March 2022: Trauma-informed supports for children and young people: Recent research and evidence
Missed the webinar? View the captioned recording here.
Details
Children and young people who enter into out-of-home care have commonly experienced extensive trauma and this should be acknowledged when looking at how best to meet their needs. This FACSIAR Lunch and Learn presented research and evidence in the area of trauma-informed care and support from two research studies: COPE-A and Fostering Lifelong connections. We also heard from the Program Manager from the OurSPACE service who spoke about a specialist trauma-informed support service for children and young people in out-of-home care.
Presentation Slide Decks
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use: Promising new treatments for adolescents – findings from the COPE-A Study
Dr Natalie Peach, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney
Download - Translating trauma-informed knowledge to practice: Family Time for children in out-of-home care in NSW
Dr Susan Collings, Senior Research Fellow with the Research Centre for Children and Families at the University of Sydney and Sue Buratti, Program Manager Therapeutic Services NSW - Australian Childhood Foundation and Industry Partner
Download - OurSPACE: Program evidence for specialist trauma-informed support service for children and young people in out-of-home care
Sue Buratti, Program Manager Therapeutic Services NSW, Australian Childhood Foundation
Download
Additional Materials
COPE-A Study
To refer young people to the COPE-A study, please go to the study website.
OurSPACE
You can download the Outcomes Report here, or download the flyer here.
The Trauma Expression and Connection Assessment (TECA) tool can be accessed here.
Fostering Lifelong Connections project
Research publication on trauma-informed family time. Read the open access version here.
Tip sheets to support carers, caseworkers and parents to gain trauma awareness and improve trauma responses for children and young people:
- Carers as Custodians of Children’s Connections: Safe and meaningful connections with birth family
- Linking lives for siblings living separately in out-of-home care: A practical tool for caseworkers to promote sibling connections
- Words Matter: Trauma sensitive language with children
- Taking the journey toward a trauma-informed approach to Family Time
- Resource for parents - Shining your own light on family time
- Resource for parents - Nourishing and strengthening sparks of connection
Three books designed for children and young people in care:
- Two Wiradjuri language children’s workbooks launched in print and online with SBS Learn.
- My Family Time is Mine is a book aimed at young people aged 11+ in out-of-home care, guardianship or open adoption. It provides tips and tricks for navigating family time (contact).
- Roar is a children’s picture book aimed at younger children in out-of-home care , guardianship or open adoption and their families. It is about the big feelings that come up around family time (contact).
- Register interest in ordering hard copies here
Want to learn more about intergenerational trauma?
- To address intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal children in care, front line staff should consider activities to strengthen cultural connectedness. We recommend viewing a previous FACSIAR lunch and learn on Practices for fostering lifelong cultural connections.
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing portal is an online hub that brings together best practice healing initiatives and information about what is working in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities around healing from trauma. The portal includes the latest research, reports, case studies and tools from around Australia to enable people to bring trauma informed and healing aware practices into their organisations and communities.
Other trauma-based services
- Links trauma healing service: Delivering trauma-focused, evidence-based support to children in out of home care.
- Wattle Place: Supporting people with childhood experiences of institutional and foster care, child sexual abuse and experience of past forced adoption aged over 26.
Questions or Comments?
Contact: ResearchPartnerships@facs.nsw.gov.au