foundations to flourish

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Foundations to Flourish Providing Therapeutic Transitions to Schools for Children who have Experienced Trauma Presenters: Angela Kretz Program Co-ordinator Act for Kids Wooloowin Marina Ringma-McLaren Early Intervention Teacher Act for Kids Wooloowin

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Page 1: Foundations to Flourish

Foundations to Flourish

Providing Therapeutic Transitions to Schools for Children

who have Experienced Trauma

Presenters:Angela KretzProgram Co-ordinator Act for Kids Wooloowin

Marina Ringma-McLarenEarly Intervention TeacherAct for Kids Wooloowin

Page 2: Foundations to Flourish

• Reviewing the Problem - Child Abuse & Neglect

• Who are Act for Kids & what do they do?

• Theories underpinning practice

• What is Trauma?

• Early Education Program – Key Focus Areas

• Transitioning from EEP to Prep

• Questions?

Presentation Overview

Page 3: Foundations to Flourish

Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect is one of Australia’s

biggest and most misunderstood social

problems. Despite being under-reported,

Australian authorities confirmed 40,844

children were abused or neglected between

2013- 2014

Harm is defined in legislation as “detrimental

effect of a significant nature on the child’s

physical, psychological or emotional

wellbeing”

Child abuse is typically categorised as

Physical, Emotional, Sexual, and Neglect.

Abuse is usually a pattern of behaviour; rarely

the result of a single incident

The effects of child abuse and neglect can be

significant and lead to lifelong problems.

Impact brain development

• Hippocampus – memory function

• Pre-frontal Cortex – learning

• Corpus Callosum – LB/RB connection

Impact physical development

• Overall growth - malnutrition

• Impairment of fine/gross motor skills

Impact social/emotional development

• Language delays

• Inability to form attachments

In the long term it can lead to drug and alcohol

abuse, mental illness, difficulty developing and

maintaining healthy relationships,

unemployment and all sorts of social

disadvantage.

The outcomes for children if someone takes

action to protect them can be overwhelmingly

positive.

With early and appropriate support, children and

young people can overcome their experiences.

It’s also true that with the right kind of support

parents can often change their behaviour,

routines and environment to provide a safe and

caring home for their children.

Page 4: Foundations to Flourish

How big is the problem?

In 2013-2014 there were 304,094 notifications of suspected abuse or neglect

reported to Australian protection authorities; one child every two minutes

In 2013-14, 40,844 Australian kids suffered abuse and neglect*. That’s one

child every 13 minutes suffering abuse or neglect.

94% of abused kids are harmed by someone they know and should be able to

trust

83% of the kids we see are harmed by a natural parent

Over half of the parents we engage with report they too were abused as

children

Child abuse costs the Australian economy at least $10.7 billion*

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Child protection Australia 2013-14. Child welfare series no. 61. Cat. No.

CWS 52. Canberra: AIHW. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=601299550762

Page 5: Foundations to Flourish
Page 6: Foundations to Flourish

About Act for KidsAct for Kids is an Australian not-for-profit charity providing free professional therapy and family support

services to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.

Established as the Abused Child Trust in 1988, we have been helping Australian families keep their children

safe for more than 27 years. During that time we have grown from one part-time therapist to a team of over

300 providing services state-wide and interstate.

In 2008, at the ripe old age of 20, we changed our name to Act for Kids to better reflect our broader range of

services, and to share a positive call to action across communities.

Our Purpose

To prevent and treat child abuse and

neglect.

Our Vision

All kids have a safe and happy childhood, free from abuse and

neglect.

Our Values

We are a professional, ethical team who is caring, courageous and collaborative.

Page 7: Foundations to Flourish

Act for Kids Services

Therapy(CIS/Flourish/WT/ITP)

Provision of

individual and

family therapy

utilising a variety of

modalities.

Collaborative

practice across

multi-disciplinary

team & stakeholder

group

Family

Support(FaCC)

Connects families to

community services(IFS/RAI)

Early intervention

counselling, coaching

& psycho-education

for children & families

provided within the

home

Residential

ServicesThe SafeKIDS

Program is a

partnership

between Traditional

Owners and Act for

Kids, and aims to

keep kids in their

local community

Page 8: Foundations to Flourish

Act for Kids Services Cont.

Education

Services EEP

Protective

behaviours

program - grade 1

kids (LTBSWEAF)

In-school

therapeutic support

(individual/group)

Community

EducationTrauma informed

psycho-education

Government &

non-government

sector

Page 9: Foundations to Flourish

ACT For Kids - WooloowinAct for Kids Wooloowin

Page 10: Foundations to Flourish

ACT for Kids – Objectives

To work with children and young people (0-17) who have experienced trauma as a consequence of abuse and/or neglect.

To engage with their families and/or carers around family functioning, communication, parenting, and the impact of abuse and trauma on child well-being and safety.

To provide holistic integrated interventions that utilizes assessments and therapy to achieve identified goals and outcomes for families, their children and young people.

To work with children and their relevant stakeholders to improve their social, emotional and educational development.

To enhance community education, assessments and interventions through training and workshops

Service Objectives

Page 11: Foundations to Flourish

Attachment Theory: helps us to understand human

relationship development from pre-birth onwards

throughout the life span.

