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-Informed Therapeutic Services 1There has been an increase in the establishment of trauma-informed therapeutic services across Australia over the past 15 years. This appears consistent with the availability and prevalence of international research regarding the impact of trauma on childhood development and our understanding of how a trauma-informed service system can assist children to overcome their adverse experiences. Models of care which allow for intensive, flexible and varied treatment interventions ranging from individual work to dyadic, family or group sessions are being adopted more widely in an effort to promote a therapeutic wrap-around environment. Interventions are targeted not only towards children and young people but extend to carers, biological parents, youth workers, teachers/school staff, and other professionals involved in the child’s or young person’s care. A key element is effective stakeholder communication via coordinating regular stakeholder meetings, where the key support people for a child or young person (including, where appropriate, the young person themselves) develop and review the interagency care plan. The following organisations are well established in the field of trauma-informed service provision with a number of these services providing support to children and families across several states. Some of these services operate on a ‘closed referral system’ whereby referrals are only received from the child protection or statutory/judicial bodies of their respective states. Other services have an ‘open referral system’, which allows them to receive referrals from statutory services as well as other government agencies, human services or community sector organisations. Closed referral servicesTake Two — Victoria Take Two is a state-wide therapeutic program for children and young people, aged 0–18 years who are clients of the child protection system in Victoria. Established in 2004, Take Two provides therapeutic interventions for children who have suffered trauma, abuse, neglect and disrupted attachments and with a focus on the child within their environment. These interventions are informed by developmental, attachment and trauma theories and are underpinned by an ecological systems perspective. This service operates in partnership with Berry Street, Austin Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, La Trobe University and the Mindful Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health. In addition to the provision of therapeutic services, Take Two also aims to build sector capacity, through professional development and training opportunities to improve the system that provides care to children and young people in Victoria (Frederico, Jackson, & Black, 2010). Evolve Interagency Services (Evolve) — Queensland Evolve provides therapeutic and behaviour support services for children and young people 0–18 on child protection orders and in OoHC who have severe and complex psychological and behavioural problems. Evolve was established in 2005 as a collaborative partnership between the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, Queensland Health, and the Department of Education, Training and Employment. The key focus of this interagency collaboration is to provide planned and coordinated therapeutic supports to children and young people in OoHC, aimed at improving their emotional wellbeing and the development of skills to enhance participation in school and in the community. Therapeutic and behavioural support services are delivered through the following:
Child Protection Counselling Service — NSW NSW Health established the Physical Abuse and Neglect of Children Services (PANOC), following the Wood Royal Commission in 1997. In 2006 this service changed to Child Protection Counselling Services (CPCS). CPCS provides a ‘specialist, tertiary level counselling response to children experiencing the health and related consequences of serious and substantiated violence, abuse and neglect’ (NSW Department of Health, 2011:3). CPCS also has a role in providing services to the offending family members if they are willing to engage with the service. In order for a child to receive a service from CPS, the abuse must be substantiated. As a result, only Joint Investigation Response Teams within Community Services and The Children’s Court of NSW can refer to CPCS (NSW Department of Health, 2011:3). Interventions are generally medium to long term due to the serious nature of problems experienced by children and the service provides training activities to health staff as well as community education and awareness with respect to child abuse, neglect and trauma. Dalwood Spilstead — NSW (Northern Beaches) The Dalwood Spilstead Service provides multidisciplinary health, education and therapeutic support services for vulnerable families, who are in stress or experiencing difficulties in the care/parenting of their children (0–9 years). This is a voluntary early intervention model of service delivery based on an understanding of neurobiological development. All services for both parents and children are located on the one site, which allows for both enhanced engagement with families and case coordination. Referrals are only received from NSW Family and Community Services Department. Services include early intervention therapeutic pre-school, infant-supported play groups, child therapy, parent/child interaction therapies and parent education programs. Dalwood Spilstead utilises Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapy as an overarching framework guiding service provision (Dalwood Children’s Services, 2012). Open referral servicesAustralian Childhood Foundation — Australia Wide The Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides therapeutic support to children and families affected by abuse, neglect and family violence. ACF provides services across Australia including specialist counselling, therapeutic care (training to foster carers and residential care staff who support children affected by trauma), community and professional education, child abuse prevention programs, parenting education seminars, advocacy and research (ACF, 2013). The ACF also provides the only nationally recognised and accredited Vocational Graduate Certificate in Developmental Trauma. In the ACT, ACF provides a therapeutic foster care program, ‘On Track’ in partnership with Barnados as well as training to kinship carers. The Australian Childhood Trauma Group — Victoria-based and Australia Wide The Australian Childhood Trauma Group (ACT Group) provides support services to government agencies, non-government organisations, schools and individuals including consultations, training, counselling, assessment and program reviews. The ACT Group specialise in trauma, abuse, attachment, brain development, therapeutic treatment plans, behaviour management and professional development. The team at ACT Group consists of qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, allied health professionals and education consultants (The Australian Childhood Trauma Group, 2013). Parkerville Children and Youth Care — Western Australia The Parkerville Trauma Assessment and Treatment Service provide individual counselling and group work to children, young people, families and carers. In-depth assessments are provided for each client and treatment strategies include cognitive behavioural therapy (including relaxation training, cognitive re-processing and exposure therapy), psycho-education, applied behaviour, analysis, motivational interviewing and skills training (Parkerville, 2013). Parkerville Children and Youth Care have also recently established the George Jones Child Advocacy Centre. This centre is a place where several professionals including ‘doctors, police, child protection workers, psychologists, and child and family advocates form a multi-disciplinary team to provide services to care for all the needs of a child or young person who has been abused, and their family’ (Parkerville, 2013). ACT for Kids — Queensland ACT for Kids is a charitable organisation providing free long-term and intensive therapeutic support to children and young people who have suffered abuse and neglect. The intensive therapy program has a multidisciplinary team including psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and early education specialists and provides intensive support to young children. The service includes the use of a sensory and a larger play room where children can develop fine motor skills. There is no time limit on interventions. In addition to the intensive therapy program, an early education ‘Kindy’ program is also provided. ACT for Kids accepts referrals primarily from the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. However, there is some funding available for children who have not been referred by government (ACT For Kids, 2013). Mobile Outreach Service Plus (Northern Territory) The Mobile Outreach Service Plus provides ‘culturally safe counselling and support for Aboriginal children and their families and communities in remote Northern Territory who are experiencing trauma associated with any form of child abuse and neglect’. The service is available for children aged 0–17 years and includes ‘preventative and therapeutic interventions’ (Atkinson, 2013:4). A second key focus of the service is community education and professional development sessions. The Mobile Outreach Service visits 30 remote communities and will support communities on demand/with referral. Cara House — Centre for Resiliency and Recovery NSW (Inner West) Cara House offers therapeutic counselling for the effects of sexual abuse, physical assault and for the impact of childhood neglect and domestic violence. Adult survivors are seen as part of the service and counselling is also provided to children who are using violent or sexually abusive behaviours. Therapeutic interventions are for a minimum of one year. Therapeutic and psycho-educational group programs for children, parents and carers are also provided as well as ‘carer coaching’. Pet therapy is also utilised. Referrals are received from Community Services, Medicare Local, Victims Services and the Attorney Generals Department (Cara House, 2013). |