Developing a Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Service in the Australian Capital Territory for Children and Young People Affected by Abuse and Neglect
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Trauma and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young PeopleIn light of the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in OoHC, it is important to consider the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children when considering the application of trauma-attachment based models of intervention. Whilst trauma research specific to Indigenous Australian children is relatively new (Atkinson, 2013), the existing literature pertaining to the effects of trauma and stress on brain development must be considered when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. The extent to which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, families and individuals have been affected by trauma since colonisation, is well documented. Atkinson (2013) outlines that the ‘high level of distress in some Indigenous families suggests that children and adolescents are at risk of exposure to a toxic mix of trauma and life stressors’. As a result of the history of colonisation, displacement and the forced removal of children from their families as part of the stolen children generation, many Indigenous children are exposed to a milieu of traumatic life events including illness, accidents, exposure to family violence, family disintegration and financial stress (Atkinson, 2013). It is also important to consider the fact that those parents and carers who had been forcibly removed from their own families did not have the opportunity to be parented within their own extended family and culture, and were often ‘deprived of the experiences necessary to become successful parents themselves’ (Healing Foundation, 2013:4). According to the Healing Foundation, this may then account for the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families coming to the attention of statutory authorities (Healing Foundation, 2013). The limited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific trauma research that is available focuses on the need to understand and consider intergenerational trauma, and the possibility that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people may experience trauma through direct experience or secondary exposure. With respect to secondary trauma, The Healing Foundation explores that ‘secondary exposure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people occurs through bearing witness to the past traumatic experiences of their family and community members as a result of colonisation, forced removals and other government policies’ (Healing Foundation, 2013:3). Therapeutic support services therefore need to take into consideration not only the trauma a child or young person may have experienced but also the extent of intergenerational trauma within the young person’s family, as this may affect the type of intervention or therapeutic approach employed. As outlined by the Healing Foundation (2013:4) ‘critical to healing is an emphasis on restoring, affirming and renewing a sense of pride in cultural identity, connection to country and participation in community’. Therefore, effective interventions should not only focus on, for example, therapeutic counselling for the child, but also family-based interventions such as focusing on parenting skills, supporting parents to heal from their own trauma and ensuring families have access to other culturally appropriate services. A Shift in Focus to Trauma-Informed Services in AustraliaDifficulties encountered in providing effective services for this client population has highlighted the need for a radical change in existing systems of care and models of service delivery, which currently strain to support these children and young people who have often experienced the most serious abuse and neglect and may be experiencing significant and multiple difficulties across many developmental domains. Historically, this client group has been unable to access appropriate therapeutic or clinical services that provide a specialist approach to trauma and disrupted attachment at an intensity required to meet their multiple levels of need. The literature suggests that a combination of interagency collaboration and direct interventions for carers and children are required to meet the multifaceted needs of children in care. This ‘whole of client’ collaborative model has been adopted by the consortium of organisations responsible for the development of Take Two, Australia’s first designated developmental therapeutic service for child protection clients who have suffered trauma, disrupted attachments and other adverse consequences as a result of serious abuse and neglect (Frederico, Jackson & Black, 2005). The Take Two program is described as a ‘therapeutic clinical program with an embedded research and training component’ (Frederico, Jackson & Black, 2005). Similar to the Take Two program, the Queensland Evolve model of service includes an understanding of trauma and attachment within an ecological and developmental context (Frederico, Jackson & Black, 2005) and is aimed at supporting, assisting and improving the lives of those severely traumatised and disturbed children/young people in OoHC. Schmied, Brownhill and Walsh (2006) reviewed the available models of service delivery and interventions for children/young people with high needs in NSW. They found that positive improvements for these clients were strongly related to ‘consistent, high quality and coordinated services and care which offer continuity of positive relationships and systematic therapeutic interventions’ (Schmied, Brownhill and Walsh, 2006:6). What is becoming increasingly clear is that any therapeutic approach must incorporate the broader context of the child’s life and living circumstances. Contemporary treatment for children and young people should involve:
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