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Supporting Children and Young People Following the Northern Rivers Floods - a Partnership Between Mackillop Seasons and NSW Education

Tracks
Ballroom 2 - In Person Only
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
1:25 PM - 1:45 PM

Overview

Lauren Brincat & Louise Hall, NSW Department Of Education


Details

Presentation Key Learnings 1. The importance of a proactive, community-driven approach to disaster response, ensuring timely support for children and young people. 2. The value of tailored support programs, like Stormbirds, in providing a safe and supportive environment and essential resilience skills for child and adolescent recovery. 3. The critical role of a local youth workforce, such as 'Student Support Officers,' in successfully implementing programs and leveraging community expertise in disaster recovery for young individuals.


Speaker

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Mrs Lauren Brincat
Psychology And Wellbeing Coordinator
NSW Department of Education

Supporting children and young people following the Northern Rivers floods - A partnership between Mackillop Seasons and NSW Education

Abstract

The 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers region of NSW significantly compromised community safety and wellbeing, highlighting the need for a proactive response to support children and young people on their journey to recovery. Building on their successful collaboration during the 2019/2020 bushfires, the New South Wales Department of Education and Mackillop Seasons partnered to introduce the Stormbirds program across the region.

Stormbirds is an evidence-informed small group education program explicitly designed to aid the recovery of children and young people in the aftermath of natural disasters. Typically offered 3-12 months following such events, the program empowers children and young people to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to understand and effectively respond to these experiences. It offers a safe learning environment, enabling children and young people to acknowledge their experiences, understand the normalcy of their emotional reactions, develop coping skills, make positive choices, set goals, and make decisions. The program also helps them build a peer support network, fostering a sense of belonging, and contributes to the restoration of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect.

This presentation provides valuable insights from the program's implementation, offering an understanding of the training process and the pivotal roles played by the dedicated local workforce of 'Student Support Officers' recruited to address the emerging need for program implementation within public schools.

The presentation will also feature a poignant short film showcasing the program's impact at Lismore South Public School, illustrating its effectiveness and its positive influence on the wellbeing of the children.

Biography

As an accredited teacher and registered psychologist with a background in suicidology, Lauren leads the coordination of mental health initiatives and postvention services for public schools in the Rural North of New South Wales. She is dedicated to providing evidence-informed training for the school-based wellbeing workforce and interested in ensuring that the voices of students are actively included in recovery efforts following natural disasters. Lauren is President of the School Counselling and Psychology Association of New South Wales and enjoys spending time in nature with her two energetic boys.
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Ms Louise Hall
Lead - National and International Partners
Mackillop Seasons - Mackillop Family Services

Supporting Children and Young People Following the Northern Rivers Floods - a Partnership Between Mackillop Seasons and NSW Education

Biography

Louiseā€™s passion for the value of group work led her to her current role. With a social work and early years background, Louise has worked across statutory and not for profit services with a focus on family support and wellbeing. At work, Louise enjoys building relationships with stakeholders and widening the reach of community support; and at home, she enjoys the changes and joy that comes with parenting teenagers.

 

 

 

 

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