ELS-IPV or Adult-TR
exposure and those with both multiple ELS-IPV and Adult-TR exposure,
reported lower general distress the higher their resting-HRV.
Conclusions: These results are consistent with the known elevated risks of
psychological morbidity associated with female gender and trauma exposure.
They also point to enhancement of resting-HRV as a potential means of
ameliorating the risk of psychological morbidity among females exposed to
ELS-IPV and Adult-TR.

45619 - The Gong Shi Project: How Culture, Trauma and Attachment
Interact
Helen Lenga
Psychologist and Early Childhood Specialist in Culture, Trauma and Attachment
Founder of the Gong Shi Project
Clinical Consultant at the Lighthouse Institute
Lecturer at Latrobe University, Faculty of Public Health
Private Practice and Consultant
Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

The Gong Shi Project is a training program for Chinese orphanage staff,
teachers and mental health workers. Helen Lenga, a Melbourne based
psychologist specialising in the area of early childhood and loss, trauma and
attachment, began the project in 2003. She is the mother of two daughters
who she and her husband adopted from China. Helen has seen first-hand the
need for psychological input for children living in Chinese orphanages and
over the past 10 years has developed training in support of this work.
In this presentation Helen will cover the background of the Gong Shi Project
and her experience of working in China using a trauma and attachment
informed framework. She is interested in cultural influences on models of child
development and caretaking and cultural assumptions embedded in theories
around child development, family relationships and attachment theory. She
will explore issues of cultural diversity and difference and how these notions
themselves are often embedded in cultural assumptions that are not always
recognised or challenged.
She will talk of her work in China to illustrate the interaction of culture, trauma
and attachment and how these experiences are relevant to current practice in
Australia.

45627 - Managing trauma in child protection workers: The role of

supervision in caring for workers
Susan Hunt1, Chris Goddard1, Judy Cooper, Brian Littlechild2, Barry Raynes3
and Jim Wild4
1Child

Abuse Prevention Research Australia, Monash Injury Research

Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2University of Hertfordshire, UK
3Reconstruct, UK
4The Centre for Active Learning & Ethical Practice in Child Protection & Adult
Change, UK

The purpose of this study was to analyse child protection workers

experiences of supervision following interactions with hostile and intimidating
parents. This analysis examined organisational responses to worker trauma,
and assessed the adequacy of support received.
An online survey was designed to collect data on workers experiences of
hostile and intimidating parents. Participants were invited to complete the
survey through the Community Care website. Participants responses were
qualitatively analysed for references to the supervision they received. 590
participants responded to the survey (81.9% female). 402 (68.1%) participants
were qualified social workers, and 423 (71.7%) worked in child protection. The
majority were very experienced: 382 (64.7%) had been in practice over five
years. Participants had experienced a range of intimidating and violent
behaviour from parents. The overwhelming theme in responses was the lack
of support and supervision workers received, often in stressful and frightening
circumstances. These results will be summarised in the context of best
practice in supervision. The effects on the quality of protection that
traumatised children receive as a consequence of traumatised workers
receiving inadequate supervision will also be discussed.
Threatened and actual violence has a negative impact on both workers
personal and professional lives. Organisational responses in the form of
supervision and education are often inadequate. This negligence results in
children receiving reduced quality of care and protection. Further education
for workers and supervisors is urgently required, alongside quality practice
guidelines relating to working with threatening parents.

45643 - Young Children Going Home Family Contact Playgroups

How can Early Childhood Services and Families SA together help
Children Removed from Care Return Safely Home?
A. Raja Segaran BSW, P. Ryan BSoc Admin1, C. Di Carlo BSW 2
1

Department for Education and Child Development, Children's Centres for

Early Childhood Development and Parenting, Adelaide, South Australia,
Australia
2 Department for Education and Child Development, Families SA, Adelaide,
South Australia, Australia
Childrens Centres and Families SA are implementing Family Contact
Playgroups for parents of young children to come together in a therapeutic
playgroup setting to support children who have been removed from their
parents care to return home. Family contact playgroups held in Childrens
Centres aim to offer children quality early learning opportunities, assist
positive child-parent relationship and build on parenting skills. Prior to the
arrival of children parents are provided with practical, hands on parenting
strategies which are informed by relationship based parenting programs such
as Circle of Security and Bringing up Great Kids. Parents are also supported
in emotionally preparing for the arrival of their children. Parents and children
then spend time together in the playgroup and parents have the opporunity to
practice what they have learned and support their childrens social and
emotional development. Following the playgroup, parents are provided with
time to reflect on the session, their parenting and relationship with their child.
Our initial observations are:
How well parents provide support to one another and how powerful this
can be in effecting change despite a myriad of complex and traumatic
life challenges.
That parents develop a high level of commitment to and ownership of
the playgroups.
The importance for participating agencies to have clarity about roles
and responsbilities for referrals, sharing information, reviews, how
playgroups work, and our practice approach.
The importance of commimment at an organisational level to support
systematic and comprehensive implementation.

45683 - Conceptualising neglect from a development, attachment and

trauma perspective
A. Jackson1
1

Berry Street Take Two, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Abuse and neglect are increasingly used interchangeably with terms such as
trauma and yet are they the same thing? Given the neglect of neglect this
paper will explore how child development theories, attachment theory and
trauma theory and the science upon which they are based help inform our
understanding of the many ramifications of chronic child neglect.
The consequences to children of chronic neglect (including physical,
emotional, supervisory, educational neglect) are numerous and wide-ranging.
Understanding the developmental needs and tasks for children at different
ages and the parental tasks required to meet these needs provides an
important lens to exploring the mechanisms for harm resulting from neglect.
Attachment theory has been at the forefront of exploring the impact of neglect,
especially emotional neglect. Trauma theory has had a more chequered
association with neglect ranging from its not relevant to it explains
everything. Each of these theories are directly informed from science and
tested out in practice.
As Dubowitz (2007) has stated regarding priorities for research in relation to
neglect there is a need for feisty advocates for systemic changes in priorities,
policies and programs to better support families and to help ensure childrens
basic needs are met. This paper will focus on the implications of these
theories in practice to help ensure the childrens basic needs are better met.
Some case examples will also be used to illustrate the implications in practice.
References
[1] H.Dubowitz, Understanding and addressing the neglect of neglect:
Digging into the molehill, Child Abuse & Neglect (2007) 31: 603-606

45695 - The Role of Memory and Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder:

Applying a Cognitive Model to Early Intervention for Children and Their
Parents Following Paediatric Intensive Care Admission.
R. Le Brocque1, J. Kenardy1, H. McMahon1, B. Dow1, D. Long2, and T.
Williams2
University of Queensland, Qld, Australia
Royal Childrens Hospital, Qld, Australia
Cognitive models of the aetiology of posttraumatic distress have emphasised
the role of memory. Some diagnostic features of Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) are memory-related such as dysfunctional voluntary recall
(difficulty recalling complete and accurate details of the trauma) and
dysfunctional involuntary recall of a trauma (intrusive recollections,
flashbacks, nightmares).
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) survivors may be susceptible to having
fragmented recall of their experience together with limited resources to make
sense of isolated, and potentially frightening, islands of memory. The use of
sedatives and analgesic agents, disruption to sleep patterns, the severity of
their illness/injury, treatment experiences, separation from parents, and
exposure to the PICU environment together have the potential to interfere with
memory processing. Children with PTSD show disorganised, fragmented
recall with more sensory features. Symptoms in children following PICU
admission are associated with recall of isolated delusional experiences, such
as nightmares and hallucinations.
This paper 1) reviews current evidence on the role of memory and appraisal in
the development of child posttraumatic stress, and 2) describes a novel
screen-and-treat intervention with children and their parents aimed at
preventing the development of PTSD following PICU admission. The
treatment involves screening at discharge from the PICU, followed up with two
sessions of individual support (7 and 14 days post discharge) aimed at
reintegrating and clarifying PICU memories, psycho-education, and optimizing
coping strategies. This research uses theory based on the neurobiology of
childhood trauma to design and implement an early intervention aimed at
reducing psychological distress in children following admission to paediatric
intensive care.

45751 - Addressing the personal and the political: Trauma therapy with
young refugees arriving in Australia by boat
D. Nelson1, E. Price1, J. Zubrzycki2
1Companion

House Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma, Canberra,

A.C.T., Australia

2Australian

Catholic University, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia

The paper presents a model of trauma therapy which informs

counsellor/advocates in their work with adolescent refugees, many of whom
are unaccompanied minors who came by boat to Australia. The Companion
House model integrates neurobiological evidence-based therapies, narrative
practices and critical system analysis. It seeks to alleviate the effects of
torture and trauma suffered by these young people, both in their country of
origin and in their journeys to Australia.
The experience of trauma is mediated by biological, psychological, cultural,
social and political influences. In Australia, the current refugee and asylum
seeker policy context also influences the way individual trauma experiences
manifest and the ways in which they can be addressed. Trauma therapy
practice in Companion House Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma
recognises and incorporates these six dimensions into its framework of
service delivery. Counselling services are provided by professionals who take
on the role of counsellor/advocates, a title which reflects the interplay of these
six dimensions.
Through the presentation of a number of de-identified case examples, the
Companion House trauma therapy model will be illustrated. Attention will be
given to the importance of providing counselling to these young trauma
survivors in ways that recognise not only the effects of their past experience,
but also the importance of addressing the impacts of current Australian social
policies on their lived experiences.

45943 - A trauma informed service system whats in it for us all?

C. Kezelman
1

Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Mental Health Coordinating Council, Sydney, NSW, Australia
This presentation will focus on the elements needed to establish a trauma
informed service system (as opposed to trauma-specific i.e. working
clinically). A trauma-informed service system is one in which knowledge about
trauma and the impact it has on peoples lives informs every aspect of the
service.
Experiences of trauma are prevalent and affect not only people seeking care
but also workers providing it. The current system does not reflect either of
these realities. Additionally re-traumatisation by and within services and
systems is highly prevalent [1].The time is opportune to develop service
systems which are responsive to the needs of people of all ages with
unresolved trauma, and in which the risk of re-traumatisation for those
accessing services and of vicarious traumatisation for workers are minimised.
To achieve this, a paradigm cultural shift which applies to all elements of the
system and in fact, crosses service systems, is needed. Such a shift
necessitates policy reform, implementation of trauma informed principles into
practice and the workforce development, training and capacity building to
support it. It also involves collaboration between those directly affected by
trauma, families and friends, policy makers, and service providers.
This presentation will focus on the core principles of trauma informed practice
and the benefits of its implementation for all. It will also highlight some of the
progress already made in Australia towards its broad-based implementation.

46019 - The Big Picture: How Australian Schools can Become TraumaInformed?
Dr. J. Howard
1

Department of Education, Training and Employment, Queensland, Australia

Young people surviving trauma with disorganised attachment can exhibit

extremely challenging school behaviours. Consequently, they experience
much discipline, withdrawal from learning activities, suspension and even
expulsion. This is despite abundant evidence suggesting this group does not
respond well to behaviourist strategies and that these approaches can lead to
impairment of the capacity to regulate emotions and manage relationships not only in school - but across the lifespan. Sadly, this can also result in an
impaired capacity for parenting and the ultimate transmission of disorganised
attachment to a new generation of students.
Grounded in attachment theory and neuroscience, this presentation proposes
that schools have great capacity to offer the repeated, regular activity required
for adaptive "rewiring" of young brains of trauma survivors. This can then lead
to more adaptive behaviours and a brighter future for these young people.
However, the bulk of schools are not yet aware of trauma-informed practice,
nor are their systems structured to respond to these challenging behaviours
without resorting to excluding responses. This is a great frustration, to child
and adolescent support professionals who do now work within traumainformed frameworks and who see the schooling system as working against
"best practice".
Dr Howard delivers an effective training program for schools in Queensland aiming to achieving a "critical mass of educators using trauma-informed
practices. She will propose that key learnings from neuroscience must be
incorporated into the professional knowledge and skills of all school educators
and for this happen, imminent institutional and policy change is required.

46427 - Who is the Fairest of them All?

The impact of the NSW Justice System on Child Sexual Assault Victims
and their non-offending Family Members; A Practice Focused Review
C.Goninan, C.Knight
Senior Social Workers, Child Protection Unit, Sydney Childrens Hospital
Network
Flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, dysfunctional eating, anxiety and
depression are some of the numerous symptoms children present with after
being sexually abused. Sexual assault counselling aims at addressing these
issues and processing trauma experiences. This therapy can be complicated
when there is a court process running simultaneously.
For a child, being sexually assaulted is an incredibly distressing and confusing
experience. The process which follows is lengthy, and the psychological
impact can be significant. From police recorded interviews, to sexual assault
medical examinations, to sexual assault counselling to court intervention, the
ripple effect following a disclosure can be embarrassing and intrusive. Most
children who go through this process will not end up giving evidence in court.
For the children who do, further challenges are faced. The childs emotional
wellbeing is not taken into consideration by the court in determining when the
trial is set or whether it will proceed. The legal system and the childs
therapeutic needs often conflict with each other.
This presentation aims to draw upon practice experience of the Child
Protection Unit and reflect upon childrens experiences of the criminal justice
system. We will consider how a child is involved in this process from
disclosure to sentencing. Does the Justice System have a role in recovery of
child victims?

46499 - RADAR A Re-engagement Program for Trauma-Impacted

Young People
Craig Tyeson1, Lisa Drinkwater1
1Learning

Services North, Tasmanian Department of Education, Launceston,

Tasmania, Australia

RADAR is a re-engagement program for disengaged and disconnected young

people, many of whom are trauma-impacted. It is run through Learning
Services North (LSN), Department of Education in Tasmania, and is a
specialist education provision based on the Australian Childhood Foundations
(ACF) framework for transforming trauma. It is the current and most
appropriate educational provision for our communitys most at-risk and
vulnerable youth.
We believe that every student wants to learn but for trauma-impacted young
people there are significant roadblocks that prevent this from happening. It is
predominantly social-emotional issues that are barriers to them connecting to
a learning environment, therefore social and emotional learning (SEL)
underpins everything we do at RADAR. Recent data has shown that the
learning environment at RADAR has significantly impacted on students
social-emotional wellbeing.
This year the Lisa Drinkwater was a recipient of a Hardie Fellowship which
enabled her to travel to the United States to work with the Hawn Foundation
and Child Trauma Academy. This Fellowship, driven by the ACFs
Transforming Trauma Project, enabled the presenters to deepen their
understanding and awareness of trauma and how it affects learning, build
knowledge base of the MindUPTM curriculum, and develop an understanding
of Neurosequential Modelling in Education.
Our presentation at this conference will enable participants to build an
understanding of the importance of SEL for trauma-impacted young people
who have been disengaged from mainstream education, and to learn about
the latest research and best practice from the Child Trauma Academy in the
United States.

4615 - Attachment and trauma informed practice: A Practice forum

R, Gonzalez, C, Cameron
Lighthouse Institute, Victoria, Australia

In recent years, through research into the brain, psycho-social development of

humans and trauma recovery, we have gained a greater understanding of the
importance of Attachment and Trauma Informed Practice in supporting the
recovery of people with trauma histories. These findings are supported by
over 100 years of research and practice in the fields of psychology, psychiatry
and trauma neurobiology from around the world.
Young people in care, homeless young mothers and babies, children and
young people with disabilities and indigenous communities who have been
traumatised need a therapeutic environment where they can heal and which
meets their emotional and developmental needs. Presenters will explain the
impact of complex trauma on child development, drawing on psychodynamic,
attachment, psychological wellness and trauma neurobiology theories. Safety,
security and stability are the basis on which attachment and trauma informed
practice is based, with a holistic and flexible service delivery that addresses:
child development needs; parenting skill development; independent living
skills; community connectedness; emotional and physical wellbeing.
The practical aspects of undertaking therapeutic care are then outlined,
covering topics such as the forming of therapeutic relationships, the
importance of the physical environment and daily routines. The presentation
considers the totality of vulnerable peoples experience at the individual,
group, organisation and community levels and argues that attention to all of
these is essential if the young people, homeless young mothers and babies,
children and young people with disabilities and indigenous communities are to
achieve wellness. This presentation will provide practitioners working in
residential settings with both the understanding and the practical knowledge
to help those in care recover.
Presenters will share the findings of a number of pilot projects that have an
attachment and trauma informed approach, the challenges of applying this
framework, and outcomes for participants. The presentation will also
emphasise the role that psychologists play in the recovery process of
participants, the emotional and physical development of vulnerable young
people, infants, people with a disability, and indigenous communities, the
support of practitioner and the broader role within the therapeutic community.

46539 - Trauma and Dissociation

Engaging with how the body remembers and the attachment dilemmas
as royal pathways to the unconscious in trauma therapy
R. Chandler
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Chandler Consulting Services
Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia

Human survival responses to early childhood trauma developed in the face of

threats to life, body integrity and human connection, have ongoing, severe
and limiting impacts on the lives of those affected.
The paper will explore how recent developments - in particular polyvagal
theory and sensorimotor psychotherapy - have enhanced the capacity of a
psychoanalytic psychotherapist to work people facing these considerable
challenges: their terror at the thought of engagement with another
(disorganized attachment and social isolation); the disconnection in the
psyche (dissociation); and the severe impacts of trauma on the body (affect
disregulation and somatization).
A clinical case example will be presented - one in which - fight, flight or
calling out was not possible and where the traumatic memory was
dissociated but continued to live on in the bodily symptoms and patterns of
attachment. The example illustrates the use of awareness and tracking of the
body and how it remembers as a both, a royal road to the trauma and its
impacts and, an invaluable resource and vehicle for the both person and the
therapist in working with the therapeutic challenges of establishing and
maintaining a therapeutic relationship and, in processing the trauma in a safe
and containing manner.
The use of enlivening connecting experiences alongside the therapy will be
illustrated, as well as their value in addressing the ever present potential for
vicarious traumatization of therapists who work with those who face the terror
of the past and the struggles of allowing connection in the present.

46551 - Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Interventions with an Adolescent:

A Case Study
J.Friend
Clare House Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Hobart, Australia
This paper describes a period of therapy with an adolescent girl referred with
trauma symptoms. At the same time, the paper documents the therapists
efforts to learn Sensorimotor Psychotherapy interventions whilst applying
them to adolescent work.
16 year old Tanya could not bear to be alone. She went to work with her
mother, sitting under the desk holding onto her mothers knee. She had
thoughts of throwing herself under cars. She experienced sleep, mood and
concentration problems, and was continually afraid.
This paper demonstrates three phases of trauma work: stabilisation,
processing and reintegration. During stabilisation, safety is tentatively
established within the therapeutic relationship. The therapist tracks and uses
contact statements to attune to Tanyas affect, thoughts and bodily sensation.
Each time Tanya becomes distressed or numb, the therapist helps her identify
this. Each time, they experiment with mindfulness activities effective in
bringing Tanya back within her Window of Tolerance, into a more regulated
state. Over time Tanya learns to track internal signs of triggering herself, and
eventually to self-initiate regulating activities.
The stabilisation phase is gradually interspersed with reintegration work as
Tanya gets a job, ventures into public places, re-engages with peers, and
returns to school. Processing is incorporated into the latter part of therapy.
Sequencing is used to guide Tanya in following a previously truncated
defence response through to completion, unlocking a sense of freedom and
spontaneity. Physical and verbal boundary work culminate in Tanya resisting
her controlling stepfather and living independently. The therapy finishes when
Tanya turns 19.

46571 - Change and recovery: Culturally appropriate early childhood

programmes with refugee families and communities
R. Signorelli1, M.Coello1
1

NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma
Survivors (STARTTS), Australia

This presentation will outline the STARTTerS early childhood programme, for
children and their parents or caregivers, from refugee backgrounds. The
multimodal and multidimensional programme will be described with reference
to refugee trauma recovery and neuro-developmental models, as well as
attachment theory. The programme aims to enhance the childs trauma
recovery and development, while providing support, modelling and
psychoeducation for their parents. This serves to enhance the parents roles
in mediating their childs stress experiences and reactions, and in assisting
with their childs education and healing.
The presentation will also address some of the complexities of this work. The
childs trauma symptoms may, for instance, trigger their parents own
traumatic memories and symptoms. Trauma may also impact on the parents
emotional availability and parenting capacity, or the child may internalise
parental coping styles. These factors can then lead to the development of
dysfunctional relational patterns.
Reference will be made to cross-cultural perspectives or understandings
related to child-rearing practices, in the context of resettlement and the
multiple cultural transitions that are brought about by refugee experiences.
These and other cross-cultural issues
emerging from treatment and
consultative research carried out by the NSW Service for the Treatment and
Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) with two specific
refugee communities, will shed light on those communities awareness of
early childhood trauma, and on their help seeking preferences. The underlying
commitment at STARTTS to consultative and collaborative service
development can produce and promote holistic and culturally appropriate
systemic programmes for change and recovery.

46619 - Healing Developmental Trauma at the Clay Field: A sensorimotor

Art Therapy approach.
C. Elbrecht1 and L. R. Antcliff2
1

Claerwen Retreat and School of Initiatic Art Therapy,

Apollo Bay/ Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2 Heartspace Artspace & Counselling, Maleny/ Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia
Developmental trauma is a term that describes the impact of chronic
childhood experiences including insecure attachment, neglect, emotional,
physical and sexual abuse that results in the loss of capacity to integrate
sensory, emotional, cognitive and relational information into cohesive, trusting
and safe experiences.1 These traumas are psychophysical that result in the
experiences being held within the body long after the occurrences. Trauma is
re-enacted in breath, gestures, sensory perceptions, movement, emotion and
thought and is stored in the implicit memory (VanderKolk, 2006). Best
practice in trauma therapy includes a bottom up approach where
kinaesthetic and motor impulses can give rise to sensory and cognitive
awareness.
Play therapy, sand therapy and various forms of visual arts therapy are all
offered as interventions for childhood trauma. Work at the Clay Field, is a
sensorimotor art therapy and differs from play, sand and visual arts therapy as
it is focused on haptic perception, the use of the hands (touch) as a tool of
perception. Touch is one of the most fundamental human experiences and is
the basis of secure attachment, linked to our earliest body memories. Work at
the Clay Field is grounded in theories of developmental psychology, human
development, object relations, sensorimotor therapy and haptic perception. At
the Clay Field children are enabled to satiate developmental needs, in
particular those from the preverbal age of early infancy. They also can
complete trauma-related fragmented or incomplete action cycles through safe
touch and create their world.
This interactive presentation invites participants to engage with the core
components of Work at the Clay Field as haptic object relations: skin sense,
vestibular sense and depth sense. Both multi-media representation and oral
presentation will explain the foundational premises of trauma healing at the
ClayField, emphasizing the unique role it plays to help children and adults
who have experience developmental trauma.
References
[1] C. Elbrecht, Trauma Healing at the clay field: A sensorimotor approach to art therapy
(2012) London. Jessica Kingsley.
[2] L. Heller, A. La Pierre, Healing Developmental Trauma (2012) Berkeley: North Atlantic
Books.
[3] B. A. VanderKolk, in P. Ogden, K. Minton, C. Pain, Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor
approach to psychotherapy (2006) New York: W.W. Norton.

46639 - Neurobiology meets Restorative Practices in Schools

C.L. Brumley 1
1

Gateway Community Health, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia

In the wake of recent advances in neurobiological research, programs which

seek to increase social-emotional development in children and address
potentially traumatic/adverse experiences are being readily embraced by
schools. Across Australia and worldwide, restorative practices are used in
many schools as their primary form of response to harmful incidents including
bullying, violence, vandalism, theft and persistent non-attendance. Restorative
practices proffer a forum for teaching, modelling and practicing the skills
involved in relationship connection and repair.
An understanding of how, why and under which circumstances restorative
practices best work is however currently limited in the restorative practice
field, leaving teachers at times lacking in confidence, and at worst unable to
manage complex inter-personal dynamics which potentially risks further harm
and trauma. The restorative practice movement is arguably ripe for integrating
the collaborative knowledge-base of fields including mindfulness theory,
attachment theory and developmental neurobiology. The effect of which yields
a powerful scaffold for understanding relationship dynamics and recognising
the fundamental mechanisms involved in mediating empathic connection
which is the central aim of restorative practices. It brings a fresh framework to
the restorative field and opens up pathways for practitioners to refine their
skills and capacity for contingent communication and compassionate
presence which are recognised as being more robust predictors of
successful outcomes than any specific techniques used.