Trauma Theory: helps us understand the neurobiological

and psychological impact of abuse and neglect on the

child

Developmental Theory: helps us understand typical

development and development under adversity

Theories Underpinning Practice

Page 12: Foundations to Flourish

Our earliest experiences are physical/sensory in

nature

• Infants are ‘wired’ to engage in social relationships

• Infants cries and behaviours are designed to engage

the attention, care and concern of those close around them.

• Attachment relationship is something that children and

caregivers create together in an ongoing reciprocal way.

• The quality of the attachment between an infant & parent

is strongly associated with the infant’s language development.

Attachment Theory

Page 13: Foundations to Flourish

There is no such thing as a baby,

there is a baby AND someone” (Donald Winnicott)

Page 14: Foundations to Flourish

Trauma is any event that overwhelms the

infant or child’s capacity to cope.

What is Trauma?

Complex trauma however:

• involves multiple incidents over a period of time

• is grounded in relational connections which

involve isolation, shame and disconnection

• impacts on the person’s sense of self in relation to

others

• impacts upon the child’s development

Page 15: Foundations to Flourish

Children are more vulnerable

to trauma than adults because

they have had limited

experiences of facing and

overcoming challenges in

their life.

Understanding Trauma?

Their bodies and minds are still developing.

Page 16: Foundations to Flourish

Trauma occurs when an event is so frightening it

causes a prolonged alarm reaction, where the body

is primed and pumped with chemicals and

enzymes such as adrenaline and does not calm

down for a long time. In any person, this creates an

altered neurological state.

Trauma Response

“Children exposed to significant threat will ‘reset’ their

baseline state of arousal, such that even at baseline –

when no external threats or demands are present – they

will be in a physiological state of persisting alarm.”

Bruce Perry

Page 17: Foundations to Flourish

Hyperarousal (Sympathetic nervous system)

(separation anxiety, hyper-vigilent, low thresholds, emotional meltdowns)

Window of Tolerance

Just Right Zone

We can think and feel at the same time

Hypoarousal (Parasympathetic)

(Flat affect, shut down, passive aggressive, appears sluggish)

Emotional Regulation

Page 18: Foundations to Flourish

• The brain is at its most plastic in early

childhood

• In childhood, there is the greatest

vulnerability to harm but also the

greatest potential for healing.

Neuroplasticity

Page 19: Foundations to Flourish

Early Education Program Kindy• The teacher & teacher aide are funded by Education Queensland

• 2 groups – Kindy 2-3 years of age; Pre-Prep 4-5 years of age

• Focus is on developing social/emotional skills & school readiness

• Multidisciplinary approach utilised within the EEP environment

Education & Prevention

Page 20: Foundations to Flourish

LCCH schoolEducation

Queensland

Act for Kids

Early Education Program

Working in Partnership

Page 21: Foundations to Flourish

Early Education Program –Who can attend?

Open case with Child

Safety

or

Engaged with the Intensive

Family Support

Prior history of

abuse, neglect and /or trauma

At high risk due to

developmental, social and emotional

delays

Currently in foster

placement or being

reunified

Need support to attain skills that will help them to enter

school

Page 22: Foundations to Flourish

Excellence in Inclusive Education

Page 23: Foundations to Flourish

Photo of room trashed

Page 24: Foundations to Flourish

The Iceberg Model

Context…..What children do and say is

always driven by things we can’t see and things

they can’t always explain.

We need to shift our thinking

from:

What is wrong with you?

toHow can I

understand you?

Behaviours

Needs

Developmental challenges

Fight / flight / freeze

Page 25: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Building strong healthy relationships

Page 26: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Provide a safe place to learn and grow

Page 27: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Helping them to understand their overwhelming feelings and

emotions

• Emotional literacy

• Identifying emotions/ feeling

• Learning to control them

Page 28: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Sensory Exploration

Page 29: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Act for Kids

Reclaiming Childhood

Page 30: Foundations to Flourish

Key Focus of the Early Education Program

Moving beyond learned helplessness and fixed mindsets.

Rewriting our understanding about who we are as learners

Page 31: Foundations to Flourish

Transition to Prep

• Set small achievable daily goals

• Provide safe learning challenges which can be built upon

• Clear expectations

• Reduce student stress levels and bring their

attention and awareness back into the classroom

• Create the belief that it is possible for them to

succeed

• Building a learning culture

• Building the skills to engage and learn

• Address the fears / anxiety

• Celebrating their success

Page 32: Foundations to Flourish

Transition to Prep

Documentation to help support a successful transition to Prep

Page 33: Foundations to Flourish

School Really Matters

“Teachers who understand the effects of trauma on children’s education, who are able to develop teaching practices to help them, and who are able to participate actively and collaboratively (with carers) .. will not only improve their educational outcomes but will assist in their healing and recovery.”(Calmer Classrooms, Downey, 2009)

Page 34: Foundations to Flourish

“When I first came to EEP,

my world was confused and angry ..

.. but I have learnt

about myself ... and I

am glad that I am

here”.

Page 35: Foundations to Flourish

Although we can't be there to rescue

them from their situations we can be

there to hold their hand, to give them

an experience of what positive

attachment looks like, to be calm and

consistent; to always be there for

them no matter their behaviour and to

show them the possibility that life

can be different.