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Centre News
Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter with the latest from the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care.
This National Reconciliation Week, the CETC is being brave to make change and committing to several actions to contribute to reconciliation in Australia. One of these actions is to focus and reflect on the role of cultural safety in therapeutic care.
Read on to see our showcase of events and opportunities for your calendar to support foster and kinship carers, understand fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and explore cultural safety.
National Reconciliation Week
At the CETC, we're Being Brave to Make Change and committing to:
"... prioritising cultural safety in learning, supervision and peer learning spaces."
"... making discrimination across workplaces visible."
"... speaking out and standing with First Nation's services to ensure justice and accountability when First Nations children and young people's rights are not met"
"... respectful caring, listening and asking when we are not sure."
"... having conversations with colleagues and friends about being brave to call out racist comments and jokes."
Cultural Safety
What is cultural safety?
Glenda Kickett
For First Nations peoples, cultural safety is more than providing an environment in the workplace that ensures cultural recognition and valuing lived experiences. It is also more than working to empower children and their families. It is about building cultural connections and relationships based on mutual trust and respect evidenced within Indigenous cultures and social systems, and stories which are inclusive of languages, family kinships, protocols and obligations.
Cultural Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children is the cornerstone of resilience. Assessing your approach.
Wed 10 August, 10 to 12 PM (AEST)
It is the right of every Aboriginal child to be immersed in their culture. In this community of practice, Glenda Kickett will facilitate reflection with therapeutic specialists and others with a therapeutic lead role on cultural safety in therapeutic residential care.
Upcoming workshops and peer learning opportunities
Blocked care: You are not alone, it’s a brain thing
Wednesday 15 June, 12 to 2pm (AEST)
Ever felt like a failure as a carer? Feel like you made a huge mistake? If you find yourself feeling angry, lost, or hopeless in your relationship with the children or young people you are caring for, you are not alone!!! In fact, it’s a brain thing! In this virtual session, Noel MacNamara (kinship carer & Deputy Director of CETC) will explore how the stressful experience of caring for a child who has experienced trauma can result in “Blocked Care”.
You can’t pour from an empty cup: Self-care for kinship and foster carers
Wednesday 13 July, 12 to 2pm (AEST)
Self-care is not simply about limiting or addressing stressors. It is also about enhancing your overall well-being. This practical and informative session turns theory into evidence-based action and invites you to take an active role in building your resilience and preventing psychological injury.
Community of Practice - Supporting children and young people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
Wed 6 July, 10-12 PM (AEST)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is neuro-developmental condition resulting from pre-natal exposure to alcohol. There is strong international evidence that children with FASD are over-represented in the child protection system, and that prenatal alcohol exposure greatly increases the risk of children entering care, including foster care, residential care, or kinship placements. In this community of practice, we will be joined by Prue Walker to explore discuss FASD through a case study and reflection.
Spotlight: Therapeutic Foster Care
Frequently Asked questions by Foster Carers: Behaviours that Challenge
Noel MacNamara
How do I manage behaviours that challenge? In this first blog in a series covering frequently asked questions by Foster and Kinship Carers, Noel MacNamara uses a case study to explore 5 questions that can help carers explore the reason behind behaviours that challenge.
Research Brief: The Essential Elements of Therapeutic Foster Care
This Research Briefing describes a working set of essential elements that underpin effective Therapeutic Foster Care.
Other training news...
There's still time to order your ticket to the fourth biennial International Childhood Trauma Conference. If you're wanting to learn about important subjects such as how to build safety for the children and young people in your care, Trauma & the adolescent brain or understanding attachment & problematic sexual behaviour, then this conference is the place to be. Speakers include Hughes & Baylin, Stephen Porges, Dan Seigel , Kevin Creeden and Kevin Creeden
We want to hear from you!
Do you have any feedback or ideas on resources for therapeutic care that would better support your work? Are you looking for training to support your teams?