46795 - Childhood trauma: What we know now and what we need to

know to change the trajectory of childrens lives
A. Van Toledo2, B.Raphael1 and A. Harris1
1

Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network, Canberra,
ACT, Australia

It was once a widely held belief that children did not experience traumatic
reactions to adverse events and that the trajectory of their lives was not
altered. We now know that this is not the case. There has been a extensive
amount of research that has demonstrated that a range of potentially
traumatic and adverse events in childhood can impact on brain development,
mental health, social and emotional development and educational attainment.
This presentation summarises the findings of a substantial review of the
literature on the impacts of trauma and adversity in childhood and what is
known about what can mitigate these impacts. With a special focus on the
situation facing Australian children, the review brings together knowledge and
research from numerous areas to provide a comprehensive overview of the
impacts of trauma and adversity across the lifespan.
The challenge for all individuals working with children is how to mitigate this
impact. The review focuses not only on what can be done therapeutically to
assist children who have experienced trauma and adversity, but also presents
a public health approach to addressing this in childhood. Effectively
implementing programs to mitigate the impact of trauma and adversity in
childhood is crucial to ensure the lifelong health of individuals. To be able to
effectively support children and families impacted by trauma and adversity,
professionals need to be aware and mindful of all effective approaches.

46887 - Understanding the Well-being of Children after the Trauma of

Refugee Experience: A Computer-assisted Approach
I. Kaplan1, and J.A. Lawrence2
1

Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture, Brunswick, Victoria,

Australia
2 Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne,
Melbourne, Australia

Children from refugee backgrounds are rarely able to contribute to our

understanding of their well-being after trauma and displacement. Methods that
put respect at the forefront can give them a voice, while taking account of both
their vulnerability and resilience. Standard methods of assessing childrens
well-being after trauma can be too narrow in their scope, often applying
measures designed for Western groups. They also can be too dependent on
clinical interviews that can be difficult to make useful beyond individual
settings. We developed computer-assisted interviews that provide childfriendly, age and culture appropriate ways for children to express their
thoughts and feelings about their well-being. We have now used these
measures with over 250 children of refugee and other backgrounds. The
computer-assisted interviews provide children with a variety of accessible and
attractive ways of expressing their views. They invite young participants to
express their thoughts and feelings in a supportive and respectful
environment, using animated and illustrated standard tasks as well as novel
tasks that use interactivity (e.g., forced choices, sortings, ratings) and type-in
open-ended comments. The data are immediately available as group trends
and also as individualized profiles that can be included into clinical information
(we will present sample profiles). We are currently incorporating these
measures into normal assessment procedures for newly arrived refugee
children as a way of generating profiles of childrens worries, what helps them,
and what they want to achieve. This approach enables an understanding of
what is required to promote recovery after trauma.

47407 - Application of ARC framework in a child protection setting:

Working with the caregiving system.
L. A. Britton1 and G. J. Griffiths1
1Family

and Community Services, Western District, NSW, Australia

The Attachment, Self-regulation and Competency (ARC) framework

(Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010) is a comprehensive framework grounded in
theory and research for clinicians working therapeutically with children who
have experienced complex trauma. Central to the ARC Model is the role of
the caregiving system in providing a safe, healthy, developmentallyappropriate environment for children to develop and address the impact of
interpersonal trauma.
The attachment system provides a model for children to form connections with
others, cope with and express emotions and a safe, nurturing environment for
healthy development. Yet, in clinical practice, engaging the caregiving system
in this key role to promote a childs recovery is often a challenge. Failure to
engage Carers in this foundational responsibility has repercussions for the
childs recovery from the impact of complex trauma and negotiation of
developmental tasks.
Acknowledging the importance of the Caregivers role in application of the
ARC framework and the childs recovery, several questions emerge: what are
the factors impacting on Carers that inhibit their engagement in the
therapeutic process; what can clinicians do to facilitate Carers understanding
and application of the ARC framework; and how can clinicians develop a
partnership with Carers that promotes the childs well-being and addresses
the Carers day-to-day concerns?
Drawing on clinical practice in a child protection setting and the ARC
framework, the authors seek to promote an understanding of the treatment of
complex trauma in childhood through foundational work with the child support
system/s that provide day to day care.
Reference:
Blaustein, M. E., & Kinniburgh, K. M. (2010). Treating traumatic stress in
children and adolescents: How to foster resilience through attachment, selfregulation, and competency. Guildford: New York.

47415 - When primary carers cannot be the secure base; how placement
change and attachment collide in out of home care
A. Paton1 and S. Trigwell1
1Parkerville

Children and Youth Care (Inc), Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Sadly children in out of home care systems experience multiple placements

changes and disruptions during their care journey, a phenomenon now
termed foster care drift. At the time of apprehension from their parents a child
feels a break to their attachment (positive or negative), and upon entry to
care, although usually provided with a safe environment, all too often this is
not stable long term. It is not uncommon for children to experience over 20
placements while in care. This can require them to move from general foster
care, to group homes and residential care facilities.
Finding enduring and meaningful attachment relationships for these children
can be a struggle. Not only can they developed internal models of working
that impede their ability to connect in meaningful ways to others, but their
network of available relationships frequently changes and is often inadequate.
This presentation explores the notion of non direct care staff acting as the
secure attachment base. A range of case examples of where a child in care
has used their therapist or case manager as their secure base will be
explored. Throughout their multiple care placements, apprehensions,
reunification experiences, further abuse and challenges of childhood, they
have relied and stayed connected with their therapist. The benefits and pitfalls
of this for the child, therapist, agency and sector will be reviewed.

47463 - Supporting Parents, Protecting Kids: parental reflection as child

protection
L.Kennedy and J.Miller
Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
This presentation reports on our experience of development and national
delivery, of the reflective parenting program Bringing Up Great Kids.
Positioned at the preventative end of the child protection work of the
Australian Childhood Foundation, the program is supported by the Australian
Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs for delivery to a range of parents including those who might
be considered vulnerable or at risk.
The presentation will outline our experience of facilitating the program with a
range of at risk parents in all states and territories of Australia, with a focus
on those elements of the program design and delivery which are most
supportive of childrens protection from harm.
The program is reflective in nature and supports parents to develop the
practice of mindfulness in their parenting- the rationale being that reflective
capacity and mindful awareness in parents, is protective of children. The
presentation will include an experiential component of mindfulness practice for
participants.
In contrast to more behavioural parenting programs, Bringing up Great Kids
uses the metaphor of messages, to support parents to reflect on why they do
what they do in their parenting role. The presentation will offer reflections on
our findings in this regard, and will share with participants, supportive
practice-based and research-based evidence in relation to the program.

47695 - Take one fluffy animal

K.Kristal
Patricia Giles Centre, Perth, Western Australia.
In Western Australia, on December 1, 2004, the proclamation of the Acts
Amendment (Domestic Violence) Bill extended the grounds for obtaining a
Violence Restraining Order in family and domestic violence situations. An act
of family and domestic violence now includes damage to property, including
the injury or death of a pet.
The link between both animal / pet violence and interpersonal violence
(encompassing domestic violence, child abuse and other violent crimes) is
evident in their shared characteristics - both victims are living creatures, both
have a capacity for experiencing pain and distress, both can display physical
signs of their pain and distress and both may die as a result of inflicted
injuries.
In 2006 the Patricia Giles Centre (PGC)undertook reseach into the links
between pet abuse and domestic violence, one of the outcomes was a
theraputic childrens program,Building Animal Relationships with Kids. (BARK).
BARK is an animal assisted therapeutic group program for children 6-12
years.
It is a 6 week program facilitated by a childrens counselor, child support
worker and animal educator from the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

Reference.
L. Refeld, Report to Lotteries Commission of Western Australia on the links
between family violence and pet abuse, 2006

47955 - How does it work, under 13s in a Therapeutic Residential Care

Model
D.Munro 1
1Imapct

Youth Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia

How does it work, under 13s in a Therapeutic Residential Care Model; ARC+
C what does this involve and how do we implement this model of care for this
vulnerable target group?
Impacts therapeutic residential program is set up to systematically address
the core needs of a child or young person who has experienced complex
trauma.
In 2011 2012 Impact identified a greater number of referrals for under 13s,
boys in particular. It was apparent that there was a great need for an
innovative solution to support these under 13s who were presenting for
residential care in a very vulnerable state.
With behaviours so extreme that the foster care system was unable to support
them, many with multipliable placement breakdowns. Impact identified a need
to establish a residential care model to work with these boys to help prepare
them for foster care.
This presentation will detailed the carefully staged approach we took to help
the children develop the capacity to manage their emotions and regain their
equilibrium when distressed. We will explore the challenges of providing a
positive and structure routine that set the foundations for the children to start
to progress through the developmental stages that have been disrupted
during their chaotic and traumatic early years.
The presentation will unpack the journey Impact has been on to date whilst
exploring the challenges we face today.

47959 - Absent Without Permission

D. Munro, Chief Inspect McMahon and Senior Constable Kearney
Impact Youth Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia
NSW Police Force, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Staff in residential care facilities experience huge challenges in keeping young

people with in the law. One of these is ensuring that young people come back
at night without breaking their curfews if they are on bail, or without being
listed as a missing person.
Residential staff were confronted with the consequences of young people
not returning at night which, ultimately, resulted in a criminal incident
registered against a young person name each time they were late. This
incident remains on their records and followed them where ever they lived. If
they broke bail conditions it was worse they would end up in detention. Most
of these absences were, in the main relatively minor, but the consequences
were enough for some young people to just not come back at all because they
would get into trouble no matter what.
Residential staff and Police recognised this as a problem as neither saw any
benefits to the process. There had to be another way. Impact Youth Services
and Mount Druitt Police met to discuss the Absent Without Permission from
Out of Home Care Residential Premises.
The result was a Police, Residential Care and Family and Community
Services partnership which subsequently developed a proposed Case
Management protocol to manage young people and reinterpret the term
Absent Without Permission from Out of Home Care Residential Premises.
Interestingly the same issues exist in other parts of the region but these have
not yet been addressed

47987 - A Male Centred Approach to Therapeutic Engagement with

Male Survivors of Childhood Trauma.
J. Toussaint
Men and women abused in childhood have much in common and there is an
overlap in the psychological and social aftermath they typically experience.
Whilst it is important not to dismiss this commonality, there are significant
differences in the experience of trauma for males. These differences include
the nature of the abuse itself and the way that the victimisation of males
intersects with their gender socialisation. Men who have been harmed through
abuse, violence, and aggression face a number of cultural delusions that act
to amplify their trauma, limit the services available to them, and block their
entry into the healing process.
This presentation draws on a body of research anchored by the new
psychology of men that aims to give a truer picture of mens inner lives and
the trauma recovery process than is suggested by traditional stereotypes. The
presentation will:
Articulate a male centred approach to therapeutic engagement with
male survivors, as well as an instrument for broad social change.
Explore linkages between male survivors of trauma and men who are
abusive in their adult intimate relationships.
Provide strategies for supporting men in their healing journey.
Men and boys still struggle to find true welcome when they bring forward their
accounts of being harmed. We must offer them not only a route to emotional
restoration, but also a sense of meaning that goes beyond simply having
repaired the damage done by trauma.

48067 - DRUMBEAT Rhythm for Recovery

S. Faulkner
Holyoake Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
DRUMBEAT is an exploration of relationship issues based on an
understanding of the critical importance of healthy relationships in our lives
and the challenges of those who are alienated or socially isolated to develop
healthy and supportive social networks. DRUMBEAT is run in childrens
hospitals, youth services, adolescent and adult mental health services, drug &
alcohol rehabilitation, trauma services, schools and juvenile and adult prisons.
The program was originally developed in Australia for those averse to talk
based therapies and combines experiential and cognitive approaches, utilising
analogies and metaphors drawn from the drum-circle.
There are over 4,000 health and education professionals trained as
DRUMBEAT facilitators working across Australia, the USA, Canada and New
Zealand. In the program the drum is used to reduce defensiveness, increase
engagement, provide a safe avenue for communication and enable the
cathartic release of emotion. Specific exercises assist with emotional
regulation and a wide range of social skills.
The DRUMBEAT program has been the subject of several independent
research studies in a range of settings with consistent findings of improved
self-esteem, emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and relationships
with peers as well as reductions in anti-social behaviour, school absenteeism,
anxiety and alienation. These findings have been published in journal articles
available online at http://www.holyoake.org.au/content-red.php?CID=41
This workshop will give participants a hands on look at each of the five
elements of the DRUMBEAT program Core rhythms; Rhythm games; Key
conversations, Improvisation and the Performance. To watch a video on
DRUMBEAT visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/HolyoakeDRUMBEAT

48135 - When culture and power trumped safety: the trauma that
followed the arrest of the CEO of an out- of-home care agency. A
modern day fable.
Karen Menzies1 and Lyn Stoker2
1

Wollotuka, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

In this workshop, we will present a case study for examination and

discussion. We will reflect on how someone can use the culture card as a
way of evading the usual external standards and safeguards and power
within the organisation to bully staff and corrupt processes. We will provide
the case study using publicly available documents and talk about our
experiences as consultants following the arrest of a CEO in Newcastle.
We will discuss the successful strategies employed both inside the
organisation and with the external oversight agencies to gain access to
vulnerable young people. We will examine how someone can use culture as
a way of avoiding scrutiny and power within an organisation to manipulate
processes. Importantly we would like to look at the impact on the organisation
and the staff. We will discuss our experience working with staff and reflect on
the trauma as a result of this experience.
In the second half of the workshop we will encourage participants to work with
us to consider the presentation and to identify and develop strategies that will
keep kids and young people safe and prevent trauma for Out-of-Home Care,
staff while remaining culturally appropriate.

48195 - The Adventures of Little Bear: The Importance of Fred!

S. Denning
Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria Australia

A case study approach is used to extend professionals understanding of the

use of expressive art therapies and a trauma informed approach to assist the
healing and positive development of young people with a background of
trauma, abuse and neglect.
Case study one uses a trauma informed approach and dance movement
therapy practice to assist the healing of a young girl who has experienced
sexual abuse, multiple care environments and emotional trauma. It is through
movement and the felt sense that we learn to experience ourselves in relation
to others and our environment. This case study explores how the mind body
connection, sensory awareness and movement therapy assisted this client to
emotionally regulate, feel comfortable in her body and form increasingly more
positive connections with others.
Case study two explores the use of child-centred play therapy and a trauma
informed approach to assist the healing and positive growth of a young boy
from a background of domestic violence, drug use, abuse and neglect. Play
is a natural form of expression for a child and this case study highlights a
childs work in using play to make sense of his past experiences, his changes
in care environment and how to make friends with other children. It tracks his
subsequent reduction in violent outbursts, his connection with his foster family
and his slow but increasingly positive capacity to engage in education and
form lasting relationships.

48163 - Working with traumatised infants in early learning settings

A.ODonnell 1& P. Markham2
1 Benevolent

Society, Adelaide, South Australia

GoodStart Early Learning, Adelaide, South Australia

Billy sat closely next to Clair his childcare educator, as she read a book to
him. Clair glanced over Billys shoulder and noticed another infant in distress;
she responded by getting up quickly and with a hand gesture towards Billy
said wait here. Billy launched at Claire, pulling her hair and scratching her
face, it took two other educators to remove Billy from Clair. Clair stood dazed
and confused as Billy proceeded to destroy the play room, unsure of what had
happened and what to do.
Infants such as Billy who have experienced trauma can have problems with
managing strong feelings or emotions, including dissociation or excessive
tantrums that do not respond to common behaviour management strategies.
Some experts describe young children with numbing/avoidance symptoms,
hyper-arousal and/or the tendency to re-enact traumatic events through play,
(Wotherspoon, Hawkins, & Gough, 2009). Childcare can provide an
opportunity for the traumatised infant to form relationships with others in a
way that fosters trust, consistency, and predictability, although for the
childcare educator to do this they must be supported, (C.Ebert, S.Watson, &
R., Dolby, 2008).
Using two case studies this paper will discuss Partnerships in Early Childhood
(PIEC), a program developed by Benevolent Society, that is being
implemented in two Goodstart Early Learning centers. The PIEC model is
based on research showing that high quality interventions focusing on the
secure relationships between educators and children are linked to improved
outcome for infants with multiple risk factors.
References
[1] Wotherspoon, E., Hawkins, E., & Gough, P. (2009). Emotional trauma in
infancy. CECW Information Sheet #75E. Toronto, ON, Canada: University of
Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
[2] C.Ebert., S. Watson., & R. Dolby. (2008) Child Care A holding
environment supporting infants and their parents with mental illness and
emotional difficulties. Infants and their parents with mental illness", Anne Sved
Williams and Vicki Cowling (Eds.). Australian Academic Press

48167 - Challenges and practical strategies for speech pathologists

working with children in out of home care (OOHC)
T. Lyddiard3, and N. Byrnes2
1

Kaleidoscope Community Based Services- HNELHD, Newcastle, NSW,

Australia
2 Kaleidoscope Community Based Services- HNELHD, Newcastle, NSW,
Australia
The Kaleidoscope Community Based Speech Pathology team has seen a
steady increase in the referral of Out of Home Care (OOHC) children to the
service. The Kaleidoscope Community Based Speech Pathology Service is a
public health service for children 0-18 years that operates across 3 local
government areas and receives approximately 1200 referrals per year. The
service identified that children in OOHC are a specific vulnerable group of
children who have experienced maltreatment and often present with
developmental concerns across many domains. The speech pathology team
identified challenges faced by the child, the foster carers, the caseworkers,
speech pathologists and the speech pathology team, when servicing this
unique group of children. This presentation will provide an overview of those
challenges and also outline practical strategies to consider when working with
children in OOHC.

References
[1] N. Byrne, T. Lyddiard, Challenges and practical strategies for speech
pathologists working with children in OOHC (OOHC), Journal of Clinical
Practice in Speech-Language Pathology (2013) vol 15 (3): 131-137

48235 - Through the camera lens: using Marte Meo with families in the
statutory child protection system
T. B. Sheehan
Resilient Families, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Marte Meo was developed by Maria Aarts in the 70s. While working at a
boys home she noted that parents often felt disconnected from their child.
The parents intentions were good but they had not developed the tools they
needed to achieve a secure relationship with a child with special needs. The
intervention developed by Aarts uses video to slow down and analyse the
interactions between parents and children to activate this development.
Strengths-based and focused on where the child is at, the model has been
used all over the world in a number of situations.
This paper describes how Marte Meo can be adapted and used with parents
and their children, who are already engaged with the child protection system,
to reduce the risk of future harm. It will explore two case studies. The first
involves two boys, in statutory care but in the progress of being returned to
their fathers care. Videoing, interactional analysis and precise feedback was
used to improve the relationship between the youngest son and the father;
further build on the sibling relationship; and focus on the boys speech
development.
The second case involves a single mum working hard to repair the
relationship with her five year old daughter. Here, we used Marte Meo to
assist the mum to improve her self-confidence and to take the lead and
become skilled at the steps she would need to strengthen her relationship
with her daughter.

48275 - Dialectics Beyond Diagnostics: Systemic supervision in Child

Youth and Family Psychiatry
K. Crouch and A. Wragg
Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Mildura, Victoria, Australia
When an individual presents for psychiatric assessment and intervention there
is a tendency to observe, label and treat the individual as a wholly unique
organism, distinct and diagnostically separate from the influences of familial
systems. If wider dynamics are overlooked and treatment plans are created
from diagnoses alone, the growth and healing available for individuals seeking
intervention can be limited. Equally concerning, individual clinician stress and
mis-attunement can parallel the disenfranchised needs of the client system,
reducing therapeutic alliance, job satisfaction and evolutionary mastery. For
newer, less experienced staff, this can greatly undermine confidence and
reduce learning opportunities, inadvertently adding to the pressures of the
wider clinical team. Using case examples from a small rural mental health
service, it is illustrated that assisting clinicians to identify dialectical tensions in
complex interpersonal systems can offer a greater sense of containment and
focus for treatment planning than simply teaching them to identify diagnostic
labels and target individual symptoms. Considering dialectical tensions
created by natural processes of life-span development, unmet inner-child
needs across generations, adverse childhood events in multiple systems and
varied interactions with wider organisational operations, the following paper
highlights the need for supervisors and senior clinicians to assist junior staff
look beyond diagnostic labels when working with individuals on their case
load and examine the many dialectical tensions that shape clinical
presentations.

48291 - Holding the Sib-ship

Y.Willoughby and S.Denning
Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Frequently in the world of foster care we are challenged to make complex
decisions around the care of sibling relationships. Sociological research
which suggests that siblings who are held together in foster care fare better
than those who are separated has influenced the development of foster care
practices to ensure sib-ships are protected. The outward manifestations of
complex trauma of children who have experienced disrupted attachment and
abuse may overwhelm the foster care placement and may place the sib-ship
in jeopardy. The need to incorporate an understanding of the childrens early
developmental history and the intra-psychic harm attributed to this trauma is
highlighted in these cases and illustrates how the assessment function of the
Therapeutic Specialist can inform the care team of potential consequences of
decisions that could be made. Drawing from theories relating to trauma and
attachment and psychodynamic theories of infant and child development, this
workshop unpacks two case studies to make meaning of the sibling
relationships for the children concerned and how understanding this meaning
helps us to determine what is in each childs best interest.

48307 - Continual succesful reduction in addictions and improvement in

depression four years after completion of five day residential program
L. Mullinar
There is a tendency to separate people with dual diagnoses and devise
special programs for them rather than looking at the likelihood that these
diagnoses are a symptom of childhood trauma. This longitudinal research
indicates that if we heal childhood trauma we minimise and ultimately also
heal people from their other problems and diagnoses which are likely to have
been more costly and more time consuming if addressed in isolation, as well
as with a lower rate of success.
The research was carried out by Liz Mullinar under the supervision of Dr. C.
Edwards and indicates that long term improvement to depression and
addictions are maintained very successfully and the success of this peer
support program is likely to far exceed other interventions.
Four years after the program where participants addressed childhood issues
on this short residential program there was a 40% reduction in those people
with dysfunctional coping mechanisms who considered themselves still to be
addicted to alcohol or illicit drugs. There was also a highly statistically
significant reduction in the depression score even four years after completion
of the program.

48335 - Healing Transgenerational Cascades of Distress in

Disadvantaged Indigenous Communities; Challenges, Opportunities,
and a Case Study.
Leon Petchkovsky 1, Rachel Johns 2
1 Associate

Professor Psychiatry, Queensland Department of Psychiatry,

Brisbane, QLD, Australia
2 Mental Health Worker, Community Mental Health Services, Lismore, NSW,
Australia
Distress affects Aboriginal Australians disproportionately, especially in
disadvantaged communities; with reduced life expectancy, high suicide,
violence, and imprisonment rates, and a range of illnesses (Metabolic
Syndrome) associated with Hypophyseal Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis
damage resulting from high maternal and infantile stress [1]. Foetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, Conduct
Disorders and Learning Disorders are prevalent in the child population.
A substantive developmental neuro-psycho-biology research literature points
to the centrality of early nurturance processes in facilitating the development
of physical and psychological health and resilience.
The larger Australian community has failed to provide adequate repair despite
interventionist programs deployed over many years. The authors argue that
this rests in part on a lack of mindfulness (awareness of ones own processes)
and empathy (tuning into others), at every level: political, organisational, and
individual.
Dan Siegels neuro-developmental insights [2] into individual and
organisational function are used to explore these concerns, and identify early
(peri-natal) supportive intervention (nurturing the nurturers) as the most
central strategy of repair.
But damaged nurturers are very sensitive. Attempts to nurture them can be
counterproductive if political programmes, organisational cultures, and
individual case workers themselves have not developed sufficient mindfulness
and empathy to address these sensitivities. Recent advances in
developmental neuroscience help fine-tune this process. Guidelines are
offered, with an illustrative Case Study.
[1] L. Petchkovsky, N. Cord-Udy, L. Grant, A post-Jungian perspective on 55
Indigenous suicides in Central Australia; deadly cycles of diminished
resilience, impaired nurturance, compromised interiority; and possibilities for
repair. Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (2007)
Volume 6, Issue 3.
[2] D. Siegel. Mindsight. The New Science of Personal Transformation. (2011)
Bantam Books. New York.

48379 - The Magical Art of a Desperate Child - What and How Children
Communicate to us about Out of Home Care.
Gregory Nicolau
Australian Childhood Trauma Group, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Infants, children and young people who have experienced traumatic events,
including cumulative harm and chaos in their lives often find it difficult to
regulate their emotional states. Professionals and carers can find being in the
presence of these children and young people extremely difficult to bear. They
can be left feeling exhausted and sapped of energy. It does not have to be
this way. Professionals and carers need to learn how to bear the pain in order
to develop a trusting alliance that in turn will facilitate healing and change.
Where this does not occur, toxic stress over time can impact both the
professionals, carers and childs physical, psychological and spiritual health
leading to poor outcomes. This keynote address will explore the place of
mindfulness, reflective practice and rooting as important skills for carers and
professionals to develop in order to provide environments and relationships
that will heal.

48391 - Butterflies soaring: Using neuroscience to address attachment

and trauma in a group for substance-dependent mothers
A. Parkes1, A. Tidyman2
1
2

Odyssey House Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

Odyssey House Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

Histories of trauma and problems in the family of origin are common among
substance-dependent women. Many women experience social isolation and
domestic violence. High rates of internalizing and externalizing behaviours
are reported among their children. This presentation outlines the Butterflies
Soaring to a Brighter Future Fun and Life Group for Mums, developed and
delivered by Kids in Focus (KIF) at Odyssey House Victoria, a major alcohol
and other drug treatment agency. KIF is funded by the Commonwealth
Department of Social Services to provide assertive outreach case
management to vulnerable families where there are parental substance use
problems. A review of existing programs highlighted significant limitations in
addressing the bi-directional nature of maternal and child emotional
dysregulation in the context of parental addiction. In order to meet the needs
of mothers and their children, a decision was made to develop and pilot a
model based on attachment and trauma informed practice using the principles
of neuroscience. This presentation outlines the eight-week program which
drew upon the knowledge of experts such as Dan Siegel, Bruce Perry, Bryan
Post, Jeffrey Schwartz and Edward Tronick. An educative, solution and repair
focused group assisted participants to develop understanding of attachment
and the impact of trauma on their lives, relationships and parenting.
Techniques to assist change through rewiring the brain were provided and
practiced. A peer support person provided input throughout the process.
Outcomes and learnings from the group will be discussed.

48403 - How Do We Bridge the Gap?

A case study exploring the issues of aboriginal children being placed
with non-aboriginal carers.
L.Short 1, A Ferguson2, B.McInnes2, N.Sloane 2
1Australian
2Gippsland

Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC), Victoria,
Australia

This case study explores the uncharted territories that are faced by workers,
family members and carers of an aboriginal child who, after several years in
care and a lengthy court battle was returned to birth family. The concept of
primary attachment and its importance in this case is put forward as well as
an understanding of culturally different models of attachment and how these
are currently viewed by professionals within the child protection and legal
system. The understanding of meaningful connection to ones culture and
what this means for a child placed in a vastly different culture is also explored.
This case highlights a number of relevant and recurring themes that are
pertinent to the current child protection system including availability of
culturally appropriate care options, partnerships between agencies, culturally
informed practice and child focussed practice. It also highlights the issues of
cultural trauma and vicarious trauma as they related to this case.
The outcomes reached within this case both positive and negative are
presented and a focus on the changes required within the system to
effectively bridge the gap in practice and policy are put forward as well as
acknowledgement of the achievements made on a number of levels (child,
system, community).

48455 - Healing Play

K. Plaza and P. Morgan
Sydney Childrens Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
In response to recent developments in neuroscience of early trauma, it was
decided to employ an Occupational Therapist within a conventional child
abuse counselling service to address newly identified gaps in existing service
delivery. The Occupational Therapist employs DIR/Floortime, a holistic model
of therapy that addresses a childs unique biological constitution as well as
developmental disruptions resulting from significant early trauma. Intervention
is play-based and family centred, focusing on the primary attachment
relationship. This paper discusses how DIR/Floortime, an intervention
developed for children with autism spectrum disorders, has been successfully
adapted for use with children who have experienced early trauma. The paper
also explores how close collaboration between the occupational therapist and
counsellors has been necessary to enhance the childs primary attachment
relationship in order to provide the optimal balance of felt safety and targeted
developmental stimulation in the home for the healing of early trauma. Case
vignettes, short video presentations of clinical practice and parents reflections
on the therapeutic process demonstrate how this transdisciplinary approach
addresses trauma related developmental disruptions to emotional regulation,
attention, sensory processing, and motor planning.

48459 - Beyond the outcome; looking at infant sleep interventions,

the process and the experience.
When mothers and infants present with sleep problems, behavioural sleep
interventions such as modified controlled comforting are often offered as a
solution'. These interventions train infants to settle to sleep without parent
attention. Although successful in extinguishing infants crying at transition to
sleep, research has shown that the cessation of this behavioral indication of
distress is not associated with a decrease in infants physiological stress
response during the time of intervention (Middlemiss, Granger, Goldberg, &
Nathans, 2012).
With the continued presence of physiological distress, change in infants sleep
patterns may be achieved at the expense of infants wellbeing. Research has
clearly documented the negative effects of stress for infants developing brain.
Consequently, support of infants and mothers during transition to sleep may
be better addressed by shifting focus from procedures to reduce nightwakings
to approaches focused on infants and parents responses in sleep
environment. In this presentation, we describe parents experiences following
a response-based sleep intervention focused on helping parents understand
normative sleep patterns, identify sleep signs, and learning responsive
approaches to help infants get a healthy sleep.
Based on Safe Sleep Space (2009) evaluation data, 92% of 100 families who
engaged in a response-based, residential sleep intervention with their infants
[aged 2 to 36 months] reported being happy with their participation at the time
of intervention and 2 weeks later, and 84% of families reported being happy
with intervention outcomes at 6 weeks post participation. By responding to the
communication of infants and considering them in the process of finding
sleep, both infants and children were able to sleep without needing to be
exposed to behavioural interventions such as controlled crying.
References
Middlemiss, W., Granger, D.A., Goldberg, W.A., & Nathans, L. (2012).
Asynchrony of mother infant hypothalamicpituitaryadrenal axis activity
following extinction of infant crying responses induced during the transition to
sleep. Early Human Development, 88, 227-232.
doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.08.010
Safe Sleep Space 2009. Intervention Evaluation Review Data.

48487 - A Tree Falls in the Playground Trauma Strikes a Small School

Community.
W. Ellsmore
Counselling Psychologist, MAPS
NSW Department of Education & Communities
It was a hot, blue and still summers day at a small primary school of just over
200 students in semi-rural NSW. It is the beginning of Friday lunchtime when
a thunder-crack of noise heralds the fall of a mighty branch from a shade
giving tree in the school yard. One child is killed. Two other children and a
teacher are injured and hospitalised. The whole school community of
students, teachers and parents are traumatised and grief stricken.
This paper presents the counselling response to the impact of this traumatic
event upon the community of teachers, parents and particularly the children.
From that Friday afternoon and the following month, counselling services
were carefully orchestrated and reviewed to best meet the immediate and ongoing psychological needs of all those involved and affected.
The counselling team primarily consisted of five senior psychologists from the
school counselling service including the local District Guidance Officer who
directed counselling services, as well as the District School Counsellor who
had serviced this school on a fortnightly basis over the past five years.
A range of counselling approaches and interventions addressed the variety of
childrens responses and psychological needs over time. Examples of working
with these children will be presented and reflected upon. In the context of the
systemic healing of a close-knit community, these children are learning
resilience as well as accommodating its shadow side: the loss of innocence.

48699 - The clear, the not so clear and the downright confusing: How
pornography distorts risk assessment of children & adolescents who
sexually harm.
Russ Pratt 1, DPsych & Cyra Fernades 2
1. Office of Professional Practice, DHS, Victoria
2. Australian Childhood Foundation, Victoria
Research indicates that sexual abuse of children by children is as traumatic
for victims as being assaulted by an adult. Assessment and treatment of youth
who sexually harm is of vital importance to ensure that recidivism is managed
via treatment and that treatment dosage and content addresses the correct
issues.
Over time, risk assessment of adolescents has developed along parallel lines
to that of adults who sexually harm, using actuarial checklists and clinical
interview as the best practice approach. One of the more accepted 'givens'
within this work has been that the more serious the act or acts committed
against victims by abusers, the more entrenched the behaviours are likely to
be, and that the perpetrator has progressed from minor acts through to more
serious and intrusive acts as they become both desensitised to the harm they
are causing and are needing to engage in more severe offences to gain the
level of arousal originally gained through the lesser acts. These learnings
underpin the notion that sexual assault behaviour is entrenched and difficult to
shift.
How has pornography changed these accepted 'wisdoms' in the assessment
and treatment of youth who sexually harm. Is there still a relationship between
the severity of the sexually assaultive acts committed, and the deviance of the
perpetrator committing the act or acts, or has viewing pornography and
reenacting what has been viewed altered this relationship? As such, does the
severity of the acts still relate to both the risk of recidivism and the potential
for rehabilitation?
The presenters will draw on current research and treatment/practice
knowledge to explore the above issues.

48703 - Working in Partnership for Therapeutic Care: A Model of Care to

Support Collaboration between Mental Health and Residential Care
Service
G. Krishnamoorthy
Brisbane South Evolve Therapeutic Services,
Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Services,
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Brisbane South Evolve Therapeutic Services (ETS) is a specialist mental
health service working with children and adolescence in the care of the
Department of Child Safety. This presentation will present a model of
collaboration between the Brisbane South ETS and the Therapeutic
Residential Service, Uniting Care. Based in Goodna, QLD, the TRS is a 6 bed
residential facility for young people between the ages of 12 and 15 with
extreme and complex needs. The purpose of this residential is to facilitate
healing with young people who have experienced significant grief, loss and
trauma. Drawing on systems and complexity theory, the presentation will
highlight the rationale and development of the model of care. The
presentation will also utilise case examples to illustrate the challenges and
successes of the model. The presentation will also review outcomes data
relating to mental health and placement outcomes for young people in the
house and implications for such cross service collaborations in the future.

48723 - Developing a Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Service in the

Australian Capital Territory for Children and Young People who have
experienced Abuse and Neglect
A. Trewhella1, and K. Gimson2
1,

Office for Children, Youth & Family Support, Trauma Recovery Centre,
Canberra, ACT, Australia
2, Office for Children, Youth & Family Support, Trauma Recovery Centre,
Canberra, ACT, Australia

In the 2013-14 budget, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government

committed $3.05 million over four years to establish the Trauma Recovery
Centre (TRC) to support children recovering from abuse and neglect. The
focus of the TRC is to provide high quality trauma-informed therapeutic
services to children aged 0-12 who have experienced abuse and neglect and
who are current clients of the statutory services.
This presentation will discuss the policy context in which the ACT Trauma
Recovery Centre has been established, the project methodology; including
the governance structure, literature, theories, therapeutic assessment
frameworks and program designs, which have influenced the development of
the model of service. An analysis of trauma-informed services in Australia as
well as the key aims of the TRC will be explored with reference to the Out of
Home Care data in the ACT. This presentation highlights that a whole of
government and cross sector approach is neccessary to provide a traumainformed, safe and nurturing environment for children and young people who
have experienced abuse and neglect. A key aim of the TRC is to compliment
the existing service system in the ACT, whilst also providing a holistic,
intensive and peripatetic therapeutic service. This presentation will conclude
with a discussion of the challenges associated with building a traumainformed service system.

48727 - Working therapeutically with children who have experienced

single incident trauma: a case study example illustrating the
complexities, from a child protection context
Wells, K.F.& Knight, A.,
Child Protection Services, Womens & Childrens Hospital, Adelaide
We will be describing the stages of therapy undertaken at Child Protection
Services with a sibling pair whom had experienced a single life threatening
assault on their mother by their father. The context of the therapy
encompassed culture considerations, domestic violence, the fathers mental
health issues and mothers experience of the trauma. The stages of treatment
will be outlined: stabilisation, active treatment phase, processing the trauma,
and concluding of therapy. In addition, the article will include reflections from
the clinicians perspective about the professional challenges of this work.
The stabilisation phase involved the therapists establishing a therapeutic
alliance, as well as strengthening family relationships and the parents ability
to be protective.
The treatment phase incorporated addressing of current trauma symptoms.
The treatment also involved assisting the family to develop resources and
advocacy for the children within the adult forensic mental health setting,
psycho-education regarding mental illness and restorative justice. The
treatment also considered sensitivity to mothers unaddressed trauma.
Processing of the trauma was the third phase of the therapeutic work, in
which the children were afforded a safe space to provide a detailed narrative
their experience of the trauma.
The case example illustrates a semi-structured, multimodal and
developmental approach to working with traumatised children that would be of
interest to clinicians.

48731 - Working with Physical Contact to facilitate Affect Regulation and

Trauma Recovery
N. McKenzie
Australian Radix Body Centered Psychotherapy Association

Children and young adolescents who have been exposed to trauma have
usually experienced physical contact, especially touch, or the lack of, as
overstimulating and intrusive, depriving and neglectful. Their vitality is
deadened and they lose a sense of their bodies and physical contact as life
giving and essential for healthy relationships.
In this experiential workshop the significance of physical contact for affect
regulation and trauma recovery will be presented and discussed. Narelle will
demonstrate with case studies and experiential work, how physical contact,
when used appropriately and skilfully with sensitivity to the client and their
experience, can facilitate awareness of unconscious holding patterns which
limit sensory awareness, emotional development and cognitive perception.
The development of healthy bodily, emotional and interpersonal boundaries
that are firm but permeable, negotiable and relational will also be explored.
Given current attitudes to physical contact in therapeutic settings, emphasis
will be given to the significance of the clients self touch and the development
of agency in fostering these areas. Who is in charge of initiating the contact?
The distinction between initiating and receiving. Attention will also be paid to
identifying bodily, cognitive and emotional cues that indicate the clients
capacity to be present in the here and now. Embodied rather than dissociated.
This capacity is significant for engagement in all tasks and especially those
involving physical contact and is central to trauma recovery.
As a psychologist and somatic psychotherapist, Narelles work with Trauma
has predominantly been with adolescents, and adults. However, the principles
presented here can be effectively and creatively used with children.

48735 - Trauma and children: A Refugee perspective

Jabrulla Shukoor
Registered Psychologist, Association for Services to Torture and Trauma
Survivors Inc., Perth, Western Australia, Australia
It is well known fact that the effects of trauma can be deeply damaging to an
individual. The neurological underpinnings of trauma are the same across the
age group, no matter what culture you come from or which part of the world
you belong to. A plethora of research has been undertaken on the impact of
trauma in both adults and children, but the research undertaken to explore the
concept of trauma in other cultures especially those of refugee background
are still in their infancy stage. Therefore, this paper will explore the various
challenges involved when working with individuals who come from the refugee
background. It sets out to identify the issues when working with adults and
children who are largely influenced by cultural beliefs and norms, the workings
of family systems, the notion of counselling and its compatibility, the stigma
that prevents people from acknowledging the presence of mental health
problems, the difficulties and the challenges involved in accessing mental
health services. It goes on to the next level of exploring the current political
climate involving refugees and the limited resources available to them, and
how it further exacerbates the mental health of the already traumatised adults
and the rippling effects it has on their children. Two case studies will be
provided as examples to highlight the above mentioned domains. The paper
then goes on to suggest workable recovery models, possible ways to
overcome the challenges and propose recommendations when working with
non-mainstream clients and their families.
References:
Fazel, M., Reed, R. V., Panter-Brick, C., and Stein, A., (2012). Mental Health
of Displaced and Refugee Children Resettled in High-Income Countries: Risk
and Protective Factors, The Lancet; 379, 266-282.
Fazel, M. and Stein, A., (2002), The Mental Health of Refugee Children,
Archives of Disease in Childhood; 87, 366-370.
Leach, M. M., and Aten, J.D., (2010), Culture and the Therapeutic Process: A
Guide for Mental Health Professionals, Routledge.
Tyrer, R. A., and Fazel, M., (2014). School and Community-Based
Interventions for Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children: A Systematic review,
PLOS One; 9, 1-10.

48743 - Red Chocolate Elephants Project for Children Bereaved by

Suicide: A Harm Prevention Initiative
D. Sands PhD
Centre Intense Grief, NSW, Australia
For children, counselling and group programs are an accepted way of
addressing the acute needs of traumatic bereavement and particularly a death
due to suicide (Daigle & Labelle, 2012; Sands & North, 2014). However
suicide postvention services for children face significant delivery challenges
including accessibility, age cohort requirements, locality, stigma and parental
and community beliefs and attitudes about suicide and children's grief. This
project sought to address these difficulties undertaking research to inform
development of an assisted reading, activity book and DVD resource
accessible to children through their school community.
Post-graduate research included an extensive review of relevant literature,
children and grief, trauma, suicide, counselling and group programs. This
information was used to develop, implement and evaluate a group program
for children bereaved by suicide. Verbal, written and expressive art data was
collected through unstructured interviews, and an open coding process used
to generate key themes. Drawing on data the book text, activities and DVD
were designed to facilitate engaging sensitively with children around the
difficult questions of a suicide death (Sands, 2010). The Wings of Hope
Charity supported the Project and community funding has made possible the
placement of this resource in schools throughout Australia. This talk will
outline research and discuss challenges and key protective factors for suicide
bereaved children. The talk will highlight how the resource addresses these
issues and the steps undertaken to place this harm prevention resource within
Australian schools.
References
(1) M. S. Daigle, & R. J. Labelle, Pilot evaluation of a group therapy program
for children bereaved by suicide. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and
Suicide Prevention, (2012), 33(6), 350-357
(2) D. C. Sands, & J. A. North, Family therapy following suicide. In D. W.
Kissane & F. Parnes (Eds.). Bereavement care for families, (2014) New York:
Routledge
3) D. C. Sands, Red chocolate elephants: For children bereaved by suicide.
(2010), Sydney, Australia: Karridale

48747 - Trauma Informed Medical Practice

Supporting Young Children Through Tests And Procedures
A. Mackenzie1 and L. Bishop2
1

Formerly Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Royal

Childrens Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2 The Michael Kirby Centre for Public Health and Human Rights, Monash
University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Medical tests and procedures are carried out on millions of children globally
every year for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury.
They save countless lives yet they are a recognised cause of pain, anxiety,
phobias, developmental trauma and traumatic stress. Procedures can
become a source of mastery and resilience, when associated with comfort
and play rather than with fear and helplessness.
Over a seven year period, families of babies and young children newly
diagnosed with bleeding disorders attended a series of playgroup-style
workshops to learn about procedural pain management, including how to
provide a safe, secure presence, alternatives to forcibly restraining children
and advocacy. The results went beyond pain management. When young
children no longer perceived medical procedures as threatening, fear and pain
were reduced and coping was increased, leading to mastery. The familiar,
maladaptive coping pattern of distress, aversion and avoidance was replaced.
Calm, confident parents can teach children to turn off their defence systems at
procedures when they do not serve a useful purpose. Acting in the best
interests of children requires us to approach procedures through a broader
lens than pain management. Our paper outlines strategies for supporting
better management of tests and procedures and presents ideas about
trauma-informed medical practice.

48755 - Use of an Animated Psycho-Education DVD to Lessen the

Effects of Single EventTrauma
G.Broadbent-Smith
Western Region Health Centre

Psychoeducation is recognised as part of an initial response to ameliorate the

effects of a traumatic event, particularly in the immediate aftermath. It is
equally recognised there is a dearth of empirical data as to its efficacy,
despite its widespread use in the field of traumatic stress (Wessley et al.
2008; Southwick, Friedman, & Krystal 2008; Krupnick & Green 2008). The
Victims Assitance Counseling Program encountering clients experiencing high
levels of self doubt and feelings of abnormality, post a traumatic event
developed an animated psychoeducation DVD. The DVD was weighted
toward expectations of recovery, self-care strategies, resilience, and trauma
information. Upon evaluation, the following findings were achieved through a
mixed methods study. Participants were recent victims of crime (n=24). Using
before and after experiments and testing for clinically significant
improvements (Long 2011), results of the quantitative data demonstrated two
key points: The DVD appears clinically effective in normalising the known
transient effects of trauma, with a 59.5% improvement in confidence regarding
knowledge across this construct. The DVD appears clinically effective in
raising confidence on how to help oneself recover from a traumatic event, with
a 71.3% improvement in confidence across this construct. Participants
identified having their experiences of trauma normalised as the most helpful
impact from watching the DVD and were able to identify a range of self care
strategies in regards to what they may do differently. The DVD has
demonstrated it can deliver the requisite information to assist victims of crime
in their own recovery.
References
[1] Long, P 2011, When Is a Difference Between Two Groups Significant,
Statistical and Clinical Significance, Percentage Improvement,
http://www.mentalhealth.com/, <accessed 11th January 2013>.
[2] Krupnick, J, & Green, B 2008, 'Psychoeducation to prevent PTSD: A
paucity of evidence', Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 71,
4, pp. 329-331, PsycINFO, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 February 2012.
[3] Southwick, S, Friedman, M, & Krystal, J 2008, 'Does psychoeducation help
prevent post traumatic psychological stress disorder? In reply', Psychiatry:
Interpersonal & Biological Processes, 71, 4, pp. 303-307, CINAHL with Full
Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 February 2012.
[4] Wessely, S, Bryant, R, Greenberg, N, Earnshaw, M, Sharpley, J, &
Hughes, J 2008, 'Does psychoeducation help prevent post traumatic
psychological distress?', Psychiatry: Interpersonal & Biological Processes, 71,
4, pp. 287-302, CINAHL with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 February
2012.

48763 - The progression and prediction of mother-child bonding through

pregnancy and post-natally.
Authors: Larissa Rossen1, Delyse Hutchinson1, Richard P Mattick1, Lucy
Burns1, Judy Wilson1, Steve Allsop2, Jake Najman3, Elizabeth Elliott4, Sue
Jacobs5, Craig Olssen6 and Anne Bartu2
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales,
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2National Drug Research Institute,
Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia, 3 Queensland Alcohol and
Drug Research and Education Centre, The University of Queensland,
Queensland, Australia, 4 Paediatrics and Child Health, Childrens Hospital
Westmead, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 5 Gynaecology
and Obstetrics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, New South Wales, Australia,6
Deakin Prevention Sciences, Waterfront Campus Geelong, and; Murdoch
Childrens Research Institute, Royal Childrens Hospital Campus Parkville,
Australia.
Issue: Pregnancy and the early postnatal period represent a critical
developmental window for the health and well-being of the growing
foetus/infant. This period is likewise one of potential vulnerability and risk
when both maternal well-being and foetal/infant development can be
compromised. Maternal drug and alcohol use, mental health, and bonding to
the developing foetus/infant, have each been identified as factors which are
important during this early developmental window. This paper focuses on the
prediction of post natal bonding from antenatal bonding, substance use and
mental health issues. Improved understanding of the progression of these
factors pre and post-natally and would also identify potentially critical points
for intervention.
Approach: This study will examine data (n=373) from a longitudinal birth
cohort study of pregnant women being assessed during the prenatal and early
postnatal period. Comprehensive data was collected on: demographic
information, drug and alcohol use (quantity and frequency of caffeine, alcohol,
tobacco and illicit substance use), mental health (Depression, Stress and
Anxiety Scale) and fetal/infant bonding security (Maternal Antenatal/Postnatal
Attachment Scales). Assessments were conducted during pregnancy
(Trimester 1, 2 and 3) and post-natally (8 weeks).
Aims: This poster aims to
1. Examine whether antenatal bonding predicts postnatal bonding, after
controlling for other potential covariates.
2. Investigate whether mental health and drug and alcohol use predicts
maternal bonding to the fetus/infant at 8 weeks postnatal.
It is hypothesised that antenatal bonding would predict post natal bonding.
Higher levels of maternal drug and alcohol use and depression, anxiety and
stress are hypothesised to impact negatively on fetal/infant bonding (pre and
post natal).

48767 - Ways of remembering-Connecting to Heart

Catherine Lecointe
Off The Record, Bristol, England
Slavery and colonialism forced those subjected to them to reject their own
values, customs, traditions and even language, and to embrace the Western
European idea of civilisation as more fully human and closer to God. In this
way the old adage you are what you think worked powerfully on the
conscious and unconscious minds and practices of generations of people of
African origin.
A possible effect of these abuses, humiliations and traumas, was the need of
the enslaved African mind to split from the overwhelmingly painful emotions
and memories in order to protect the authentic or true self and thus survive.
I believe that this splitting also caused an armouring of the heart to protect if
from further abuse. This armour then becomes fixed in the mind of who we
are and how we are meant to behave and represent our self in the world.
Unable to trust and/or be vulnerable our experience of others then matches
and reinforces our internalised expectations of them and us, infecting cultural
norms and beliefs. Like a baton passed on to successive generations, this
armouring condemns us to pass on our traumatised image and expectations
of self and others.
Ways of Remembering Connecting to Heart attempts to address the issues
outlined above through the use of stories. It is a culturally specific, early
intervention programme that recognises the link between mental health,
academic attainment, social cohesion and social mobility. The programme is
relevant for working with indigenous children, young people, families and
communities.

Reference
C. Lecointe, Ways of Remembering Connecting to Heart (2012) Pg16,18

48771 - Educating To Care - Educating The Early Childhood Workforce

To Nurture Children Experiencing Trauma
J. Gibson, and J. Sanders
Box Hill Institute, Victoria, Australia
It seems reasonable to expect that primary support and nurturing of a child
should be provided by their family. However, if the family is unable to do so,
early childhood educators who have consistent and considerable time with the
children are well placed to provide the safe haven of care and nurturing.
This presentation questions how well prepared early childhood educators are
to respond appropriately to children presenting with trauma related issues in
their service. In order to provide the much required stability, empathy, and
healing to improve life chances, pre-service teaching courses need to address
the paucity of information currently provided. Recent research [Walsh, et al.
2011] indicates a growing number of children experience child abuse and
neglect (CAN) and a mounting need for teachers to understand the impact of
CAN. There are significant identified gaps in preschool teachers abilities to
respond effectively to traumatised children. This is particularly alarming as in
2015, preschool teachers in Victoria will be mandated to report abuse. Early
childhood teachers limited capacity to address trauma issues inhibits social
justice and childrens rights, with consequent disadvantages for a growing
number of children. The presentation poses a range of potential factors
influencing pre-service teachers engagement with child protection issues,
including educator profile, entry level skills, required qualifications, and the
culture of early childhood workplaces. It suggests that a more concerted
approach, which better equips pre-service early childhood teachers is
essential.

47873 - Seeking Asylum in Australia The Unaccompanied Minors

Journey
F. El-Higzi1
1

Mercy Community Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Unaccompnaied Minors (UAM) from countries in the Asia Pacidic region and
the Middle East conitnue to arrive in Austraia by boat fleeing persuction and
conflict in their home countries. In 1984 the Sisters of Mercy in Brisbane
received a number of Vietnames UAMs. Since then the profile and number of
UAM became a reflection of international conflict in the region and a
representation of Australias po;icy for seeking asylum.
UAM are young people from Afghanistan, Sri-Lanka, African countries Burma,
and more recently Vietnam. Recent arrivals range in age from 14 years to 17+
years and possess varying degrees of capacities.
In 2005 the Australian Government ratified the Convention of the Child and
started releasing UAMs from held detention to live in the community. In 2012
the Australian Government began releasing UAMs who have arrived in
Australia as Irregular Maritime Arrivals (IMA) to live in the community under
the Community Detention Program.
Drawing on a review of Australian Government policy for asylum seekers,
organisations case files, and a series of unstructured interviews with
caseworkers and community development officers, this presentation provides
a snapshot of the profile of UAM arrivals to Australia in terms of gender, age,
ethnicity and trauma profile over the past 30 years. The presentation also
explores the stresses experienced by UAMs in their settlement journey in
Australia and provides an overview of the UAMs coping strategies. External
stressors such as continuing home country conflict and Australian
Government policy on seeking asylum impact is also considered.

48787 - The Extent Of Trauma And Adversity In Children And Young

People Attending A Mental Health Service.
B. Raphael1, V. Aplin 1,3, R.E. Reay1, V. McAndrew1,3, J.C. Cubis1, W.
Preston3, D.M. Riordan3, N. Palfrey3 and A. Harris2
1Academic

Unit of Psychiatry & Addiction Medicine, ANU Medical School, The

Canberra Hospital, Garran ACT Australia
2Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma Loss and Grief Network, ANU
Medical School, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australia
3Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, ACT Mental Health, Justice
Health and Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHDAS), Canberra, ACT, Australia

Background
Childhood trauma and family adversity can increase vulnerability to mental
health problems. However, uncertainty exists about the nature and prevalence
within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) population.
This embedded research study involves the implementation and evaluation of
a trauma-informed approach aiming to improve the recognition and treatment
for young people seeking help from Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services (CAMHS).
Methods:
All children and adolescents attending their initial assessment at a CAMHS
service and their parent/guardian were invited to participate in the Stressful
Life and Family Difficulties study. Consenting families completed
questionnaires about their experience of trauma and adversity and
participated in a clinical interview. Training and support to clinical staff was
also incorporated into the model.
Results
145 families have participated in the study. It was more common to
experience multiple adversities (3 or more) in the last 12 months than single
events. Around half of the young people and half of their parents/guardians
reported a potentially traumatic event; One-third of parents reported at least
one experience of childhood neglect or abuse.
Conclusions
We found that trauma and adversity were common in this population and that
multiple adversities were more common than single events. These findings
provide important information towards improving service delivery and clinical
practice.

48791 - Developing and Implementing an Internal Evaluation Tool for a

program with complex Trauma Clients
It consists of 2 components
Community Therapeutic Team (CTT)
A group of practitioners from various agencies who meet monthly to develop
their theoretical knowledge and skills in working with children who have
experienced Complex Trauma and their families and participate in peer
discussion, work review and clinical supervision.
This team is coordinated by Relationships Australia and the monthly process
is facilitated by the Australian childhood Foundation.
Agencies whose staff members participate in the CTT have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) and confidentiality agreement with the
Partnership.
Each member of the team is required to provide counselling to a minimum of
1 child and their family within the HCT program. However several members
hold more than 1.
Holding Children Together (HCT)
A counselling service to vulnerable children (aged five to twelve years) who
had experienced complex trauma and their families with a particular focus on
Aboriginal children living in and around Alice Springs.
This presentation will focus on the development and conducting of an
internal evaluation, the process that was involved and the evaluation
outcome data.

48795 - Healing and Nurturing Women in Rural Australia

Stacey Northam
Manning Support Services Inc. (MSS), Taree, NSW, 2430
The local area of Taree/ Manning Valley has a very low socio-economic
demographic, with the added issues of isolation, high rates of domestic
violence, sexual assaults and unemployment, thus an increased rate of
trauma and borderline personality diagnoses are present in our community.
We needed to implement an early intervention and prevention strategy that
addressed the immediate concerns when working with women experiencing
Postnatal Depression with co morbidities of trauma and personality disorders
as a holistic approach in terms of best practice.
Our first hurdle was how to engage with isolated women with a negative
perception of themselves and community. Our next step was to keep those
women engaged so to address the issue of intergenerational trauma and
propose strategies and skill sets to empower these women to be the best
mothers they could be and to strengthen their capacities so that they can
implement early intervention and prevention strategies themselves within their
own family dyad, thus breaking the cycle of family trauma and shame. A
strengths based approach was taken and individual lead healing was
encouraged, this has become the foundation of achieving quantifiable and
positive results, benefiting individual mothers, infants and families. This has
also enhanced neurological and cognitive development of the infants of the
mothers participating. Expected outcomes were determined throughout the
life of our work with these women and statistics have been obtained to
measure and quantify our results.

48799 - ArntwirrKe-tyeke Ampemape Apurtele - Holding Children

Together A service based on a unique model to build the capacity of a
network of services in Alice Springs to understand and better meet the
needs of children who have experienced interpersonal complex trauma
and their families.
In March 2011, Relationships Australia NT (RANT) received funding from
Communities for Children (C4C) auspiced by Anglicare NT to deliver a counselling
service to vulnerable children (aged five to twelve years) who had experienced
complex trauma and their families with a particular focus on Aboriginal children living
in and around Alice Springs.
In addition, the projects aim is to strengthen the existing referral and case
management pathways for traumatised and vulnerable children and families between
services in Alice Springs.
The Service consists of the following key elements:
Counsellors based at RANT to provide direct therapeutic services to children who
have experienced complex trauma.
Establishment of a community therapeutic team (CTT) of practitioners from
various agencies who l participate in the service delivery.
Partnership with the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) as the specialist
therapeutic component; providing intensive professional development and
supervision to practitioners involved in the service.
Menzies School of Health Research, who helped guide the first 12 months of the
establishment of the service with a program logic and independent evaluation
framework and report.
Establishment of an Aboriginal advisory group to offer advice and consultation on
cultural issues and model application as the service develops.
RANT, ACF and the CTT focus on building a partnership with an indigenous
service (or group of indigenous practitioners) already providing counselling and
support to Aboriginal families in Alice Springs.
Provide additional mentoring, training and opportunities for exchange of
knowledge and learning to strengthen and broaden the reach of the Childrens
Counselling Service in Alice Springs.
It is recognised that interventions with children are most successful when carers,
support networks and professionals enact collaborative and intersecting functions
that can achieve protective, reparative and restorative objectives for children and
young people.
The presentation will outline the evolution and development of the program from its
implementation to present day together with a case study.
We will highlight the innovative and collaborative elements of the approach and
reflect on the continuous improvement and review applied in developing the service
model. We will discuss some of the therapeutic issues and the strategies being tried
to develop two- way methods of working and learning. The presentation will
conclude with a note on the evaluation process and the importance of the evidence
based approach being adopted and developed in this service.
* The Aranda name of Arntwirrke-tyeke Ampemape-Apurtele for Holding Children
Together was established as the name for the service after discussions involving the
Aboriginal Advisory group, staff and with Akeyulerre Healing Centre.

48807 - Beyond Childbirth-Related Trauma: A Collaborative Study to

Detect Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Mothers.
R.E. Reay1, C. Ringland2, K. Mazzer1, J. Cubis1,2, K. Carnall2 and B. Raphael1
1Academic

Unit of Psychiatry & Addiction Medicine, ANU Medical School, The

Canberra Hospital, Garran ACT 2605
2 Perinatal Mental Health Consultation Service, Child & Adolescent Mental
Health Services, ACT Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug
Services, Woden, ACT 2605

Introduction: Exposure to trauma and adversity can greatly increase a

womans risk of developing a mental health disorder during the perinatal
period. In turn, this can interfere with her attachment to the infant, her
relationships and overall adjustment to motherhood. Previous studies
investigating posttraumatic stress symptoms in the perinatal period have
largely focused on childbirth-related trauma. This study aimed to investigate a
broad range of experiences of trauma and trauma symptoms in pregnant and
postpartum mothers attending a specialist mental health service.
Methods: Clinical staff from the Perinatal Mental Health Consultation Service
and researchers from the ANU Medical School collaborated on the study aims
and methods. All mothers who attended their initial clinical interview were
invited to complete a questionnaire designed to measure potentially traumatic
events (PTE), emotional well-being and posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Results: 70% (N=88) of mothers consented to participate and completed
baseline measures. Of these women, 86% experienced a PTE and more than
half of the participants scored in the clinical range for PTSD symptoms. Comorbid PTSD and depressive symptoms were more common than either
alone.
Conclusion: Interpersonal trauma, such as emotional, physical, sexual abuse
and domestic violence, was more common than trauma arising from childbirth.
The high proportion of mothers with elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms
and co-morbid depression underscores the importance of enquiring about
possible exposure to trauma and screening mothers for symptoms.

48823 - When love hurts - using multi-sensory interventions to help

children and their adults with relational difficulties.
P. Preston
Taree Child Protection Counselling Service, NSW, Australia
Difficulties with being in relationship is just one of the issues for many children
who have been abused, neglected or who have histories including other
trauma. In some cases, it is their primary relationships that have been not only
the source of their original wounding, but also a source of multiple subsequent
woundings.
Top-down or cognitive strategies offer much in the way of understanding
these difficulties. They are, however, less effective in assisting children and
their parents or carers to address the implicit memories of these traumatic
experiences, or to negotiate the now in relationships, especially when a
childs traumatic memories are triggered by the primary relationship itself.
Not only essential for sub-cortical, implicit processing, the addition of a
multisensory, multimodal approach provides a way in which implicit material
can be made explicit. In this way, a bottom-up approach can even be used to
support a top-down orientation, by making implicit material available for more
cognitive processing.
This paper will give examples of ways in a sensorimotor approach can be
used to strengthen play, art and movement activities to explore relational
issues and develop more effective responses.

48827 - A view from the shoulders of giants using the best available
evidence to guide interventions for traumatised children.
P. Preston
Taree Child Protection Counselling Service, NSW, Australia
In recent years, insights from neurobiology have revisioned the understanding
of the body-mind relationship and the impact of abuse/neglect on the
developing brain. This understanding in turn informs approaches to therapy
that are more holistic and that have challenged some traditional ways of
working.
In this presentation I will reflect on my personal attempts to integrate the
insights of a number of experts (including Sue Carter, Dan Hughes, Pat
Ogden, Bruce Perry, Steven Porges, Allan Schore and Dan Siegal) into my
therapeutic work. I will also discuss my attempts to contribute to the
development of a working environment supportive of a more informed and
holistic way of working.
I will discuss a new program - a dyadic attachment and sensorimotor focused
group intervention; examples of ways in which I have strengthened well
established therapeutic strategies with a bottom-up sensorimotor
understanding; and discussion of small educational interventions aimed at
sharing knowledge and building personal, intra- and inter-agency capacity to
contribute to a co-ordinated, multi-modal approach to therapy for children who
have been abused or neglected.
As well as providing a description of some easy-to-apply strategies, I will
reference the research basis for each strategy. It is a from the coalface
account rather than an expert paper.

48831 - The Emotional and Traumatic Experience of Parents and Nurses

in a South Australian Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU)
M. Turner1,2, A Chur Hansen1, H Winefield1
1School

of Psychology, University of Adelaide, South Australia. Australia,

Youth and Womens Health Network, South Australia, Australia

2Child,

Background The parent experience of the NICU is often distressing and

overwhelming with a higher risk of parental divorce, maternal anxiety,
depression and PTSD a frequent outcome of the NICU admission. This
contributes to poor parent-infant attachment and higher mental illness in post
NICU children. Emotional supports are offered to assist parents with their
NICU journey. In this research a professionally facilitated NICU support group
had been developed to provide preventative and supportive mental health
care to parents.
Objectives This research assesses the emotional and traumatic experience
of parents and the support needs for parents based on their view of the NICU
experience. This is triangulated with the NICU nursing view of support and a
quantitative review of parental stress experiences.
Methods
This research uses thematic analysis to examine parent interviews; during
and after their babys NICU stay, and NICU nurse interviews. 73 parents
completed a Parent Stress Scale NICU while their babies were in the NICU.
These results are triangulated.
Findings parents feel overwhelmed with the complexities of the NICU, their
challenging relationship with their baby and nursing staff. Ongoing concerns
about the baby dying, even post discharge remain strong themes. Nursing
staff felt that at times they were unable to provide emotional support and that
parents needs are highly individual and complex. Further training and
support for nurses was highlighted. The support group was seen as an
important element of the NICU.
Conclusions These results are presented and reflections upon appropriate
support for parents; support and training for NICU nursing staff are made.

48839 - Can the principles of interpersonal neurobiology if used

by parents, play a part in enabling their young children to access their
Article 12 rights in the CRC?
Jewell, P.
Australian Childhood Foundation
Throughout the ages relationships between parents and their children have
been fraught with danger and violence for the child. Under Roman and
common law children were under the control of their fathers and the law
upheld and safeguarded fathers absolute authority over his children.
The 1924 and 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child identified childrens
rights to protection and basic provisions and gave the responsibilities for
children to access these rights to parents/carer and relevant government
bodies. These declarations challenged both the traditional relationships
between parents and their children and the identity of the parent and the
rights bearing child.
However with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) came
even more challenges to how parents saw themselves and their relationship
with their more empowered child. Of all the articles in the CRC it is Article 12,
the right to be heard and express views on all matters affecting the child that
has provided the most challenges for parents. Article 12 invites parents to
redefine their identity and their role, as a parent, and to rethink a more
empathic and equal relationship with their children. Perhaps the principles of
interpersonal neurobiology especially integration that would assist the parent
to be more flexible and adaptive in their newly defined relationships with their
children.
Referring to my PhD research this paper will discuss the challenges for
parents to enable their young children to access their Article 12 rights.

48851 - Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology with an adult survivor of

childhood trauma: reducing epileptic symptoms
Denning,, Nigel,, C.
1

University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria

This paper discusses a single case of an adult survivor of extensive childhood

trauma. The client was a high functioning professional male in his early 30s.
He reported a broad and extensive range of physical and emotional abuse
and neglect beginning from infancy. The client had in the 2 years prior to
treatment, developed random, but severe, epileptic seizures. Extensive
medical testing had been unable to locate a physiological source of the
seizures. The client was highly psychologically sophisticated and had had
positive experience of previous psychotherapy interstate. Early in treatment it
became clear that discussion of emotional events either past or present would
bring the client to the edge of seizure. This paper describes the way in which
attunement, resonance and attunement on the part of the therapist were used
as therapeutic tools to begin a process of state and temporal integration on
the part of the client. The therapy was also strongly informed by Porges
Polyvagal Theory in which it was early hypothesized that recounting of
affective elements of trauma created a dorsal dive or spontaneous and rapid
engagement of the unmyelinated vagal nerve, causing physiological shut
down and seizure. Constant training of client awareness and slow and gentle
attention to sensorimotor responses, affective responses and memories,
effectively reduced seizures from twice monthly to zero for a period of 18
months post treatment.

References
[1] Porges, S. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiologial foundations of
emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W.
Norton & Company.

48859 - Now what do I do? Embracing new knowledge, old wisdom and
creativity in working with traumatised children, adolescents and
families.
J. Dwyer1
1

Private Practice, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

As our understanding of neurobiology has grown we are more aware of the

impact of trauma on all aspects of childrens development. A number of
therapeutic methods have evolved to enhance neurological development,
promote attachment and attend to the consequences of trauma.
However, at the frontline of clinical practice many therapists feel
overwhelmed and challenged by the implications of the emerging knowledge.
Our tried and true methods can seem inadequate to the multiple tasks of
modulating arousal, enhancing attachment relationships, and processing
trauma. However, this presentation argues that traditional therapies informed
by the emerging knowledge have much to offer, as we find ways of
incorporating evidenced based methods and adapting our practice to the new
frontier.
Using Bronfenbreners (2005) bio-ecological model as an orienting concept,
and using clinical examples, the presentation will:
Outline a conceptual map of the role of therapy with traumatised
children and their families
Explore an integrative approach to trauma-informed therapy
Describe how Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), EMDR, family therapy
and broader systems engagement can be incorporated into therapy
The presenter will argue that such an approach is achievable, even in a
private practice setting, and can be used effectively as part of an integrated
suite of interventions.
References
U. Bronfenbrenner (Editor) 2005, Making Human Beings Human:
Bioecological perspectives on human development, Sage, California

48871 - Expressive therapeutic interventions to address trauma

in young former refugees
Nicola R. Trenorden
STTARS; Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance & Rehabilitation
Service, Adelaide, South Australia.
STTARS is a non-government, not for profit organisation with no political or
religious affiliations who have been providing services to torture and trauma
survivors since 1991 (affiliated with FASSTT).
Childrens traumatic experiences of war, persecution and loss can lead to a
sense of constant fear. Many former refugee children, resettled in new
countries, find themselves using existing coping mechanisms that may
undermine their opportunities to develop peer relationships, engage in school
and community life. The Child and Youth program at STTARS utilizes creative
interventions, in particular expressive non verbal methods, to support positive
cognitive, developmental and emotional growth.
Developments in neuroscience have guided STTARS practise. In the early
years traumatic memories are processed and stored in the right hemisphere,
making verbal memory difficult. Expressive, non verbal therapies have been
implemented to help the client use right brain functions, where the trauma
memories are stored, enabling the client to express and work through issues
of trauma. Modalities such as dance and movement therapy, creative play
therapy, art therapy and rhythmic drumming are utilized. (1) Rhythmic
activities help young clients react differently to their habitual fight/flight/freeze
reactions. Djembe drumming is often incorporated to help children regulate
their nervous systems and become calm.
Expressive therapies are integrated into programs of 3 months duration,
allowing for repetitive experiences that address trauma through physiology.
Complementing this work are approaches such as Narrative Therapy; which
explores trauma indirectly and Interactive Drawing Therapy: a drawing
methodology which alternates between right and left brain processes.
This program enables young refugees to identify and tolerate both physical
and emotional sensations, overtime activate effective stress responses and in
a safe context express and work through the effect of trauma.
Reference: (1) C.A. Malchiodi. Creative Interventions with Traumatized
Children, 2008.

48875 - Trauma Informed Practices in Working with Domestic Violence

D. Misso1 and N. Denning2
1

Misso Psychology & Consulting, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

2 University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Domestic violence is largely violence perpetrated by men against women and

children: its effects are toxic and often intergenerational. Domestic violence
can be one of the most complex and challenging areas to work with. It is also
an area of therapy that is deeply embedded in social politics which can often
influence therapeutic intervention. Therapists can feel restrained in the type of
interventions they can employ and, at times, must negotiate the impact on the
therapeutic alliance where the clients aims and goals may be at odds with
what is culturally, politically and legally acceptable. New developments in
working with trauma, with the addition of neuroscience research, has provided
a wider lens that may help to challenge prevailing models of intervention. The
therapeutic process becomes an opportunity for corrective experience and to
develop and integrate new self-narratives in a safe and supporting
environment. The therapists own attitudes, values and personal experience
play a critical part in the process.
This workshop will
1. View clinical considerations in diagnosis and case planning with
attention to perpetrator typology
2. Explore a trauma-based model for working with domestic violence
incorporating recent developments in neurobiology and mindfulness
3. Provide strategies in dealing with domestic violence that promote
personal responsibility and empowerment
4. Demonstrate how mindfulness based practices can be utilized in
identifying and evaluating potential biases that might influence
therapeutic practice in domestic violence cases

48879 - The Good Way model: an integrative strengths-based model for

young people with an intellectual disability and behavioural concerns
that emphasises issues of trauma and attachment.
Lesley Ayland1
1

WellStop, Wellington, New Zealand

The Good Way model was originally developed by Lesley Ayland and Bill
West as a response to a lack of models available for young people with
intellectual or learning difficulties who had sexually harmed others. The model
utilises the language and understandings of the clients, and integrates
narrative, cognitive and trauma-attachment frameworks from a rehabilitative
theoretical base. It situates risk and behaviour management within a
strengths-based approach that emphasises attaining psychological well-being,
resolution of trauma and an abuse-free life by building both internal capacity
and external support and opportunity.
Working with clients who think very simply and who present with a range of
extremely challenging problems and difficulties requires a simple tool by
which they can communicate complex issues. It also requires methods that
are interactive and memorable. The Good Way model achieves these things
and qualitative evidence shows it is used by clients and families for a longer
time than those who have had therapy using other approaches. An
effectiveness study is underway and initial results show very positive effects
on clients overall behaviour, resolution of trauma and a reducation or
cessation of concerning or harmful sexual behaviour.

48899 - Fathering Without Violence

(An approach to working with fathers who are perpetrating violence in
the context of child development and trauma)
S.Hewson and F.Cheshire
UnitingCare Kildonan, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
It is a common consensus that children that are exposed to Family Violence
experience a range of negative psychological, social, physical and health
developmental outcomes. (MacMillan & Munn, 2001; Mash & Wolfe, 2005)
This early exposure to trauma and violence which often commences in utero
has lasting effects, potentially altering the chemical structure of the brain,
creating difficulties with early attachment, emotional regulation, behaviour and
a challenged sense of identity and safety. (Crooks et al) The complexity of
supporting children who have perpetrating fathers is that they continue to be
present as a father figure regardless of the status of the parent relationship.
The UnitingCare Kildonans Fathering Without Violence program works
directly to educate and support fathers to understand basic child
development, the effects of trauma on children, provides reflection on their
own fathering and learned experiences and aims to challenge their
perspectives, beliefs and assumptions on fathering and co-parenting. This
program sits both within the 22 week Mens Behaviour change program as an
intensive 4 week block and as a stand alone program for men to sign up for,
the core theme of the subjects is to honour the childs experience and their
voice. By providing fathers with this opportunity to up skill and safely explore
the key concepts of the program, we believe children are more likely to have
better health and behavioural outcomes, as early intervention is the key to a
best start. (Fleck-Henderson & Arean, 2004)

References
Crooks,C, Scott, K, Francis, K, Kelly, T & Reid, Eliciting Change in
Maltreating Fathers: Goals, Processes, and Desired Outcomes, Cognitive
and Behavioural Practice, 2006, vol 13, pp. 71-81
MacMillian,H & Munn, C The sequelae of child maltreatment, Current
Opinion in Psychiatry, 2001, vol 14, pp. 325-331
Mash,E & Wolfe,D Abnormal child psychology 2005, 3rd ed, Pacific Gove,
Wadsworth, CA
Fleck-Henderson,A & Arean, J Breaking The Cycle 2004, pp. 1-18

48903 - Sensory Interventions in Healing from Trauma An

Occupational Therapy Perspective on Arousal Regulation
J. Gay1, T. Heron2 and C. Tanti2
1Australian

Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Two, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2Take

This practice paper outlines an aspect of Occupational Therapy practice that

has been used successfully in working with children and adolescents who
have experienced trauma. Specifically we discuss how sensory modalities can
be used to assist arousal regulation in young clients. This paper presents a
neurobiological framework for understanding the complexity of sensory
modulation, and focuses on the powerhouse sensory modalities of
proprioception, vestibular and tactile sensory input for arousal regulation. The
authors will present practice studies to illustrate this work with Take Two and
Australian Childhood Foundation clients in the out of home care sector, and
will emphasise the importance of a client centred approach in the use of
sensory modalities to promote a sense of safety and empowerment in our
young clients and their carers.

48923 - Attachment, Loss and Hope in Medical Settings:

Mothers and Fathers Experiences of Trauma Following Fetal or Early
Postnatal Diagnosis of Complex Congenital Heart Disease.
Nadine Kasparian1,2, Catherine Deans1, Bryanne Barnett3,
David Winlaw2,4, Edwin Kirk1,5 and Gary Sholler2,4.
1 Discipline

of Paediatrics, UNSW Medicine,

The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
2 Heart Centre for Children,
The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
3 The Raphael Centre, St John of God Health Care,
Blacktown, NSW, Australia.
4 Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
5 Department of Medical Genetics,
Sydney Childrens Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
INTRODUCTION: Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects 1 in 100 newborns
and is the most common single organ abnormality presenting in infancy.
Approximately 45% of parents of infants with complex CHD receive their
babys diagnosis during pregnancy and surgery often occurs in the first weeks
of life, carrying important risks to the infant's life and well-being. CHD is
widely recognised as a major source of stress and trauma for families. Little is
known, however, about the ways in which fetal diagnosis alters parent-infant
bonding and infant attachment.
METHOD: Parents experiences were explored using a carefully crafted semistructured interview. Data were analysed using NVivo9, informed by
Attachment Theory and a psychodynamic approach. Traumatic stress,
anxiety, depression, and parent-infant bonding were also assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 53 interviews were undertaken (27 parents receiving a
fetal diagnosis and 26 parents receiving a postnatal diagnosis). Parents
described experiences of acute stress and trauma. Some described an initial
period of emotional distance from their infant, delaying bonding for fear their
baby may not survive. Others described an intense wish to connect with and
protect their medically fragile infant from pain and suffering. Parents
narratives included experiences of shock, dissociation, anger, sadness, guilt,
grief and loss, followed by varying degrees of adaptation and reorganisation.
Almost all parents described the need for greater psychological support.
DISCUSSION: The antenatal period is a critical time to identify and offer
appropriate psychological care to parents in this setting, thus supporting the
development of a secure attachment pattern between infant and parent.

48927 - Integrated Practice Model for working with traumatized children

(4 to 12 years of age) from refugee backgrounds.
This paper describes an evolving working model of practice with traumatised
children from refugee backgrounds. It is informed by the experience as a
Children Counsellor at the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of
Torture and Trauma (QPASTT).
The need to articulate and develop an inclusive model has been identified by
practitioners who are working with traumatised refugee children; more
specifically those presenting with severe developmental trauma and
symptoms, like selective mutism, extreme aggression, and withdrawal.
Western models of therapeutic intervention do not reflect the multiple realities
of working with refugee children (4 to 12 years of age) from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds. Research gaps indicate the need for
effective models of intervention developed specifically for this client group.
This paper describes a holistic working model: it integrates the perspective of
the Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma
(FASSTT), the Trauma Recovery framework, systems framework involving
school and parents and/ or caretaker, multicultural play therapy, therapies
informed by attachment and child development theory, mindfulness practices,
somatic work, individual child centered work, as well as group work. As the
healing and recovery work progresses, children are linked to other relevant
therapies and other support. The model will be illustrated through case
discussions with the goal to encourage other practitioners to work with
children from refugee background within their social context.

48931 - Responding to aggression following experiences of childhood

maltreatment
Dr John Dileo1
1

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Aggression towards others, objects and the self are a common and often
chronic consequence of early childhood maltreatment. Aggression
compromises the developmental trajectory for many maltreated children and
poses a considerable social and economic challenge in schools, mental
health services and protective care settings. Informed by our understanding of
neurodevelopmental trauma, researchers are beginning to elucidate
neuropsychological impairments that may mediate the development of trait
aggression following child maltreatment. Specifically, executive dysfunction
and affect dysregulation have been highlighted as key mediators of this
behavioural outcome. Through a series of professional development
workshops in 2013, this knowledge was shared with professionals working
with aggressive youth in Australia and New Zealand. Here, a set of coordinated, trauma-informed, cognitive behavioural assessment and
intervention strategies were recommended to respond to youth aggression.
Following this professional development, attendees from residential care
programs have implemented these strategies and achieved a significant
reduction in aggression. Further research efforts are required to strengthen
our understanding of the neurodevelopmental pathway from maltreatment to
aggression. These outcomes highlight the value of translating maltreatment
research into practice through professional training, and how traumainformed cognitive behavioural strategies have the potential to reduce
aggression in out of home care settings.

48935 - Engaging the baby to provide information in assessment and

therapy for traumatised infant Child Protection clients.
N. Milburn1, C. Paul2 and M. Lynch1
1

Berry Street Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Royal CHildrens Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Infants and small children who come into Child Protection Services have by
definition not been protected from harm by their parents or primary carers,
which is traumatic because of a vulnerability. In a psychic sense this means
that they have often dropped out of or been distorted in their parents mind.
Sometimes parents are physically absent too, perhaps through sending their
baby to stay with relatives or other separations. The result for the infant is that
they have not had a continuous existence in the mind of another. The role of
the infant mental health clinician is to understand the perspective of the baby,
and this includes their past and present experiences of trauma. Without a
coherent narrative from an adult the relationship between the infant mental
health clinician and the baby can fill in the gaps. This paper will describe,
using case study and video, how engaging the baby can lead to an
understanding of the traumatised infants experiences, both concrete and
relational, so that it can be put together into a coherent narrative and given
back to both the baby and the system of carers, including statutory and family
welfare services to help the baby heal from the trauma of abuse and neglect.

48947 - Whats Love Got to Do with It?

Childrens Recovery from Complex Trauma in Out of Home Care?
E. Britz1, P. Morgan1 and K Morrison1
1 Sydney

Childrens Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Trauma theory demonstrates the experience of chronic abuse and/or neglect

and subsequent removal from birth family profoundly impacts a childs
psychobiological development, establishing dysfunctional emotional regulation
and interpersonal patterns that lead to adult metal health, substance abuse
and social problems. Trauma theory also shows that this developmental
disruption can be healed given an appropriate reparative home environment
for the child. In order to recover from early trauma, a child requires an
approach to parenting that is specific to the childs needs, different to, and far
more challenging than normal parenting. However, numerous barriers of an
overstretched care system result in many alternative care providers being
unprepared, unsupported or unsuited to this demanding role, and the best
available option is not good enough to ensure the childs recovery.
Drawing on case studies, this paper explores family and broader systemic
challenges to childrens recovery from trauma, for therapists working with
children in Out of Home Care and their families. Child protection agencies are
under pressure to place children quickly rather than ensure the healing quality
of the placement. Often the fundamental requirement of attachment, love, is
absent or not good enough to ensure the childs recovery. How do therapists
assess capacity for love? Carers may be overwhelmed by the childs traumarelated behaviours, unable to manage their own reactions, unable to provide
felt safety or appropriate structure, lacking insight or empathy, or despairing
through loss of hope. How can therapists respond effectively to these
challenges to help establish a truly healing home environment?

48951 - Clever Connections: A pilot program to enhance caregiver

attunement.
Katy Batha1
1

Heart Head Hand Newtown, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Developmental trauma is recognised to be more likely where carer

attunement is poor. The pressures on families in our contemporary postindustrial society make caregivers time-poor and can often invite a focus on
material provision for children in ways that can be at odds with practices
understood to protect sound neural development. Clever Connections is a
pilot program aiming to introduce caregivers of primary-school-aged children
to an understanding of neural development and the benefits of sound sensory
and relational attunement, and provide practical experiences with their
children that can enhance protective attunement. It uses aspects of
sensorimotor-, mindfulness-, critical theories-, linguistics- and narrativepractices. The program involves four sessions. The first is a three-hour block
for caregivers. Activities acknowledge and articulate carers hopes, intentions
and the values guiding their use of caregiving skills and knowledges. The
influences of socio-cultural expectations, as well as the effects of existing
distresses and traumas are considered. Accessible information on neural
development and mindful attunement is shared and discussed. The caregiver
session is followed by three weekly blocks of 1.5 hours involving the
caregivers and children in a series of co-operative games, creative activities
and linguistic tasks focusing on enhancing attunement using sensing in,
sensing out, sensing each other and building language to share these
experiences. Pre- and post-testing of carer attunement through an
individualized questionnaire, based on their personal intentions for the
program, provides feedback on the programs value and suggests ways to
improve its usefulness.

48955 - Identifying the Causes and Managing the Effects of Burnout and
Vicarious Trauma in Educational Settings
L.Hebhardt
Equilibrium Counselling, Training, Consulting; Adelaide, South Australia,
Australia
This paper discusses the relationship between school based staff
experiencing psychological distress (including burnout and vicarious trauma)
and their work with traumatized children and their families.
My experience as a School Counsellor across a range of settings and sectors
has found that the potential for exposure to information regarding abuse
and/or family violence for teachers is high. This, in combination with managing
challenging behaviours, can put teachers at definite risk of being
psychologically affected by their interactions with students with trauma
backgrounds. Schools and school systems have a responsibility and should
be required to implement a range of preventative and protective strategies to
reduce this risk to their staff.
My role as Counsellor has involved supporting teachers to both understand
the complexities and manage the impact of working with survivors of trauma.
Education about how trauma presents in student behaviour, how to best
manage it and creating supportive work environments (Howard & Johnson,
2004) had positive effects on reducing teacher burnout. Similarly, explicit
instruction about vicarious trauma (Rothschild, 2006) was important
information for staff to understand.
Being able to recognise burnout and vicarious trauma in themselves and
others and know that they are normal responses to working with children who
have experienced abuse related trauma is required to reduce the
psychological impact felt by teachers working in such contexts. Improving
teacher outcomes in this way also has the added benefit of enhancing school
experiences for those children whose lives have been affected by trauma.
References
[1] Howard, S., & Johnson, B. (2004) Resilient Teachers: Resisting Stress
and Burnout, Social Psychology of Education, Vol. 7, No. 3.
[2] Rothschild, B. (2006) Help for the Helper: Self-Care Strategies for
Managing Burnout and Stress, W.W. Norton & Company, New York

48959 - A New Accommodation Service Systems Approach to Trauma

and Homelessness
J Baker1
1

Uniting Communities, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The trauma precipitating homelessness for young people cannot be

solved at an individual level and must be addressed systemically at a
family and community level. The Rubys Family Reunification Program
is pioneering new ways of addressing the trauma that results in
homelessness for many South Australia young people.
In contrast to the many intervention models that exist in the homeless
sector, the Rubys family reunification program works with the family
and wider support networks to address the trauma that has resulted in
homelessness for many young people. By introducing new behaviour
patterns, based upon an understanding of the neuroscience of
adolescent development and providing a wrap around therapeutic
response underpinned by a strengths perspective, the Rubys team
creates an environment for the social support network that reframes old
trauma dominated narratives and facilitates lasting change. Within the
safe environment facilitated by each multifaceted Rubys team,
deregulated responses to trauma can be implemented that are unique
to the needs of each young person. Even complex trauma can then be
deescalated in the wider social context, including the family home, by
using integrative approaches and providing sensory tools like the family
self-care box.
The Rubys model has the potential to expand and evolve to meet the
growing need for a broader and more specific approach to address the
traumas that precipitate homelessness for more and more young
people today. As such, it is uniquely placed among trauma response
intervention services to creatively explore different pathways to trauma
recovery and advocate for a shift in focus from the individual to the
system in which people experiencing homelessness find themselves.

48963 - Whats the Buzz?

The Bumblebees Therapeutic Preschool
S. Banks and K. Prentice
Phoenix House, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Early intervention and prevention programmes have been demonstrated by
research to avert problems in childrens lives before they arise, or early in
their lives. Early intervention and prevention has been demonstrated to be
more effective than waiting till a crisis occurs, particularly where programmes
focus on the strengths that families can develop, and build upon resiliency.
The BumbleBees Therapeutic Preschool (TPS) is an early intervention and
prevention preschool, which provides assessment, therapy and/or education,
for children aged 3 5 years, who have been harmed or are at risk of harm,
their parents, carers and families, and other professionals involved in the care
and support of the child and family.
The TPS was adapted to an Australian context from the model of the Kempe
Therapeutic Preschool, USA, following a placement by the Phoenix House
Director, as part of a Churchill Fellowship in 2002. The TPS provides therapy
and group work within a pre-school setting for up to nine children at any one
time, and parent education and a home visiting program.
This workshop will explore the TPS model developed, including family
assessment, individual therapy sessions and the group curriculum based on
developing foundation and therapeutic learning areas within a culturally
relevant setting. It will describe the integration of a number of theories (neurobiology, attachment, trauma) to provide a culturally safe, trauma specific
service. It will also outline the findings of research into the efficacy of the
TPS, including that which is particularly relevant to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander families.
Reference
Prentice, K., Signal, T. & Taylor, N. (2012). What's the buzz?: Bumblebees - a
therapeutic preschool for abused children. Sexual Abuse in Australia and New
Zealand, 4(1), 11-21.

48967 - Medical Trauma in Infants and Families:

Parental Responses to Fetal or Postnatal Diagnosis of Complex
Congenital Heart Disease and Subsequent Infant Developmental
Outcomes (The CHERISH Study)
N. Kasparian1,2, D. Swinsburg1,2, V. Glover3, M.P. Austin4, B. Barnett5, K.
Walker6,7, N. Badawi6,7, K.A. Grant8, E. Kirk1,9, D. Winlaw2,7 and G. Sholler2,7.
1

Discipline of Paediatrics, UNSW Medicine,

The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
2
Heart Centre for Children,
The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
3
Fetal and Neonatal Stress Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and
Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine,Imperial College, London.
4
School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine,
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
5
The Raphael Centre, St John of God Health Care,
Blacktown, NSW, Australia.
6
Grace Centre for Newborn Care,
The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
7
Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
8
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
9
Department of Medical Genetics,
Sydney Childrens Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.

BACKGROUND: More than 800 children undergo cardiac surgery for

congenital heart disease (CHD) each year in NSW, with more than 25%
undergoing lifesaving surgery before six months of age. With advances in
medical care, most infants now survive cardiac surgery; however few data
exist on how psychological factors may contribute to, or exacerbate,
developmental risk in infants with CHD.
AIMS: To identify the prevalence, course, and predictors of psychological
morbidity in parents following fetal or postnatal diagnosis of complex CHD in
their infant, and to better understand the association between parental stress
and trauma during pregnancy, and later infant emotional, behavioural and
neurodevelopmental outcomes.
METHODS: This prospective cohort study consists of three groups: parents of
infants with a fetal cardiac diagnosis, parents of infants with a postnatal
cardiac diagnosis, and parents of healthy infants. Parental experiences are
assessed via clinical interview, as well as validated, self-report measures.
Salivary cortisol is collected from mothers during pregnancy and at 12-months
postpartum as a biomarker of stress reactivity. Parent-infant interaction is
assessed at 6 months using the CARE-Index, and infant outcomes at 12
months are assessed using the Bayley Scales (neurodevelopment), the
Strange Situation Procedure (infant attachment pattern), and salivary cortisol
(stress reactivity).

RESULTS and DISCUSSION: Data collection is underway and preliminary

results will be reported at the conference. The findings will be used to inform
the development of tailored, evidence-based protocols for the identification
and care of parents and infants at high risk of psychological and
developmental difficulties after cardiac diagnosis.

48979 - Triggered in Training:

Applying Trauma Informed Practice in a Workshop Environment
K. Horne and C. Webb
NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Trauma informed practice has gained increasing currency within the health
and welfare field. Beginning with Hermans recognition of the impact of
complex trauma, our understanding of the ways to address the legacies of
interpersonal childhood trauma has evolved, most recently through the
application of neuroscience.
The NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence (ECAV) has been
operating for almost 30 years, providing specialised training, consultancy and
resource development in interpersonal trauma for NSW Health and
interagency workers across NSW. Informed by a feminist, trauma informed
framework, ECAV is unique in its delivery of training from a trauma informed
perspective which integrates the 5 principles of trauma informed practice:
safety; trustworthiness; choice; collaboration and empowerment [1].
Recognising that many participants bring their own histories of adverse
childhood experiences (ACE), our training aims to replicate the healing
dynamics of trauma informed practice. Challenging and supporting
participants to immerse themselves in the learning is balanced with attention
to the possibilities of triggering, denial or distress which can significantly
impact on their capacity to learn and integrate new practices. Participants are
invited to reflect upon their own understandings of trauma and sit this
alongside new knowledge and how this may be applied to their work with
clients. This paper will explore the way in which trauma informed training is
delivered, how exposure and safety are carefully balanced and how this flows
onward to changes in practice that directly benefit children and their families.
[1] Fallot and Harris Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care: A SelfAssessment and Planning Protocol, 2009, p 3

48995 - Medical Trauma in Children and Families:

Caring for Children Affected by Life-Threatening Cardiac Arrhythmias
and Their Families.
Michelle McElduff1, Nadine Kasparian1, 2, Lexi Dengler1, Claudia NielsonJones1, 2 and Christian Turner1.
1 Heart

Centre for Children, The Childrens Hospital at Westmead,

Sydney, NSW, Australia.
2 Discipline of Paediatrics, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South
Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
Background: Inherited arrhythmia syndromes are rare genetic cardiac
conditions that can be associated with syncope and sudden cardiac death.
Parents often become aware of their childs heart condition following a
traumatic event, such as witnessing their child collapse or following the
sudden death of a family member. Following diagnosis, children and families
face numerous challenges, including lifestyle changes, possible surgery, lifelong medication, and living with an increased risk of sudden death.
Aims: To explore the psychological experiences of children with an inherited
arrhythmia and their families, and to investigate whether a new, tailored
multidisciplinary clinic reduces unmet needs and improves psychological
health for children and families.
Method: Parents of children with an inherited arrhythmia who attend a
multidisciplinary clinic at the Heart Centre for Children complete self-report
measures assessing their childs quality of life and their own symptoms of
traumatic stress, depression and anxiety, unmet needs, family functioning,
and social support. Assessments occur prior to clinic attendance, and at 3and 12-months post-clinic.
Results: 32 parents have been recruited to date (response rate: 89%).
Preliminary results indicate that parents have an average of 15 unmet needs
prior to attending clinic, with information needs most strongly endorsed.
According to parental report, 52% of children scored within the at-risk range
for emotional functioning, and 36% of parents reported family functioning
within the unhealthy range.
Clinical Significance: Preliminary results and clinical vignettes will be used
to highlight the consequences of medical trauma for children and families, and
the ways in which trauma can be identified, addressed and optimally
managed in paediatric settings.

48999 - Trauma informed supervision- a framework for supporting staff

who work with trauma
C. Fernandes1, and L. Ranahan2
1
2

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria Australia

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria Australia

Working in the field of childhood trauma will ineviatably impact on those

working with the children and families. Our capacity to experience empathy
leaves us vulnerable to being vicariously traumatised by this work: we are the
tools of our trade. The traditional models of supervision in this field have been
limited in how they mitigate against the impacts of vicarious trauma and how
they validate and support staff working with children and families who have
experienced developmental trauma.
This paper will present a model of supervision practice that has evolved from
trauma theory. This paper will outline the trauma informed supervision
framework and will include the 5 key elements that are essential for a model
of supervision that is trauma informed, relationaly based and helps to build
trauma resilience and stewardship.

49003 - Undertaking Therapeutic Transitions of Children in Out-of-homecare

A.S.Browning
Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Most children in out-of-home care have experienced multiple traumatic

separations from parental figures. When these separations have not been
planned, often due to unforeseen circumstances, the suddenness of the loss
is likely to overwhelm the childs capacity to tolerate his or her confused
feelings, making the experience unbearable. For these children, the
awareness of another impending loss or transition is likely to evoke the
intolerable pain of their previous experiences, creating intense feelings of
abandonment. In planning a transition between families, it is crucial that an
emotional space is created for a child that does not replicate those earlier
traumatic discontinuities, but rather enables a child to have a manageable
experience of loss. This can be better achieved through the development of a
gradual transition process for a child. Crucial to this process is the
development of a constructive relationship between the two families between
which the child will move. This relationship can function like a bridge across
which the child can emotionally move back and forth in making the transition.
For both families, the family relinquishing the child and the family receiving the
child, there will be unconscious anxieties associated with the transition
process which can function to undermine the process. If the destructive forces
that can emerge in the relationship between the two families can be
contained, then it is likely the child will feel held in the process and the move
can provide a constructive experience of loss.

49007 - Some school-based practices for increasing attachment,

participation and engagement of children and young people from
traumatized communities with their school community.
Julie A. Hollitt1
1Continuum

Psychology, Bathurst NSW & CQUniversity, Rockhampton QLD,

Australia

Curriculum documents and school practices imagine some students well,

while having the effect of making other students invisible. Children and young
people with a history of traumatic experience can be invisible in their school
communities. Knowing the effects of trauma on children and young people,
we can predict some of the hidden challenges they bring to school-based
learning including: an acute stress state; hyperarousal and hypervigilance;
impairment to effective memory and concentration; reading / writing / spelling /
mathematical disorders; auditory and visual discrimination impairments;
developmental splintering and delay; and social communication impairments.
This paper is generated from the collaborative practice knowledge of
educators and health professionals in a small school in a remote NSW town.
The town has a well-documented history of unemployment, social
displacement, violence and other crimes, geographic and service isolation,
poor engagement with the school services, and poor health and nutrition. This
paper reports on the systematic and practical imagining of specific
traumatized students from this town into the curriculum and educational
practices of their small school. The purpose of this practice of systematic
imagining was to arrive at, and implement, practical methods to increase
student attachment, participation and engagement in the school community. ,
The ensuing practice made use of contextually specific, action-researched
problem solving strategies, developmentally conceptualized educational
planning, and deliberate and programmed teacher social-emotional support.
Student attendance and student academic skill acquisition were measured
over time as face value indicators of improvement in the attachment,
participation and engagement of the children in relation to their membership of
the school community.

49011 - When is the right time for allied health intervention? A review of
Children in Out of Home Care requiring intervention.
L.McCue1, E. Scerri2
1
2

South Western Sydney Local Health District

South Western Sydney Local Health District

Out-of-home-care (OOHC) health pathways have been implemented across

the state of NSW based on a mandated statewide referral pathway. Children
and young people are screened through a 2 tier model by health professionals
and referred to allied health streams for intervention. Allied Health in South
Western Sydney Local Health District are mandated to prioritise these clients.
Results of the semi cross sectional retrospective file audit and a survey of
staff working with the OOHC population support current literature about
attachment and the neurobiological impact of trauma on children in OOHC,
demonstrating the need to incoporate more trauma informed practices for
better outcomes. This emerging body of evidence suggests that children
placed in interim OOHC do not benefit from immediate speech therapy
intervention without addressing the childs perceived sense of safety and
attachment disruption. (Perry, B. 2009). The project supports
recommendations from neurobiology research on abuse related trauma to rethink how, when and why we provide intervention to these children. Results
will be used to recommend changes to the referral pathway in SWSLHD and
raise awareness amongst the service providers for children in OOHC.

References
Perry, B (2009), Examining Child Maltreatment Through a
Neurodevelopmental Lens: Clinical Applications of the Neurosequential Model
of Therapeutics.

49015 - Healing from the Relational Trauma of Intrafamilial Childhood

Sexual Abuse: The Role of Contact Between the Survivor and the
Offender.
J. E. Paige
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia

Paper to be based on a research project which aimed to discover the

circumstances, if any, in which contact with the parent who had abused them,
had helped survivors of intrafamilial child sexual abuse to recover from their
relational trauma. It was informed by Restorative Justice principles and built
on a New Zealand study (Julich, 2001). Thirty-five (31female and 4 male)
participants were recruited from across Australia and New Zealand to speak
about their experience of post-abuse contact. The research methodology was
primarily qualitative, and analysed in a contextual framework. In the PreContact context, themes linked to motivations for and against making contact;
in the Contact context, themes linked to the type of emotional reactions
experienced and the salient topics of dyadic communication; and in the PostContact context, themes related to the meanings made and evaluation of the
overall experience.
Findings suggest that contact can aid recovery in several ways, but can also
expose the survivor to further attack and criticism from the offending parent or
others. On balance, the majority of participants believed that their contact
experience had helped more than hindered their recovery due to the
reduction in fear and the benefit of at least knowing where I stand. When
asked what else would have helped their recovery, participants articulated the
need for more public education about the complexity of the intrafamilial child
sexual abuse situation, more options for dealing with the crime, and access to
unbiased non-judgmental professional help for all the family at disclosure.
References
Julich, S. (2001). Breaking the Silence: Restorative justice and child sexual
abuse. (Doctoral Dissertation). Massey University, Albany, New Zealand.

49019 - Disability, trauma and child development within a therapeutic

service.
K. Hollitt and J. Sterk
Alternative Care Therapeutic Team, Child and Youth Services, Disability Services,
South Australia, Australia

Children with disabilities are over represented in out-of-home care

populations. Children with disabilities are more likely to experience abuse and
neglect than the general population, and children with developmental trauma
have been deprived of the early experiences needed for healthy
development.1 The field of disability has long recognised the need to
understand a child at their developmental level to best meet their needs. For
children who have experienced abuse and neglect, an understanding of the
role relationships play in trauma and recovery is also vital.
Integrating an understanding of child development, disability and trauma, the
Alternative Care Therapeutic Team (ACTT; Disability Services, South
Australia), provides short term therapeutic intervention for foster carers caring
for a child under Guardianship of the Minister who have a disability. Through
comprehensive developmental assessment, ACTT supports families and
agencies to understand a childs behaviours, development and needs within
the context of the childs early life experiences. By providing strategies to
support the childs development and needs ACTT aims to strengthen
placements and relationships.
This practice paper discusses the contributions and challenges in working
across the fields of disability and trauma. Through case example, the paper
will explore how the developmental needs of children may be misunderstood if
not considering both lenses. The paper discusses how ACTT combines the
best evidence-based practice in the fields of disability and trauma to work
towards therapeutic change for foster families of children with a disability.

Fudge Schormans, A, (2003) Child Maltreatment and developmental

disabilities. In Brown I & Perry M (Eds.) Developmental Disabilities in Ontario
pp551-582
( 2nd Ed.) Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities.
1

49023 - THERAPLAY in TRAUMA RECOVERY

K.Lewer 1 and C. MFletcher-Crystal 2
1 & 2. Nexus Primary Health, Broadford, Victoria, Australia.

Since the devastating Victorian Bushfires in 2009, Nexus Primary Health

practitioners have integrated Theraplay (www.theraplay.org.au) into their
practice.
It is well established that early intervention and prevention are increasingly
necessary to enable children who have experienced trauma to be successful
in completion of education, and full participation in their community.
Challenging behaviours such as attention deficit, aggression, are well known
challenges for teachers and parent.
It is becoming increasingly
acknowledged that attachment and trauma are the basis for many challenging
behaviours and Theraplay is therefore one of the few proven approaches to
address the problem rather than simply manage the behaviours or medicate
the child. (Bennett, Shiner, & Ryan, 2006)
In Theraplay the goal is to develop a more secure attachment between a
child and his/ her parent or caregiver. We recognize the crucial part parents
play in their childs recovery from trauma and typical treatment protocols
include several sessions with the parents before beginning with the child. This
is followed by weekly child-parent sessions. This gives parents the skills and
emotionally appropriate activities to do with their child as well as building the
capacity for attunement and empathy. We need to ensure that the parent as
well as the child has the capacity to move towards attachment security.
Parents needs to be emotionally available, attuned and
many families that we have worked with since the bushfires have needed to
engage in their own recovery from trauma before they have been available to
engage in treatment with their child.

49027 - Supporting the hospitalised child through play therapy and

music therapy
J. Parson1, J. Edwards1 and J. Lord2
1

Deakin University, Geelong, Vic, Australia

Treasure Play, South East Melbourne, Vic, Australia

Children who require hospitalisation and multiple invasive medical procedures

may experience anxiety, distress or psychological trauma. One way to
alleviate the impact of trauma is by integrating music and play therapies into
paediatric health care services, including pre and post procedural care and
community based referrals.
Play and music therapies use developmentally appropriate media for
facilitating communication and optimising the holistic approach to paediatric
health care. When children are supported within a therapeutic relationship, it
offers an emotionally safe environment to work through trauma by promoting
self expression, creativity, exploration and relaxation. Music and play
therapies can be fun, satisfying, cathartic and educational. Therapists may
provide a psycho-educative role to help facilitate age appropriate
understanding regarding sensory and procedural aspects of invasive
interventions to children and to their parents or guardians.
This workshop provides a brief introduction to the foundations of play therapy
and music therapy, as they relate to trauma, followed by an experiential
workshop component. Participants will be able to practice selected play and
music therapy techniques, which may be useful in developing and enhancing
therapeutic relationships in the care of children with chronic or life limiting
conditions requiring invasive medical procedures.

49031 - Trauma Informed Care in the Primary Mental Health context

Clinical experiences of integration via a novel approach to service
delivery for children and families
Virginia Williams1, Alysha Leigh Keating1
1

Warehouse One7 and University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW,

Australia

Mental health services were delivered by practitioners in the primary health

care field (i.e. referred by general practitioner to a psychologist / other allied
health professional delivered) to over 4% of Australian children in 2011-2012
[1]. A large proportion of these services are delivered under Governmentfunded initiatives based on a brief-intervention model of service delivery (i.e.
6-10 sessions per referral). One in three of the children referred to a primary
care mental health clinician have experienced trauma [2]. Of significant
concern in such cases is the potential for re-traumatisation by services and
practitioners via practices that unwittingly undermine safety, empowerment
and self-regulation, and repeat invalidation. The risk is emphasised due to
the time-limited, diagnosis driven nature of primary care mental health
referrals. While the long-term goal of intervention in these cases often
includes referral to a specialised service, wait-times, the need for enhanced
vitality and function necessitates trauma informed practices be interwoven into
front-line mental health services.
We will briefly outline the operationalisation of trauma informed care principles
in one primary health setting that currently services over 150 families in New
South Wales. Operationalisation has centred on embodiment of core values
including collaboration, respect, equal dignity, acceptance and commitment.
The result is a service that is driven by the ideas and needs of serviced
children and young people as much as it is evidence-based practice. We will
provide preliminary outcome data and case studies of our experience melding
trauma informed care principles within the context of primary health,
highlighting areas for future development.

References
[1] Australian Government, Department and Health and Aging, National
Mental Health Report (2013)
[2] Australian Government, Department of Health and Aging. Access to Allied
Psychological Services (ATAPS) Program Child Mental Health Services
Component (2012)

49039 - Trauma informed practice in primary health care: Experiences of

allied health clinicians in Central Australia.
The experience and consequences of complex intergenerational trauma is an
important consideration for work with indigenous communities. This paper
details the experience of developing a trauma informed allied health practice
within an Aboriginal primary health care service in Central Australia. Prior to
the introduction of this allied health service, the extent to which trauma was
acknowledged as a part of child and family health experiences within the
service were limited. Through the process of establishing the allied health
component of childrens services, the clinicians identified a range of avenues
for introducing trauma informed practice. In addition, the clinicians engaged in
active support for other services involved in the care and education of children
in terms of understanding the impact of trauma upon childrens behaviour and
development. A range of challenges were experienced, associated with
introducing evidence-based assessment and intervention models for a client
base with a history of complex trauma and prenatal alcohol exposure.
Attempting to establish a culturally safe service under a Medicare model of
service provision was a further challenge to the clinicians. The paper provides
a detailed discussion of the process of establishing a trauma informed alliedhealth service in Central Australia. In order to apply the learnings to practice,
a case study will be outlined, detailing the use of interdisciplinary practice in
responding to the impact of trauma. Finally, opportunities for future service
development will be discussed.

49043 - A Collaborative Approach:

The Key to Success
E. Ferguson1, and Barbara Yates2
1

Anglicare SA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Australian Childhood Foundation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The Fresh Start; Therapeutic Care Program is a partnership that has been
formed between AnglicareSA and the Australian Childhood Foundation in
South Australia for the provision of long term Therapeutic Foster Care. The
Program ensures a therapeutic care environment is created for all children
that is individualised improving outcomes and life trajectories for children with
complex needs who have experienced abuse, loss and/or neglect related
trauma. The program considers that every interaction between children and
the Care Team is recognised and valued as an opportunity to counter and
heal the effects of past trauma and disrupted attachment. At the centre our
aim through the Care Team is to re-build lives, trust, and relationships, create
dreams and memories for children in long term care.
There are many strengths and challenges for successful collaborative working
within a partnership approach. This paper will provide an overview of the
collaborative work between AnglicareSA and the Australian Childhood
Foundation. The speakers will touch on these strengths and challenges as
they present information about the framework guiding the program, the
programs overall goals and outcomes and outline the services provided to the
children and young people, their foster carers and biological families.

References
[1] P. Conway, Falling Between Minds The effeects of unbearbalbe
expereinces on multi-angecy communciation in the care system, Adoption &
Fostering (2009) volume 33: page18 page 29
[2] N. Kletzka, and C. Siegfried, Helping Children in the Child Welfare
Systems Heal from Trauma: A Systems Integration Approach, Juvenile and
Family Court Journal 59 no. 4 (fall) (2008) page 7 page 18

49047 - Why Do You Want Me, Why Do You Want Me Now? A

Systemic-Attachment Approach to Working within the Context of Family
Re-Unification
M. Anderton
Act for Kids, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
This presentation showcases how a systemic-attachment based approach is
used to guide therapeutic innovations within the field of child protection and
family re-unification. A case vignette will be used to demonstrate how the
therapist assisted a child living in foster care and previously absent father
towards relational repair, reconnection and re-unification.
The primary aim of the systemic-attachment based approach is to re-establish
or strengthen the familys interpersonal capacity to offer and create a more
secure base for the child, through the facilitation of corrective attachment
experiences.
With the use of a case vignette, the presentation will bring to life some of the
therapeutic practices and skills involved in the therapist becoming a
conversational curator for children, young people and significant others
(parents) to address core relational ruptures and assist with interactive repair,
relational connection and security.
This presentation shows that as interpersonal relationships are strengthened,
children begin to perceive and interact with their parents as caring, safe and
more secure attachment figures - thus giving re-unification a greater chance
of success and survival.

49059 - Bringing Up Great Kids Parenting Program Successful

Interventions in a Child and Youth Mental Health Setting
C. Deegan, N. Barry and J. Haney
Pine Rivers Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Bringing Up Great Kids parenting
program developed by the Australian Childhood Foundation within a child and
youth mental health clinical setting. The program draws from child centred
and strengths-based perspectives, neurobiological development, attachment
theory, and narrative approaches. The program uses ideas of mindfulness
and reflection to support parents to review and enhance patterns of
communication with their children, to promote more respectful interactions
and encourage the development of childrens positive self-identity. Parents of
current consumers at an inner north Brisbane child and youth mental health
service were recommended to participate in the program to enhance their
engagement and understanding of their childs presenting mental health
issues. The pre and post self report evaluation questionnaires, as developed
by the Australian Childhood Foundation, were administered at the beginning
and at the end of the program across two groups. The participants were
thirteen parents including eleven mothers and two fathers. Quantitative
responses were examined using repeated measures t-tests. Qualitative data
was analysed by identifying themes across responses. Altogether, the results
suggest that the program successfully helped parents to increase their
understanding of their parenting of a child with mental health problems, the
meaning of messages given and received, why their child behaves the way
they do and where to go for help or support when needed. Recommendations
for future practice were identified.

Australian Childhood Foundation. (2011). Bringing Up Great Kids Parenting

Program, Program Manual.

49067 - Shifting a Community from Traumatizing and Traumatized

Institutional Mentalization and Reparation
C. Aston1, and T. Raulin1
1

CASSE Creating Safe and Supportive Environments, Melbourne, Vic,

Australia

This paper will outline and provide an overview of a successful

psychoanalytically informed program piloted in twelve diverse schools to
enhance safety and support through minimizing bullying and violence. The
trauma experienced through bullying and violent relationships cannot be
underestimated, nor can the poor results of more traditional and prescribed
programs attempting to tackle the issue. A case study of a severely
disadvantaged school will demonstrate the benefits of teaching a school
community to mentalize and we will explore the identified desired outcomes
achieved alongside highly desirable outcomes that evolved as the process
did.
School X expressed interest in the pilot program, a medium sized secondary
school set in a notoriously underprivileged and rough area. Generational
unemployment, abject poverty, high levels of family dysfunction, poor
educational history, both academically and experientially, high levels of
violence and disenfranchisement impacted the school. Scanlan, C. and
Adlam, J. (2008) suggest that, organizations working with the dangerous and
disordered can often be entangled in similar states of unhousedness or
incohesion unless they can process the misery they encounter.
We are painting a picture of a highly stressed environment and community
were thinking deeply about oneself, and other, even individually, let alone
simultaneously or collectively was in competition with merely surviving. This
paper will detail through a psychoanalytically interpreted case study our
unique structure and approach that enabled the participating school to
become and our organization to maintain thoughtfulness, reflecting on self,
the other and the unconscious life of the institutions.
References
[1] C. Kaye, A. M. Howlett, Homelessness and Disorder: the challenge of the
antisocial and the societal response, (2008)

49071 - Chronic Complex Trauma and Problematic Relational Christian

Spirituality:
A Conversational Model Perspective
Dr. M-T Proctor1
1

Wesley Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Employing the Conversational Model (CM) as an interpretative lens, the

qualitative case study explored associations between relational trauma
experienced during childhood and relationally-focused spiritual difficulties
encountered during adulthood. Jenny, an Australian-born female aged 56
with a history of complex trauma (physical, sexual and psychological in
nature), and a convert to Christianity (at age 30), consented to the first fifteen
of her long-term intensive psychotherapy transcripts being thematically
analysed. Utilising content analysis strategies, narrative data managed using
NVivo, five categories of relational experience were explored, and
subsequently labelled: (1) Eating their young: Early developmental context;
(2) Broken-winged chick: Sense of Self; (3) Wounded sparrow: Self in
relation to God; (4) Faltering in flight: Relationship with God; and (5) At the
fringe of the flock: Relationship with Christian community. Analysis revealed
childhood and adolescent relational trauma was far reaching in its long-term
psycho-spiritual effects, especially to ones sense of personhood, value and
self-worth, relational capacity, reflective functioning and broader coping. In
particular, application of a Conversational Model trauma-sensitive perspective
[1][2] provided a meaningful interpretation for the relational spiritual difficulties
experienced by adult Jenny (relative to a spiritual aetiology/diagnosis and/or
spiritual-only treatment lens). The findings, when shared with the participant,
were reported to be an authentic capturing of both her trauma history and her
current adult relational Christian spirituality. Recommendations regarding the
psychological care of Christians with chronic complex trauma are considered,
including an therapeutic progress update, noting the benefits of employing a
trauma lens when addressing entrenched relational difficulties in adulthood.

References
[1] R. Meares, A Dissociation Model of Borderline Personality Disorder, (2012)
W.W. Norton & Company, London.
[2] R. Meares, The Metaphor of Play: Origin and Breakdown of Personal Being
(3rd
Ed), (2006), Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, London.

49075 - Spiral to Recovery: An Australian Model of Therapeutic

Residential Care
Laurel Downey, Jon Jago, Shanelle Poppi
Catalyst child and family services
Developed by Laurel Downey in far north Queensland, to meet the needs of
both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and young people, Spiral to
Recovery is an Australian model for therapeutic residential care. In 2013
Laurel and two colleagues, Jon Jago and Shanelle Poppi, set up Catalyst
child and family services, a not for profit NGO, so that the Spiral could be
used within a values led organisational framework that can truly support
therapeutic care. Catalyst is developing organisational frameworks that
encourage therapeutic, relational practice, to avoid common situations of the
over-use of policy and procedure, which often dominate practice in residential
care.
This workshop will give an overview of the Spiral to Recovery, providing
details of how organisations can set up frameworks to support therapeutic
care, with a focus on the personal and professional development of staff,
leadership, and the very real challenges of working with a complex client
group in remote Australia.
The Spiral to Recovery framework is a work in progress, which uses
theoretical, research and practice development literature from a range of
fields. In particular the model draws on the work of Bruce Perry, Daniel
Hughes, Kim Golding, James Anglin, Allan Schore, Sandra Bloom, Judith
Herman, Daniel Seigel, Andrew Kendrick, Frank Ainsworth, Adrian Ward,
Bendtro & Wittaker, Thom Garfat, Richard Rose, Erik Knorth and many
others. The Spiral also draws on frameworks for Indigenous healing, in
particular Westerman, Yeo, Hunter, Silburn et al, Coade et al, and Atkinson.

49079 - Trauma and the impact on Organisations.

H. OBrien1, and A. Clarke2
1
2

Mercy Community Services, Warwick, Qld. Australia.

Mercy Community Services, Brisbane, Qld. Australia.

This paper/ workshop sets out to position organisational trauma as being

critical and influential on how groups of staff support, care for and work
alongside clients who have experienced trauma. As a service sector there is
a wide acceptance of the impact of adversity and trauma on individuals and
appropriate support models, approaches and tools, however the same level of
attention is not applied to the impact and treatment of trauma and adversity on
organisations as an entity. There is a substantial amount of literature
supporting the view that organisations can be traumatised, which in turn
negatively impacts on services delivered to clients and the staff members
ability to function within their professional capacity. The impact of the trauma
looks different however it has the same level of debilitating impact. Several
theoretical positions inform our understandings of this including organisational
culture and its connectedness and congruence with history and lived values,
parallel process and collective disturbance. Numerous models, approaches
and tools support organisations to buffer themselves from adversity while
addressing the impact of organisational trauma. These include concepts of
organisational citizenship, leadership within a group analysis framework and
the Sanctuary Model. Being conscious and deliberate about organisational
adversity and trauma best supports organisations to care for, support and
work alongside clients who have experienced trauma.

49083 - Never let me go An experience of foster care from a trauma

perspective
Ros Stewart
Foster Carer Barnardos, ACT

Three years ago our lives changed. My family became foster carers under the
On track program partnership between Barnardos and the Australian
Childhood Foundation in the ACT. Our new daughter was 10 years old and
came from a residential setting, the end of a process of two residential and
three foster placements over 18 months and 9 years of trauma experiences
prior to that. My experience as a social worker in the child protection field
had prepared me for the system I was now part of; and parenting had
prepared me for a young girl who was going to travel through childhood and
adolescence in the coming years. We as a family committed to this young
person for the rest of her life. This is a few words that require a lifestyle that is
both rewarding and challenging.
The journey that we have been on has many highs and lows. I want to reflect
on the system that is set up to protect and support children. What happens
when children need extra interventions? When families need a break and
support? When children become involved in the youth justice system and the
youth system? How do we maintain trauma informed practice as a system
when it becomes really complicated? I make some suggestions for the
questions we need to ask to make sure that gains made in the past are not
lost and that these can be used as building blocks for the future.

49087 - An audit of practice using an MDT model for the Gateway Health
Assessments of Children in Care
S.Sadani, E.Court, A. McOnie-Perfect, J. Friend, D.Woolerton
Waikato District Health Board, Hamilton, New Zealand

Background
The Gateway assessment is funded by Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
to provide a health and educational check for children in and entering Child
Youth and Family (CYF) care. The Waikato Gateway model is a Multi
Disciplinary Team (MDT) consisting of a doctor and psychologist working
in conjunction.
Aim
The audit aim was to retrospectively establish the correlation of Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACE) scores with needs identified and highlight the
essence of MDT working with this vulnerable group.
Methods
Retrospective case note review of 61 patients seen from September to
November 2013 was conducted, ACE scores assigned and qualitative
analysis completed.
Results
The ACE scores ranged from 0 to 9, with 4 or more ACE scores identified in
43 patients (70%). In this high risk group, mental health needs were identified
in 63%. Results highlighted high rate of unmet mental health needs in high
ACE group, thus defining benefits of psychological screening for a
comprehensive health assessment.
Conclusions
No statistically significant differences between needs were identified. The high
ACE group had higher percentage of behavioural problems. Learning needs,
developmental needs, attachment problems, physical health problems are
reported. From our experience, this Gateway model with an in house
Psychologist promotes holistic care. In addition, routine allocation of ACE
scores at assessment can help identify and define early therapeutic
intervention.

49095 - Move Groove and Grow

L. Cunningham1
1

Anglicare Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Move Groove & Grow (MGG) is an innovative and creative music &
movement program developed for children in Out of Home Care. Research
confirms that music, movement & drumming can provide significant benefits to
children who have suffered abuse. This is due to the strong associations that
are made during the prenatal development of the lower brain regions between
rhythmic, auditory, tactile and motor activity and the associated brain
activation that this arouses of being warm, safe and soothed.
MGG has been created in partnership with the Australian School of
Performing Arts (ASPA) and consists of 1.5 hours of group music &
movement related activities each week. No similar programs existed in
Australia when MGG was developed.
In addition to healing trauma related brain damage, MGG aims to:

Build self-esteem & confidence

Use music to learn about emotions and assist in regulating emotions &
behaviours

Often children who have suffered abuse have limited emotional literacy skills.
Using music to assist identification & expression of feelings is a nonconfrontational way to learn this skill.
We are currently conducting research into the effectiveness of MGG & our
initial results are trending in a positive direction. Due to this success we have
expanded into other Anglicare programs.
Regardless, the children tell us that they have made friendships, gained
confidence, learned socialisation skills and had fun. One child said that before
MGG started she did not realise that there were other children in her situation.
Its helped her not feel so alone.

49099 - Trauma-Informed Practice with Complex Families: A Long-term,

Multi-faceted Relational Approach.
K.Gwynne1 and K. Prowse1
1

Dalwood Spilstead Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Dalwood Spilstead Service in Sydney has refined a model of care which
integrates the primary evidence-based interventions for vulnerable families,
within a comprehensive trauma-informed approach. The Spilstead Model
(SM) combines parent support, home visiting, and parent-child attachment
interventions with multi-disciplinary centre and home-based early childhood
education and development programs, in an environment of family centred
and strength-based practice. This unique holistic program provides all
services for both parents and children from the one organisation and the one
team, optimising engagement and containment for families while ensuring
maximum co-ordination and consistency of service delivery.
Parent counsellors offer long-term individual counselling, psycho-educational
group programs plus home or centre-based parent/child interaction
interventions. Childrens have access to home-based early childhood
education, supported playgroups, preschool and school outreach as well as a
therapeutic preschool program with integrated allied health support and
somato-sensory approaches.
Founded on attachment theory and the Neuro-sequential Model of
Therapeutics (NMT) case planning framework, all services are underpinned
by the cohesion of the team designed to create a platform of consistent, coregulating relational experiences from which families can be supported toward
capacity building and self-determination.
A NSW independent evaluation in 2010 identified superior results under this
model in family engagement; retention rates and family goal achievement plus
cost effectiveness. Further research has also reported large Effect Size
changes (0.88 1.46) in all measures of both family and child functioning
(p<0.001). 71% of children presenting on entry with clinically delayed
development, were found to be within the normal range on post testing.

49103 - A communitys interagency response to the needs of refugee

children
J. Macfarlane1, R. June2, R. Coulson2
1

Brotherhood of St Laurence, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2
Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Childhood trauma as a result of the refugee experience can have profound

effects on emotional, cognitive and social development1. Little research has
been conducted into how universal community-based approaches can
mediate these impacts.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Schools Early
Action (CASEA) works in the community with families, schools and agencies
to support the mental health and wellbeing of children. In 2012 Austin Health
CASEA commenced a partnership with Fitzroy Primary School and Sacred
Heart School Fitzroy. The majority of students from these schools are from
refugee backgrounds, African nations in particular, and most live on the
Atherton Gardens housing estate. Both schools reported challenges in
engaging students and in managing physically aggressive behaviour. As part
of the Austin CASEA model, both principals chose to implement Promoting
an
evidence-based
Alternative
Thinking
Strategies
(PATHS)2,
social/emotional curriculum and whole-school approach that focuses on
emotional literacy.
Led by Brotherhood of St Laurence, local agencies, including out-of-schoolcare, early years, family services and youth programs, integrated PATHS into
their service delivery models. Two years on, this community initiative
continues to deliver ongoing inter-agency professional development in
coaching children and families in self regulation and emotional literacy,
including facilitator training in the emotion coaching parent programs Tuning
in to Kids and Teens3,4.
Early anecdotal and quantitative evidence from school and community data
suggests that this whole community approach is making a significant impact
on emotional wellbeing and behaviour of children and families. This interagency initiative, as well as preliminary data, will be presented.

References
[1] J. Henley, J. Robinson, Mental health issues among refugee children and
adolescents, Clinical Psychologist (2011) 15: 51-62.
[2] C. Kusche, M. Greenberg, PATHS Promoting Alternative Thinking
Strategies (2011), Channing-Bete, USA
[3] S. Havighurst, A. Harley, Tuning in to Kids (2010), The University of
Melbourne, Australia
[4] S. Havighurst, A. Harley, C. Kehoe, E. Pizarro, Tuning in to Teens (2012),
The University of Melbourne, Australia

49107 - No Safe Place Being Young and Black - Reconnecting Through

the Aboriginal Family Health Worker Model
S.Herring 1, L. McNamara 2, L. Funston 3
1

NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence, Sydney, NSW, Australia

2 NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence, Sydney, NSW, Australia
3 NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence, Sydney, NSW, Australia

This paper discusses the role of workers, employed under the NSW Health
Aboriginal Family Health Strategy, in working with Aboriginal children and
young peoples' experiences of trauma.
Many Aboriginal children and young people live in safe and supportive
environments. However the impacts of colonisation and ongoing social and
economic inequalities have created conditions in which Aboriginal children
and young people experience higher rates of family violence, child abuse,
neglect, sexual asaault, incarceration and suicidality than non-Aboriginal
Australians. They are more likely to experience polyvictimisation, strongly
associated with chronic and complex disease, high risk behaviour and
premature death.
Their mothers are 22 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family
violence and 10 times more likely to die from assault. Almost half their
grandfathers and over one third of their grandmothers die before they turn 45
years of age. Aboriginal children and young people are struggling to overome
the trauma of generations of the de-humanisation which has occurred as a
result of the policies that have shaped Aboriginal lives. They are struggling to
overcome these historical burdens of social exclusion, racism, fear and
embedded common negative beliefs and stereotypes.
Under the NSW Health Aboriginal Family Health Strategy the Aboriginal
Family Health Worker model demonstrates a trauma-informed approach to
working with Aboriginal families and communities. It aims to build trust and
engage clients earlier with health services, by creating a culturally safe
context that promotes healing and opens up possibilities for health and
wellbeing for current and future generations.

49111 - MATES Resourcing Program Modelling And Teaching

Empowerment Skills
to Caregivers and Children
S.Souza

The MATES Resourcing Program (MATES) is a psycho-educational method

which provides complex information about the brain, body, the autonomic
nervous system and social engagement. MATES uses simple language and a
MATES House diagram, which explains the fight, flight, freeze, and faint
responses. It also shows how to simply regulate the nervous system when the
person is either too activated or too shut down.
MATES was developed as a parenting program for families with complex
needs. Its objectives were: to depathologise clients who have been given
multiple diagnoses; empower these clients and their families; restore hope
that they can live a better quality of life; and introduce clients to their innate
inner and outer resources in a fun and simple program. In all these objectives,
MATES succeeded. The program also succeeded in simply explaining these
objectives to children as young as four years old, who then quickly and easily
could explain it to others.
The process of explaining the nervous system through use of the MATES
House diagram elicits curiosity and engagement, and a desire to learn more.
The practice of the five MATES Keys, all of which cue the brain and body that
the person is safe in the here and now. Caregivers and children learn to trust
their bodies, and by practising the skills (MATES keys) they are able to revive
their social engagement systems, which allows for a more attuned relationship
with oneself and others.

49115 - The Dimensions of Infant Sleep Interventions

J. Cleary, G. A. Jamieson and N. Loi
University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
This study sought to determine psychological dimensions associated with
interactions between infants and their parents during the transition to sleep
period. It was hypothesised that these factors would indicate whether or not
parents use extinction-based infant sleep interventions (ISIs).
These
interventions utilise the infant stress response to the withdrawal of parental
attention to inhibit crying. It is expected that questionnaire measures of these
dimensions will inform a wider study investigating the impact of ISIs on
mother-infant synchrony and the early development of infant affective selfregulation.
Participants were recruited via online social media sites and were parents of
infants aged between 3 and 18 months (N= 274). Factor analysis using alpha
extraction methods with a promax rotation yielded 3 interpretable factors
(Parental Responsiveness, Parental Holding and Infant Sleep Temperament).
An analysis of these factors reveals that they are not entirely representative
of the behaviours exhibited in extinction-based ISIs. Analysis of item
frequency data reveals that 49.8% (n=735) of participants use a graduated
extinction method, while 43.7% (n=759) use an unmodified extinction method.
This questionnaire will be used to provide two distinct but overlapping
opportunities to assess the impact parent-child sleep time behaviours have on
infant development. The first is to investigate the role of the factors identified
in relation to synchrony and the development of affective self-regulation. The
second involves sorting parents into ISI groups, depending on the response to
specific questions, in order to assess the impact of ISIs on the development of
affective self-regulation in a subsequent study.

49127 - The Dark Shadow of Sex: Challenges to the therapists capacity

for attuned, responsive presence
L. OShea
Gestalt Therapy Australia, Fairfield, Victoria, Australia
The Relational Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

The mindful presence of the therapist stands at the heart of a therapetutic

approach that can liberate clients from the debilitating effects of
developmental trauma. However cultivating this qualiting of presence is no
simple task.
An often neglected aspect of this personal development concerns the area of
human sexuality. Therapists and clients alike inhabit a world that holds
confusing and contradictory attitudes towards sex. Sexual imagery pervades
our daily life in ways that are uncprecendented, however shame-based and
sex-negative attitudes underpin our cultural discourses. Therapists also bear
the burden of psychoanalytic history which has understood sex in particular
ways. Added to this is an acute awareness of the ethical responsibilites of the
therpaist and the corresponding fear of engaging in any conversations about
sex for fear of being misunderstanding.
This leaves the therapist ill-equipped to deal with the traumas that clients
bring in relation to their sexuality and their struggle to forge a relationship with
their sexuality that is nourishing and life-sustaining.
To meet clients effectively in this area of clinical work, therapists need to
engage in the challenging task of understanding how their sexual history has
shaped them. Equally important is a deconstruction of the values and
theoretical frameworks that underlie the therapists view of sexuality. By
engaging in this work, therapists will strengthen their capacity to work with the
injuries that clients bring in relation to their sexuality, and through their mindful
and attentive presence, create the ground for the emergence of new and
creative intergrations of expereince.

49131 - Unit to House: Transforming Residential Care and Developing

Therapeutic Settings for Young People
B. McAuley1, N. Vindis2, A. Deliyannis2
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

2 Anglicare Victoria, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

This paper explores the transformation from a standard adolescent residential

unit to Anglicare Victorias first therapeutic house. As evidenced in a recent
evaluation [1], the Victorian model of therapeutic care results in improved
outcomes for young people compared to young people in standard care
models. Shifts in thinking and practice have arisen through this process that
have been essential in achieving these outcomes.
This paper uses a framework of Certainty and Uncertainty [2] to explain the
pathway of transformation and identifies key components that have led to
changes in practice for residential carers. The most exciting and significant
shift has been in how carers view their role, moving from a crisis management
mode of practice to therapeutic reparenting. This fundamental shift has
resulted in changes in the carers relationship with the young people, with
each other, with the environment and with the organisation.
The Certainty, Uncertainty framework was first applied to family therapy
practice in 1993 and will be utilised to explain the change process, how this
relates to therapeutic residential care and the central shifts achieved that have
led to improved outcomes.

[1] VERSO Consulting. (2011) Evaluation of the Residential Care Pilot

Programs. Department of Human Services
[2] Mason, B. Towards Positions of Safe Uncertainty. Human Systems: The
Journal of Systemic Counsultation & Management. Vol. 4, 189-200

49147 - Understanding the Aboriginal experience of assimilation as

trauma, and the implications for welfare practitioners in the child
protection system
Karen Menzies
PhD Student, Children and Families Research Centre, Macquarie University
and Lecturer, Wollotuka Institute, University of Newcastle.
This paper will discuss preliminary findings from current PhD research
exploring the understanding of assimilation as trauma and what informs the
practice of welfare professionals. This paper will examine pre and
post questionnaires from research participants who participated in a one-day
practitioner training workshop conducted in several locations around
NSW. The training covered the traumatic impact of the Assimilation laws,
policies and practices in Australia and the importance of welfare practitioners
in statutory and non-government welfare organisations to understand trauma
related behaviours in Aboriginal families. The research is aims to assist
welfare professionals and welfare organisations to understand the
assimilation as trauma and offer a new paradigm of practice.

49155 - Integrating Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives on Child

Development and Trauma Theory as a Holistic Approach to Children in
the Child Protection System.
G. Sainsbury and D. Steggall
Mercy Community Services, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Mercy Community Services Therapeutic Day Program for children who have
experienced trauma is a wraparound program located in Toowoomba,
Queensland.
This presentation will discuss how child development and
trauma theory are understood from the multi-perspectives of counseling,
occupational therapy and education, how these are integrated into a holistic
approach and how these are then incorporated into a childs everyday activity
for them to develop lifestyle patterns for healing and recovery. The service
brings theoretical perspectives on child development and trauma to the whole
child, i.e. counseling (emotions, adjustment, thoughts), occupational therapy
(sensory integration, physical development, social skills) and teaching
(education, learning, cognitive development). Each will be detailed in the
presentation. The concept of the whole child is further facilitated by
incorporating an approach that includes both structured individual sessions
and daily activity skills. Children engage in activities, such as cooking,
gardening, free-play, structured-play and art; these are used as therapeutic
skills that children can learn and enjoy to take back into their everyday
routines and experiences at home, school and in the community. The
presentation will finally detail the practicalities of the service including
attendance, scheduling and alignment with other educational settings.

49171 - Engaging and supporting kinship carers utilising the therapeutic

care team model
Garven1, J.Sarnovski1 and M. Redmond2
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Office for Children, Youth and Family Support, Canberra, ACT, Australia

The complexities of kinship care are well known, yet supports for kinship
carers are often unavailable, difficult to access or poorly targeted. Caring for
a child, even if they are related to you, with a trauma history can lead to
complex feelings within the carer. Children placed with their kin typically
present with significant neglect and/or abuse histories and as a consequence
need intensive, specialist supports to help them heal from the effects of their
trauma and live well. Side by Side is a therapeutic kinship care program in
Canberra delivered in partnership with the local statutory agency. The
program has adopted the therapeutic care team approach to provide multisystemic and holistic responses to the childrens needs and to support the
kinship carers in creating a safe and healing environment for the children in
their care.
This presentation will outline the application of the therapeutic care team as a
vehicle for engagement and support of kinship carers and describe the care
team in action through a case study. The role of the key care team members
will be discussed, in particular the role of the therapeutic specialist in the
provision of clinical leadership to the team and their work with the carer and
the child. Benefits as well as challenges in using this approach will also be
explored.

49187 - Paediatricians- what is their place in Management of Childhood

Trauma?
S. Packer1
1

Child At Risk Health Unit, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

As a paediatrician I have assessed infants and children acutely for concerns

of abuse and neglect ever since our multidisciplinary health service began in
1990. I have followed a number of these children within the child protection
system throughout their childhoods, or for a considerable period of their
childhoods, either in care, or after return to their birth families. I have also had
clinical involvement with the children of some of these children.
I keep learning from them about the daily challenges they continue to face,
their particular and often idiosyncratic strengths, and the continuing
frustrations posed by our societys inflexible responses in so many aspects of
their lives.
A particular concern is that I am often required to make an acceptable
diagnosis to enable funding for extra services for these children, particularly at
school. The confirmed trauma in their early lives is seldom accepted as an
adequate explanation for their ongoing learning and behavior problems,
enabling access to additional resources.
At the same time, many of my general paediatric colleagues continue to make
diagnoses of ADHD, ASD and Asbergers Syndrome without considering
trauma, especially DV, and its possible contribution to the problems.
Despite the increasing public awareness of the enduring impact of trauma in
early life, the possibility of our well intentioned interventions compounding the
trauma is frequently overlooked.
I will discuss my findings with clinical examples and opportunities for
discussion.

49199 - Developing mindful trauma-informed practice: A study of New

Zealand social workers and social work educators.
S. Beale
University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
The fields of neurobiology and attachment theory have highlighted the
detrimental developmental impact of childhood relational trauma, with
potential adverse effects for psychological, physical and social wellbeing
across the lifespan. Yet mental health services continue to be dominated by a
medical paradigm rather than truly adhering to a biopsychosocial model.
Impeded by barriers at individual and organisational levels, trauma-informed
services in mental health remain a minority.
Utilising hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, eleven social workers
within youth and adult mental health/addiction explored their cognitive,
affective and somatic perceptions regarding child sexual abuse (CSA) across
two interviews. A second sample of eight social work educators individually
shared their understanding of CSA, and specifically considered pedagogical
and pastoral issues; followed by a focus group of a sub-sample of social
workers and educators. Both sample groups comprised Maori, Pacific Island
and European participants and were gender balanced.
Participants suggested strategies and cited barriers to addressing CSA
academically and professionally, with implications for trauma-informed
practice among diverse professionals and services. Anxiety and other
negative affect manifested as a constant undercurrent in participants
accounts, whether articulated through awareness of emotional or bodily
discomfort, or unconsciously expressed through embodied reactions such as
cathartic laughter or deep intakes of breath. Drawing on social defence theory
(Jacques,1953; Menzies-Lyth,1960,1990) the paper seeks to interpret
professional, personal, academic and organisational rationalisations for
avoidant practices regarding engagement with the matter of CSA for clients
and students. The role of mindfulness to allay defensive responses at
individual and organisational levels is discussed.
References
E. Jacques, On the dynamics of social structure, Human Relations (1953) 6:
10-23.
I.E.P. Menzies, The functioning of social systems as a defence against
anxiety (1960) London: Tavistock Institute.
I. Menzies-Lyth, Social systems as a defence against anxiety: an
empirical study of the nursing service of a general hospital. In Trist, E. Murray,
H.
(eds) The Social Engagement of the Social Sciences (1990) Vol1, London:
Free
Association Books.

49211 - Kinship Care: A View From The Inside

Dr Lynne McPherson1 and Noel Macnamara2
1

LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria Australia

Kinship care placements are the fastest growing form of out-of-home-care in

Australia. Kinship placements potentially offer children the stability of their
own family network, greater opportunity for sibling attachment and an
enhanced opportunity to develop and maintain a secure base. Little is known
however, about the longer term outcomes for children raised in kinship
placements, with a number of constraints faced by carers identified in the
literature (Warren-Adamson & Stroud 2013). Although kinship carers are not
a homogeneous group, the literature highlights some common characteristics:
we are older, poorer and more frequently experience ill-health than traditional
foster carers (Littlewood, Strozier &Whittington, 2014).
As kinship carers (grandparents) and professionals in the child welfare field,
we do not fit these demographics. We do, however, have in common with
other kinship carers a number of issues. These issues include the discovery
that your own child has caused harm to their child, and as a consequence
facing unprecedented life choices. Having chosen to become carers, the
impact of the harm sufferred by our grandchildren, compounded by an
enduring sense of loss, is evident to us on a daily basis.
This paper will explore the experience of the balancing act that is kinship
care. The promotion and maintanenance of a healing home environment,
based on an understanding and experience of the impact of trauma on the
developing child, will be discussed, in the context of the particular challenges
faced by us as grandparent carers.
References
Littlewood, K., Strozier, A., & Whiitington (2014) Kin as Teachers: An early
childhood education and support intervention for kinship families. Children
and Youth Services Review 38
Warren-Adamson C., & Stroud, J., (2013) Using complexity theory in kinship
practice. Child and Family Social Work.

49215 - Offering my credentials to the amygdala to get permission to

speak to the relational brain
B. Hewlett
Relationships Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
This workshop will combine recent research findings on the impact of deep,
empathic engagement on highly conflicted post separation parents, the
neurobiological and attachment theory that supports it and a live and
interactive role-play to show the transformative effects of deep engagement in
action
Practitioners in family dispute resolution will commonly meet parents who, due
to their own traumatic childhoods, have been denied the opportunity to
develop a capacity for self reflection that would allow them some insights into
how their hostility has effectively diminished the other parents capacity to
mindfully attend to their childen. The social and relational wisdom required to
make this connection, which is located in the neo cortex, is always available
but often not accessible, due to the diligent and protective amygdala routinely
comparing current social interactions with traumatic childhood memories and
issuing an alert to the neo cortex that its input will not be required because of
the perceived high risk of immediate danger. The practitioner who engages at
a deep level with the parent can mollify the concerns of the risk averse
amygdala which will then allow the neo cortex, which has always had the
social and relational wisdom but never the opportunity, to provide an
executive context for contemplation. It is through facilitating these flashes of
social insight that the parents can consider that perhaps the best way to look
after their children, is to look after each other

49223 - ChiCA: The Child in Context Assessment

Laurel Downey
Catalyst child and family services
The Child in Context Assessment is a framework originally developed as an
entry to care assessment process for children entering the out of home care
system for the first time. It has since been further developed as an
assessment framework with a series of tools that are primarily designed for
children in care, but can be used for children and families in any situation. It
is currently in use at Catalyst child and family services in both clinical work
and therapeutic residential care. In therapeutic residential care it is used for
assessment and care planning, and also informs a knowledge framework and
professional development matrix for staff learning.
ChiCA was developed in far north Queensland, and has relevance for
Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and young people.
ChiCA is comprised of seven dimensions, beginning with Identity, then
moving to Relationships, Socialisation, Stress, Health, Development and
Learning, which are broad human development dimension that incorporate all
aspects of child development. ChiCA was developed for use by professionals
in out of home care, who do not need to be highly qualified clinicians, however
the training involved in using ChiCA increases clinical thinking for these
professionals.
This presentation will give an overview of the ChiCA framework and tools, and
discuss its practical application for children and families in the out of home
care sector.

49287 - Help parents help children

with The Self Awareness Model
D. Szczecinski
Milan Therapeutic Services, Perth, Western Australia
The Self Awareness Model (SAM) is a practice framework that focuses on
assisting parents to create a healing family system. We help parents who are
dealing with many issues, including difficult behavior, as a result of trauma.
Caregivers come to understand the importance of their own Self Awareness
as an assett to their children. We have a range of Self Awareness tools
including the Emotional Bottle to assist parents monitor their own wellbeing,
map their implicit memory and core beliefs as well as develop strategies to
effectively process emotion.
SAM also incorporates MR B which stands for Modelling, Relationship
building and (appropriate) Boundary setting; 3 Primary tenets for caregivers.
MR B delivers a user-friendly introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
encompassing the developing brain, Implicit memory, Attachment, Core belief
formulation, creating an emotionally safe environment and any other aspects
the clinician determines beneficial in a particular case.
SAM has assisted many children, parents and families over a 13 year period
and is cross-cultural. The framework has been formulated to be simple,
memorable and to bring about changes in difficult family situations. SAM has
seen many successes and we would like to share its concepts with our
professional colleagues.

49443 - Music over matter: Enabling healing and hope within vulnerable
families.
K. Teggelove1,2
1

Sing&Grow Australia
PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne, Australia

By providing a musical container, or skin, in which both the parent and infant
can be held, music therapy can offer a dyad a chance to safely encounter and
explore one another anew.4
With increased recognition for music therapy as a gentle, non-intrusive way to
assist infants and their parents discover and strengthen their capacity for
relating, this paper offers insight into music therapy practice focused on
parent education and parent-child interaction. It highlights the potency of
music however as much more than a relational tool in the journey towards
healing for traumatised infants and pre-schoolers, by also outlining its
capacity for reorganising and strengthening neural functions where life
circumstance may have caused developmental damage.
Practice examples from work with families who have experienced trauma will
showcase music within neurological, psychological, psychosocial and general
mental health and wellbeing categories. The author will demonstrate how a
fun music session for a group of families can in fact be accessing and
impacting each individual participant and each family cluster at a deep and
critical level. Results from research and evaluation projects conducted within
the Sing&Grow project, including significant pre/post parent report data of
improvements to their relationship with their child, will be presented to support
the role of music therapy in both the prevention and treatment of child abuse
and neglect in Australia.

References
[1] Edwards, J. (Ed). (2011). Music Therapy and Parent-Infant Bonding.
Oxford University Press: New York. p5

49455 - Learning from Aboriginal Parents: Breaking the cycle of

intergenerational trauma
G. Gee, R. Lesniowski, R. Santhanam-Martin, H. Kennedy, R. Ball, and J.
Dwyer
All authors are employees of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service Cooperative Ltd. Family Counselling Program, Preston, Victoria, Australia
Intergenerational trauma has a major impact on parenting in any cultural
group. For many Aboriginal communities in Victoria intergenerational trauma
is a lens for understanding how colonisation has contributed to the
contemporary circumstances of the First Peoples of Victoria. Aboriginal
children are overrepresented in child protection and youth justice systems and
underrepresented in higher education, employment and other areas of
achievement, health and life opportunities. How do parents find a way out and
stop the cycle of childhood trauma?
As part of a trauma education project funded by the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Healing Foundation, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
(VAHS) conducted a number of yarning circles with urban Aboriginal parents.
The parents provided insights into the strategies, values and supports that
enabled them to be effective parents and stop the cycle of intergenerational
trauma. These strategies can be broadly grouped as: a) personal (related to
healthy mind, emotions and actions) b) parenting practices; c) cultural and
community practices; d) understanding history e) ones own healing, and f)
safety needs.
The findings are important not only for Aboriginal parents but also for
organisations that work with them. They also support recent trauma recovery
research conducted by VAHS, which found that for help seeking Aboriginal
adult clients (70% of whom were parents) the combination of personal and
relational/cultural strengths buffered the link between trauma exposure and
historical loss, and trauma symptom severity. These results are consistent
with the increasing worldwide Indigenous and non-Indigenous literature on
healing and recovery from trauma.

49463 - Abuse experienced by young people and social support

networks is there a relationship?
F. Quirk1 and D. Rickwood2
1

Child At Risk Health Unit, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia
2 Faculty of Health, University of Canberra

The importance of social networks in treatment for young people who have
experienced abuse and neglect remains an underdeveloped area of research.
Practice wisdom supports an increasing focus on building and strengthening
social networks in clinical work. However the quantitative evidence base
remains lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship
between abuse experienced by children and adolescents and the impact on
their social support networks. The study sample consisted of 85 clients (aged
8 15) from a service specifically for children reported to child protection due
to experience of child abuse and neglect. Abuse was measured using the
service referral form, which recorded the level of abuse experienced in five
domains: Abandonment/ No Appropriate Carer, Emotional and Psychological
Harm, Developmental and Medical Harm, Physical Harm and Injury, and
Sexual Harm. This also ranked abuse experienced in terms of severity:
concerning, serious or extreme. Social Network was measured using the
Social Network Map. The hypotheses that higher levels of abuse would be
associated with weaker informal social networks and higher levels of abuse
would be associated with stronger formal networks were not supported.
However those who had not experienced Developmental and Medical Harm
reported a significantly better network in school/ work area of life than those
who had experienced concerning or serious Developmental and Medical
Harm. This study contributes to an important body of emerging evidence on
social support networks for children who have experienced maltreatment. The
presentation will explore helpful ways to consider this in practice.

49467 - Solving the Jigsaw: Using a school based education approach to

respond to the increased vulnerability of girls in Australia
Trainor, R.L.
Manager Prevention and Development Centre for Non-Violence
Women and girls are now recognised globally as two of the most vulnerable
groups in relation to experiencing violence, bullying and abuse within their
communities and at home. Educating and engaging children and young
people through their own gendered experiences and as bystanders to
violence, bullying and abuse plays key role in violence prevention. Solving
the Jigsaw is a multi-award winning violence prevention program and
producer of the DVD Kids Business, that demonstrates how the program
engages teachers, parents, children and young people in conversations and a
whole school approach, to challenge beliefs, attitudes and behaviour that
support cultures of violence, bullying and abuse. The Solving the Jigsaw
program is responding to the increased vulnerability of girls globally, by
incorporating notions and understandings of gender and masculinity within
content and developing activities to facilitate conversations and explore how
rigid gender roles and definitions may contribute to gender inequality,
discrimination and violence against women and girls.
This workshop will present practical examples and demonstrate how to use
the Solving the Jigsaw concepts to:
Explore attitudes and behaviours that impact and relate to violence
against women and the vulnerability of girls in Australia with children
and young people
Talk with children and young people about socially constructed ideals
of gender and the impact on them
Create safe spaces for children and young people to explore the
increased vulnerability of girls and the power and control context
Engage the whole peer group to seek resolution and create group
cultures of wellbeing and in violence prevention

49475 - Trauma focussed child protection education: an examination of

two undergraduate and postgraduate units on child protection for
teachers
L.Laskey1 and M. Sulovski2
1
2

Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

It is widely accepted that the experience of childhood abuse or neglect can

lead to significant trauma and that this can have an impact on a child or young
persons school experience.
Cognitive issues such as decreased
concentration, attention and memory as well as poor relationships with
teachers and peers have all been documented as effects of trauma. In the
past, behaviour management was considered to be a response to negative
behaviour, often without consideration of the underlying reasons for
behaviour. Experience has shown us that both preservice and inservice
teachers feel ill-equipped to manage the behaviour of children and young
people who have been traumatised as a result of abuse.
The purpose of this presentation is to give an overview of two units on child
protection that have been specifically designed for undergraduate and
postgraduate teaching students at Deakin University, Victoria. These units
introduce the concept of trauma as an organising principle for maltreated
childrens behavioural and emotional responses within the school
environment. In addition to a specific topic on trauma which includes learning
about attachment, abuse and the effects on brain structure and function,
students are encouraged to consider the wider impact of trauma throughout
the various topics within the units. Students responses to classwork suggest
that they are able to incorporate the concept of trauma as a central element in
understanding the behaviour of maltreated children.

49479 - Invigorating Ways of Connecting with Families experiencing

Complex Needs: Using Narrative therapy in individual work and
community development.
Abstract
Peta OFlaherty is the Coordinator and Loretta Pederson is a family worker at
Telopea Family Support, in the western suburbs of Sydney. The service offers
counseling (in-home or office based), advocacy, and group work to families
experiencing stress or crisis. There is also a more intensive service offered to
families referred by the state child protection service, when children are at risk
of removal from the family home. Other wrap-around services are offered to
families, as well as the wider community, including No Interest Loans and
emergency financial assistance.
Working with families where there are complex needs can present many
challenges to workers, particularly where the family has had involvement with
child protection agencies. These can include building trust with families; trying
to work collaboratively with other services; and working in a community
context of social disadvantage.
This presentation aims to discuss ways we have incorporated narrative ideas
throughout our work, which has supported us in finding creative ways to
engage and work effectively with families. These important changes have
made this work more sustaining for us. The families we work with have
reported that they feel respected and valued, and have been able to move
towards the hopes they have for their lives.
Ideas and concepts discussed will be developed with stories and documents
from our work. There will be an opportunity for workshop participants to
discuss concepts and exchange ideas. Workshop participants should leave
the workshop with further possibilities and invigorating ways of engaging
families who experience complex needs.

49483 - Bowlbys under-recognised notion of attachment as a goalcorrected partnership and the integration of emotion, thought and
language within a next wave of interdisciplinary attachment research
K. Keith1 & 2
1PhD

Candidate, Unit for History and Philosophy of Science, Faculty of

Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2Training Facilitator - Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA), Australia

Bolwby proposed four phases in the development of first attachments. The

fourth phasethe emergence of a goal-corrected partnership typically
between the 2nd and 5th yearsincludes the emergence of capacities for
conceptual pesepctive taking. This final phase has received relatively less
attenion than the earlier phases. Nonetheless, what may make this last phase
particularly interesting is the coexistence of more complex forms of both
cognition and affect as well as a critical role played by language. Exactly how
these components may relate to one another has arguably been less
discussed to date, but this may be changing.
This survey will initially describe a first wave of interdisciplinary attachment
research that has emerged from within at least four distinct research fields
[developmental psychology, developmental psychopathology, neurobiological
psychoanalytic psychiatry & social psychology]. The coexistence questions
have played a less central role here. Not surprisingly, conceptual and
methodological differences also exist among alternative approaches,
especially as regards choices of appropriate levels for empirical analysis.
These variances remind us that Attachment Theory remains a vibrant but
conceptually and methodologically unfinished theory.
Attachment Theory may be on the verge (or in the midst) of a next wave of
interdisciplinary research. Included here are conceptual and methodological
advances. The conceptual coexistence questions associated with Phase
Four attachment have been engaged recently in interesting ways [within fields
of affective science, situated cognition and philosophy of emotion] the result of
which may be potentially more robust complex conceptualisations.
Methodological innovations [e.g. Gottliebs probabilistic epigenesis and
coaction in ethology and proposals for multi-level integrative pluralism in
philosophy of psychiatry] may also provide a platform to integrate and expand
the occasionally divergent views from wave one interdisciplinary research.
Attachment Theory and trauma research have to date proven to be quite
complementary. If this prognosis for a next wave materialises, we should
expect once again enhancements in our understanding of trauma.

49495 - The Wellbeing Classroom

M Edgecomb1, E McInnes2, A Diamond2, V Whitington2, H Friedland3, L
Ostilly3
1

Schools Ministry Group, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
3 Kimochis, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Children who experience chronic stress or traumatization are vulnerable to

becoming chronically hyper- vigilant and constantly alert to potential dangers,
or dissociative and withdrawn. In schools, such children are physically present
in class but have difficulty achieving a learning state receptive to new
information. They may shut down their environment, or be highly reactive to
environmental stimuli, frequently responding with aggression.
This paper reports on a project to support a Year 2-3 teacher to constructively
respond to the needs of a class that included several chronically stressed and
traumatized 6-to 8- year-old children. The project was developed from a
partnership between Salisbury Communities for Children, academic staff from
the University of South Australias School of Education, and a local primary
school in South Australia. It aimed to provide resources to support the
classroom teachers capacity to create a safe learning environment and well
being for each student, despite the prevalence of chronic stress and trauma in
many of their lives.
Strategies to improve the class learning environment included the provision of
teacher professional learning about brain development and the emotional and
behavioural impacts of chronic stress and trauma, attention to the room
contents and layout, class activities and daily routines promoting cooperation
with others and emotional understanding of self; and opportunities for
supported teacher reflection on practice, along with connection to relevant
professional and service networks supporting children and families. The
classroom teacher was assisted by an external worker from Schools Ministry
Group.

References
[1] Dr E McInnes, A Diamond, Dr V Whitington, The Wellbeing Classroom,
(2014)

49499 - Trauma in the Classroom: Trauma Informed Teaching

Di Frost
Creative Trauma Recovery, Wellington, NSW, Australia
The rates of trauma amongst child and adolescent populations are high with
almost 50% of children experiencing one or more types of trauma before the
age of 17 [1]. At the same time problem behaviours in the classroom are still
being treated as naughty or ill-disciplined children and labelled as difficult.
Rates of bullying in schools remain at an all-time high with many schools
working to implement numerous positive programs but are often frustrated by
their lack of ability to make a long term difference.
This paper will discuss how schools can make a real difference in the lives of
their students by becoming trauma informed. To become a trauma informed
school requires a huge cultural shift from a hierarchical and curriculum
focussed environment to a child developmental focus through the
implementation of trauma informed practices and trauma informed teaching.
This can still happen without the need to resort to soft tactics. School rules
still apply with strong consequences for unacceptable behaviours. The
difference is the school can become a safe place where learning can occur
and children are not traumatised or re-traumatised by the education system
itself.
Participants will gain an understanding of the importance of trauma informed
teaching and how the principles of trauma informed practice can be
implemented into the classroom. Di is a trauma specialist working with Royal
Commission clients; she is a psychologist, an ex-teacher, a facilitator of
trauma informed workshops and a survivor of childhood trauma herself.
Reference
[1]. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Health
Statistics, State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey. 2011-2012
National Survey of Childrens Health

49507 - Innovative Program Design Youth Hope and the

NeuroSequential Model of Therapeutics
L.Limoges1, D. Lilley1, L.Summers2 and L. Gardiner2
1

UnitingCare Children, Young People & Families, NSW/ACT, Australia

2 SAL Consulting, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Innovative Early Intervention Services for 9 to 15 Year Old Children and
Young People tender issued by the state Government of New South Wales in
2012 enabled the social services arm of UnitingCare Children, Young People
and Families, Burnside and SAL Consulting to collaboratively develop and
deliver a trauma-informed model of practice for this target group. The program
now known as Youth Hope supports vulnerable children, young people and
their families who are at risk of contact with the child protection system. The
program designed by SAL Consulting and Burnside is based on a deep
understanding of neurodevelopment, attachment and developmental trauma,
held within a Pro-Active Case Management model of support, and applied to
service delivery, and organisational supports. The NeuroSequential Model of
Therapeutics (NMT) is incorporated into the model, enabling service delivery
focusing on neurodevelopmentally informed supports for children and young
people. The program has a unique design where the Casework team are
supported in the application of NMT practice by experienced clinicians in a
capacity building approach that is both a professional partnership and
collaboration.
This presentation outlines the challenges and opportunities in designing a
trauma informed program with an embedded NMT approach, and describes
how program evaluation has been developed. From selecting a suite of
assessment tools, through to staff training, development of parenting
programs and group work, significant thought has gone into program design.
The presentation outlines the unique features of the program, highlighting
innovation and the potential impact on individual lives, families, and
communities.

49515 - Moving with the times: the expanding role of music and music
therapy in assisting children to recover from trauma.
M. van der Walt
Registered Music Therapist, Private Practice, Hobart Tasmania
Research in the areas of neuroscience1, music therapy2 and music
psychology3 highlights the benefits of therapeutic music interventions to
support children and families affected by trauma, violence and family
disruption.
How is music processed in the brain? How do these processes inform clinical
practice with children and families affected by trauma? How does rhythm,
playing instruments or singing support their recovery and nurture
relationships? How does music interact with neurosequential development
and how does this assist children to recover from trauma?
Informed by trauma theory, neuroscience, attachment theory and child
development, this presentation will describe the unique role that music
therapy may play in assisting children in their recovery from trauma.
Through clinical examples and a descriptive analysis of the literature, this
presentation will build a framework to explain the processes involved in music
therapy practice in this area. Additionally, the concept of engaging Registered
Music Therapists as consultants will be discussed, in order to demonstrate
valuable and cost effective approaches to improved clinical outcomes for
children and their families.
References
1.
2.

3.

B. Perry & E.Hambrick, The neurosequential model of therapeutics.

Reclaiming Children and Youth, (2008) 17(3): 39- 43.
V. Pasiali, Resilience, music therapy & human adaptation: nurturing
young children and families. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy,
(2012) 21(1): 36-56.
R.A.R. MacDonald Music, health, and well-being (2012). London:
Oxford University Press.

49991 - An Integrated Approach to a Case of Complex Trauma

Working with a Single Mother in a Not for Profit Organization
K. Warner
CatholicCare, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Working in the Not for Profit Sector, time and time again, counsellors are
faced with complex and relational trauma presentations. Within the limited
resources of this environment we need additional models to make sense of
and direct therapeutic work. This paper will outline a case of a single mother
and the integrated and focused approach to facilitate coherence, integration
and positive changes for the client and her child. The focus will be on the key
issues for working with complex trauma and how the therapeutic mix led to
changes in the clients capacity to reflect and act more appropriately in terms
of care giving for her child and herself. The CIRLE OF SECURITY Parenting
Program and theory of core sensitivities provided a potent model for
understanding the struggle, and where change is necessary for this client as
both a mother and as an individual who lost herself to a near constant
preoccupation with the other. The parenting program was delivered to this
client within the context of individual therapy with other models brought in to
understand and manage trauma reactions such as grounding methods, ideas
from the theory of Mentalization and Dan Siegels Wheel of Awareness
meditation.

49999 - Evaluation of Bringing Up Great Kids: The utility of a reflective

parenting program for parents with complex needs
P. Jewell1, and C. Hunter2
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

The Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) has developed The Bringing Up

Great Kids (BUGK) Parenting Program for a range of parents including those
facing complex issues. The program draws from child-centred and strengthsbased perspectives, neurobiological development, attachment theory and
narrative approaches. It uses mindful and reflective techniques to support
parents to review and enhance patterns of communication with their children
and to promote more respectful interactions. It aims to identify and address
the sources of unhelpful or hurtful attitudes held by parents and help establish
a new relationship context for children and their parents through facilitating
opportunities for positive exchanges.
The program has been adapted for use with parents from an expanded range
of complex and diverse client groups including Aboriginal parents and parents
of children with special needs. The program was subsequently rolled out
across metropolitan, rural and remote regions of Australia. The Australian
Institute of Family Studies has worked with ACF to evaluate the effectiveness
of the adapted program in improving parents understanding of the influences
on their parenting, their sense of themselves as parents, and their
relationships with and management of their children. A mixed methods
approach sought pre-, post- and six month follow-up feedback on various
elements of the program and program delivery. This paper will discuss key
aspects of facilitating the program with vulnerable parents and results of the
evaluation.

50203 - The Role of Containment and Emotional Holding of Residential

Staff in Therapeutic Units
N. Macnamara
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

Providing a healing environment for children and young people who have
been subjected to trauma, abuse, and neglect is a significant concern for out
of home care services across. This is particularly the case in the provision of
residential care.
The children and young people referred to residential care often manifest
persistent and severe high risk behaviour. They frequently present in states of
crisis. They display insecure attachment and have trouble relying on others to
help them, while unable to regulate their emotional states by themselves.
As a consequence of the extreme needs of so many of these children and
young people, there is a growing shift in Australia to move beyond a
traditional model of residential care to trauma-informed models of care.
In residential care, residential workers represent the most important and
influential discipline because they have interactions with the children and
young people on a daily basis (Knorth et al. 2010) (1). However,
therapeutically holding and caring for the children in residential care in a
consistent, predictable and reliable way is a challenging and at times,
disturbing experience.
This paper will explore, discuss and describe how to contain and hold the
therapeutic residential staff to enable them to offer the necessary responses
to these most vulnerable children and young people.

[1] Knorth, E.J. and Harder, A.T. and Zandberg, T. and Kendrick, A.J. (2008)
Under one roof: a review and selective meta-analysis on the outcomes of
residential child and youth care. Children and Youth Services Review, 30 (2).
pp. 123-140.

50211 - An Outreach Model of Child Trauma Counselling: Strengths and

Challenges
C Brown1, K. Culver2, V. Gale3, G. Harley2, T. Howard1, T. Knapp1, N. Littler3,
S. Stevenson, and P.Subramaniam1
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Childhood Foundation, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
3 Australian Childhood Foundation, Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

2 Australian

Few services across the world provide trauma therapy to children on an

outreach basis. This paper will outline the model of intervention used by the
Child Trauma Service in Tasmania which undertakes assessments of children
and provides trauma based interventions in home, school and community
environments for children living in out-of-home care for their own safety.
Tasmania is the third smallest state of Australia with a population of just over
500 000. It has low population density (7.5 persons per square kilometre)
and 58% of the population live outside of the capital city, Hobart and its
surrounds1. Rural populatons are also dispersed and public transport options
are limited, making centre based counselling for children and families
logisitically difficult.
The Child Trauma Services has developed a model of service that meets the
therapeutic needs of children who have experienced abuse and neglect, their
carers and the service system that supports these children, within the
community that they live.This presentation will outline the strengths and
benfits of this model using case examples, as well as touching on the
challenges that providing intensive trauma based therapy on an outreach
basis poses for both the clinican and the organisation.
References
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. May 2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@nrp.nsf/Latestproducts/6Population/
People120072011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=6&issue=2007-2011

50215 - Neurobiology of trauma and play therapy: Clinical application of

the Window of Tolerance model and Jimmys recovery from abuserelated trauma.
K Olejniczak
Australian Childhood Foundation, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia

The play therapy field recognises the importance of trauma informed practice
in underpinning therapeutic work with traumatised children1,2. Consequently,
existing play therapy orientations and practice frameworks must reflect how
the trauma paradigm is integrated. Neuroscience offers a bridge between
theory and practice.
This presentation explores the integration of neuroscience and the Play
Therapy Dimensions Model (PTDM)3 in guiding clinical practice. Based on the
outcomes of case study research applying the PTDM in trauma therapy with
children who have experienced abuse-related trauma, specific neurobiological
mechanisms will be identified as being central to the PTDM and therapeutic
process.
Specifically, affect regulation and the Window of Tolerance (WOT) model4
will be discussed as a central mechanism to the therapeutic process with
traumatised children, ensuring safe practice that minimises the risks of
exacerbating the childs trauma symptomology. Consideration will be given to
how the WOT can inform the degree of directiveness employed by the
clinician and a case study will illustrate this process through Jimmys recovery
from abuse-related trauma.

References
[1] E. Gil, Helping abused and traumatized children: Integrating directive and
nondirective approaches, 2006, New York: Guilford Press.
[2] P. Goodyear-Brown, Play therapy with traumatized children: A prescriptive
approach, 2010, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
[3] L. Yasenik, & K. Gardner, Play therapy dimensions model: A decisionmaking guide for therapists, 2012, Canada: Rocky Mountains Play Therapy
Institute.
[4] P. Ogden, K. Minton, & C. Pain, Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor
approach to psychotherapy, 2006, New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

50219 - Sensorimotor Therapy in working with children who have

experienced trauma
Angela Weller
Australian Childhood Foundation, Victoria, Australia
Within the Child Trauma Service Victoria, therapeutic practice, has
begun to develop an integration of sensorimotor theory. Influenced by
the theory of Pat Ogden, the work is targeted towards improving
regulation, addressing maladaptive procedural learning and improving
sensory processing. Using this approach supports children to feel safe,
aware and connected to their bodies and minds. The program has
introduced a number of new interventions with the aim of supporting
children to calm their nervous system, develop more flexibility in their
behavioural patterns and engage in connecting and repairing
relationships. Interventions have included the use of heartfelt sensory
dolls, the use of sensory tools including sensory boxes, body socks,
kinetic sand and sensory bears. A body and movement based group,
with goals around affect and arousal regulation, sensory integration,
attunement and social engagement has also been developed. The use
of sensorimotor principals in work with children supports them to
develop a sense of connection and control over their physiology which
at times becomes hijacked by reminders of trauma. Outcomes with
children suggest that, the use of sensory elements and principles in
guiding our approach, language and interventions enables
dysregulated children to establish safety and connection in meaningful
ways with those around them.

50223 - Integrating a Family Systems Approach: A Single Clinician

Model for Working with Sibling Sexual Abuse
C. Fernandes1, J. Guest1 and V. Kearney1
1Australian

Childhood Foundation

In recent times, the professional field has begun to examine its response to
sibling sexual abuse. The Child Trauma Service Vic has conceptualised and
developed a single worker model of working with families where this abuse
has occurred. The model evolved from an understanding of these children
and families using a family systems perspective. It examines the dilemma that
families confront when balancing the often competing needs of their children
whilst also dealing with their own emotional responses to the disclosure. It
aims to model for families the experience of holding these competing
demands and seeks to avoid replicating family dynamics within a treating
team. The model responds to changes in the broader context of the protective
system which supports the protection of children within their family. The
advantages and disadvantages of the model will be explored, using case
studies and clinical examples to illustrate. The need for flexibility and
responding to risk and family preferences are acknowledged. This model
provides an integrated response and an alternative to traditional models
influenced by victim-perpetrator and adult offender treatment frameworks

50407 - Building and maintaining connections: towards a model of

culturally safe, therapeutic care for traumatised Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander children
J.Mitchell1, S.Chandran1 and G.Kickett2
1

Australian Childhood Foundation, VIC/WA, Australia

Centrecare Djooraminda, Lockridge, WA, Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be over-represented

in child protection data across Australia, including out of home care statistics.
Despite a requirement in all jurisdictions to apply the Aboriginal Child
Placement Principle, many Aboriginal children continue to be placed in
culturally inappropriate placements.
Implicit to the care needs of the child is their ability to navigate their way
through a range of events, situations and issues, which affects their growth
and wellbeing. Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are
separated from their family, country and culture another layer of trauma is
added to their already complex issues, which require a cultural therapeutic
response to support them through their care journey.
Aboriginal children like many children in the care of the State are
apprehended from their families because of a number of issues. Children with
experiences of abuse and neglect in their backgrounds present with a
complex matrix of needs and challenges that are not well understood or
responded to, often resulting in poor psychological, emotional, social and
academic functioning. The lens of the neurobiology of trauma provides more
meaningful ways of understanding and responding to the needs of these
children. Indeed, trauma-informed models of therapeutic care are increasingly
being viewed as critical to the achievement of positive outcomes for children
in out of home care.
This presentation will explore a model of culturally safe, therapeutic care
developed in partnership between Centrecare Djooraminda and the Australian
Childhood Foundation. Through the central metaphor of connection, the
model integrates the key constructs of culture and the neurobiology of trauma
to promote recovery and well-being for abused and traumatised Aboriginal
children.

50415 - Applying Indigenous Life Story for practice and research

Glenda Kickett
My Phd study is my life story about my experiences as an Aboriginal child in
care of the Department for Child Welfare in the state of Western Australia
during the 1960's and 1970's. I am applying autoethnograpy as methodology
to write about my experiences, and considering Indigenous Life Story as a
research method relevant to Indigenous experiences, worldview and
understandings and as a model for practice to be applied by non-Indigenous
workers to work with Indigenous peoples as clients in a culturally responsive
and secure way.
In writing about my experiences as child in the welfare system and
undertaking Indigenous Life Story as a research paradigm, I am placing my
voice in the forefront of my research, my worldview and my experiences as
appropriate to my life story. I have found this to be important to the
methodology, but also challenging because it has evoked a lot of memories
and emotions of my time in care. I am also writing about my familys
experiences through my eyes, experiences, memories and reflections.
I am Whadjuk and Ballardong from the Noongar people of the South West of
Western Australia (WA). Of all the Aboriginal people in WA, Noongar people
have suffered the most from colonisation and dispossession. Resulting
policies and practices have ensured to destroy Noongar languages, cultures
and connection to country, and removed many Noongar children from their
families. Noongar people have experienced ongoing intervention in their lived
by white bureaucracies which has been detrimental to our culture and way of
life.
The research about my care experiences and presenting Indigenous Life
Story as a research method will add to the growing field of Indigenous
research paradigm, worldview, understandings and experiences.
I am a qualified Social Worker, having graduated from the University of
Western Australia (1993), and have a Master of Arts from Curtin University
(20014) and have worked in the area of child protection for over eighteen
years.

50419 - Parallel Parent and Child Therapy (P-PACT): An exposure-based

treatment protocol for inter-generational relational trauma, neglect and
abuse the critical role of the one-way screen.
There are few treatments that address intergenerational maltreatment in
mother-child relationships where both mother and child struggle with complex
trauma related mental health difficulties. This paper seeks to understand the
mechanism of action of a clinically effective therapy being used in this
population. Using a model we developed of the pathways leading to harmful
interactions between maltreating mothers and their children, we predicted the
primary objectives of therapy for this population. We then mapped Parallel
Parent and Child Therapy (P-PACT) against these objectives to test for
concordance and to propose mechanisms of action for P-PACT, with a focus
on the unique use of the one-way screen. The model defines two core
objectives of treatment for these dyads, which are: (i) to disrupt the mother
and childs dissociative, avoidance of trauma related distress and (ii) to
support mother and child to develop a robust sense of a personal I. We found
that the 4 stages of P-PACT, work as a Dyadic Exposure and Response
Prevention protocol for mother-child dyads also supporting the emergence of
a robust sense of a personal I in mother and child. The particular use of the
one-way screen is a critical therapeutic component. This presentation will
focus on how exposure-based principles for the treatment of trauma can be
extended and used to interrupt intergenerational cycles of neglect and abuse,
where the trauma is relational, implicitly encoded, and unavailable for
conscious recall, where self-development in mother and child is impaired by
the trauma.

52147 - Towards a culturally informed trauma lens in child protection

practice with Aboriginal children and families in the Northern Territory
Jacqueline McCann and Janise Mitchell
Australian Childhood Foundation
Child Protection practice exists within a constantly changing social, cultural
and political environment. The work is most often characterised as crisis
driven, reactive and adversarial. Child protection practice in the Northern
Territory (NT) is further complicated by a range of unique challenges and
opportunities that makes the work even more challenging. Given the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children and families in the NT child and family
welfare system, it is crucial that practitioners engage, assess and work with
families through a culturally informed trauma lens. This allows practitioners
and families to make meaning of the behaviours and issues that may exist for
children families and communities. A culturally informed trauma lens provides
for a more meaningful understanding of the families past and present, and
instils a sense of hope for change. Such an approach supports a less
blaming, and more empathic way of working with families, and allows for more
culturally secure ways of conceptualising safety and wellbeing for Aboriginal
children and families. This presentation will outline the complexities and
opportunities of child protection practice in the NT, and provides an
understanding of the impacts for children, families and communities. This
presentation will suggest ways to work within a cultural and trauma lens
narrative that allows for stories of resistance and change.

52275 - Therapeutic Care, Neuroplasticity, Attachment and the

Sanctuary Model Development in a Secure Care setting.
S. Cohen M. Psych.
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Kath French Secure Care Centre
Department for Child Protection & Family Services, Western Australia
The Kath French Secure Care Centre (KFSCC) is a facility for young people
(11 -17 years) in WA. Since opening in May 2011 there has been a gradual
provision of the latest research and programs provided to Secure Care Staff
on Therapeutic Care, Neuroplasticity, Attachment and the Sanctuary model of
organizational change. The aim of this paper is to map the frequency of
Critical Incidents and containment of young people in the Safe Room against
staff education on the effects of trauma. The bulk of the one to one
therapeutic interactions with the young people are undertaken by Secure Care
Officers. It is the education of the staff that has become a priority in an effort
to enhance the young peoples experience at KFSCC. Staff were initially
trained in understanding therapeutic care, early childhood brain development,
neuroplasticity, attachment theory, pain-based behaviours and finally the
Sanctuary model. Results indicate that the more trauma informed the staff
group and the organisation become, the greater the quantity and quality of
therapeutic interactions and the decreasing number of critical incidents and
the changing use of the safe room.

The SMART (Strategies for Managing Abuse Related Trauma) Program

in Schools: Exploring the statewide implementation of trauma informed
practice in schools in South Australia
Lee Duhring, Department of Education and Child Development SA
Annette Bulling, Australian Childhood Foundation
Beth Guy, Australian Childhood Foundation
The SMART Program is a professional development and action research
program focussed on developing holistic trauma sensitive practice in schools.
The program seeks to build the capacity of schools and school support
services to effectively engage and support at risk and vulnerable students in
learning, with a focus on children and young people in statutory out of home
care.
Developed by the Australian Childhood Foundation and delivered in
partnership with the Department of Education and Child Development, South
Australia, the SMART Program has been running for the past nine years with
significant success.
In this experiential one hour workshop we will explore the development of the
program and its evolution over nine years, reflecting on the importance of the
partnership approach in supporting system-wide practice change in schools,
the outcomes achieved, and the critical lessons learned.
The workshop will also overview the content of the SMART Program and offer
participants an opportunity to experience some of the trauma-informed
strategies used by schools through this program.

Safe and secure: an integrated trauma informed practice framework for

supporting children and young people affected by family violence
Angela Weller, Australian Childhood Foundation
The experience of family violence is a significant source of trauma for
children. This presentation explores recent research and knowledge,
providing insight into how family violence shapes children's development. The
knowledge base of neurobiology, attachment and disruption is integrated to
provide a summary of the impact on children's brain, body, emotion behaviour
and relationships.
This paper examines specific and practical principles, and creative strategies
for promoting recovery for children who have experienced family violence
including:
-

a unique framework for trauma informed practice when working with

children and families affected by family violence;

the application of a model of practice that can be used to develop and

organise plans that support meaning making, growth and recovery in
children;

how to ensure that accountability for the violence is integrated into

responses that are aimed at protecting children and supporting their
recovery from the violence related trauma and relational disruption they
have experienced; and,

intervention that considers the context of a child's culture, community

and the professional system around them.