Day 2 Conference Opening
| Tuesday, March 21, 2023 |
| 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM |
Overview
9:00am – 9:10am
Welcome to Day 2
Chair: Dr Lyn O'Grady, Community Psychologist
9:10am – 9:40am
Keynote Presentation Topic: Culture, collaboration and capacity – supporting the loss and grief experiences of young people at risk of suicide
Keynote 6: Fiona McCallum & Tammy Wallace, Good Grief
9:40am – 10:10am
Keynote Presentation Topic: Insights and Practical Strategies to Manage Child and Adolescent Distress Keynote 7: Dr Karen Hart, Operations Director of Clinical Transformation at Orygen
Speaker
Karen Hart
Clinical Transformation, Orygen
Insights and practical strategies to manage child and adolescent distress
Abstract
Navigation and engagement, within both government and non-government service provision for children, young people and their families is a perennial challenge.
When the need presents itself and mental health and other human services are required, where do you start? Who is the most appropriate and helpful professional to respond to your needs? When you manage to find an organisation that you think can help, how do you know that you will not be faced with lengthy waiting lists, and ‘system bounce’, and when you eventually get to see a professional, will they really help you and how will they do that?
These are fundamental questions for children, young people, their families and carers who require support from our human services in Australia.
Some of the key areas discussed are:
Becoming a professional, a better professional, a child and youth expert – teaching and learning, the fundamentals of child and youth work, identity and diversity, professional development and experiential learning, staff supervision and support, mental health practitioners’ compassion and passion, self-reflection, avoidance of burn-out and vicarious trauma.
A systemic response to child and adolescent mental health – the continuum of need and response to youth mental health (examples from Orygen – research evidence, the ‘missing middle’, transformation and integration of mental health services) cross-discipline knowledge translation, service-system awareness, how to work smarter, not harder, the power of collaboration and partnership working.
Practical strategies to engage with and help children and young people manage distress – child and young person-centred practice, importance of pace, cadence, flexibility, trauma sensitive care and trauma informed practice, unconditional regard, cultural safety and powering families and community.
When the need presents itself and mental health and other human services are required, where do you start? Who is the most appropriate and helpful professional to respond to your needs? When you manage to find an organisation that you think can help, how do you know that you will not be faced with lengthy waiting lists, and ‘system bounce’, and when you eventually get to see a professional, will they really help you and how will they do that?
These are fundamental questions for children, young people, their families and carers who require support from our human services in Australia.
Some of the key areas discussed are:
Becoming a professional, a better professional, a child and youth expert – teaching and learning, the fundamentals of child and youth work, identity and diversity, professional development and experiential learning, staff supervision and support, mental health practitioners’ compassion and passion, self-reflection, avoidance of burn-out and vicarious trauma.
A systemic response to child and adolescent mental health – the continuum of need and response to youth mental health (examples from Orygen – research evidence, the ‘missing middle’, transformation and integration of mental health services) cross-discipline knowledge translation, service-system awareness, how to work smarter, not harder, the power of collaboration and partnership working.
Practical strategies to engage with and help children and young people manage distress – child and young person-centred practice, importance of pace, cadence, flexibility, trauma sensitive care and trauma informed practice, unconditional regard, cultural safety and powering families and community.
Biography
Dr Karen Hart is a qualified social worker, researcher, and senior executive leader of operations and service delivery, who has spent almost 30 years, engaging and working with children, young people and their families, within government and non-government settings. Her extensive experience in child protection, youth crime prevention, education, mental health, research, and social purpose real estate, has provided her with insights and knowledge on the most effective engagement and intervention strategies to improve the lives of children and young people. Karen is a strong advocate for the safety, education, health and justice needs of children and young people and that continues in her current work, where she is instrumental in transforming mental health services for young people in Victoria.
Fiona Mccallum
General Manager
Good Grief, Mackillop Family Services
Culture, collaboration and capacity – supporting the loss and grief experiences of young people at risk of suicide
Abstract
Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people under 25 years, representing 31% of all deaths in young people aged 15-17 years. Significantly higher rates of suicide are experienced by young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and those in regional and remote areas. The impacts of bushfires, floods and the pandemic have magnified the vulnerability and mental health concerns for young people identified as ‘at risk’. Australian reports cite risk factors of increased loneliness, isolation, disruption to routines, worry for loved ones, increased stress, family concerns and the grief following the death of a friend or family member.
The Seasons for Life project supports young people in school communities affected by suicide and other loss events throughout Australia. A strategically targeted intervention that builds on the established evidence base of the Seasons for Growth grief and loss education program, drawing from the key insights from more than 350,000 participants over the past 26 years. The Seasons for Life team will collaborate with key stakeholders in education, community and health organisations to build the capacity of high school leaders, staff and parents across Australia in understanding the impacts of change loss and grief more broadly, as well as following suicide and other traumatic loss events.
Critically, this presentation will share research and evidence, and the key insights and protective factors to supporting young people’s experience of loss and grief. Central to our approach is the development of culturally tailored resources supporting positive and continuous connection to communities and cultures for Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples, drawing on Tammy Wallace’s Six Practice Principles of Cultural Safety (Wallace, 2021).
The Seasons for Life project supports young people in school communities affected by suicide and other loss events throughout Australia. A strategically targeted intervention that builds on the established evidence base of the Seasons for Growth grief and loss education program, drawing from the key insights from more than 350,000 participants over the past 26 years. The Seasons for Life team will collaborate with key stakeholders in education, community and health organisations to build the capacity of high school leaders, staff and parents across Australia in understanding the impacts of change loss and grief more broadly, as well as following suicide and other traumatic loss events.
Critically, this presentation will share research and evidence, and the key insights and protective factors to supporting young people’s experience of loss and grief. Central to our approach is the development of culturally tailored resources supporting positive and continuous connection to communities and cultures for Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples, drawing on Tammy Wallace’s Six Practice Principles of Cultural Safety (Wallace, 2021).
Biography
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Science with Distinction, Nursing (University of Sydney), Masters of Management (MGSM) and executive leadership programs (Harvard, Stanford and Mount Eliza Schools of Management). Fiona has led human resource, clinical and operational teams, working extensively across health, biotech and education sectors. Career highlights include the design and implementation of initiatives focusing on leadership development, staff wellbeing, change management, communication strategies, business rebranding and launches.
More recently, Fiona has led the Seasons for Growth team to continue the national and international delivery of the Seasons for Growth suite of programs, including Stormbirds and Seasons for Healing.
Tammy Wallace
Good Grief, Mackillop Family Services
Culture, collaboration and capacity – supporting the loss and grief experiences of young people at risk of suicide
Abstract
Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people under 25 years, representing 31% of all deaths in young people aged 15-17 years. Significantly higher rates of suicide are experienced by young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and those in regional and remote areas. The impacts of bushfires, floods and the pandemic have magnified the vulnerability and mental health concerns for young people identified as ‘at risk’. Australian reports cite risk factors of increased loneliness, isolation, disruption to routines, worry for loved ones, increased stress, family concerns and the grief following the death of a friend or family member.
The Seasons for Life project supports young people in school communities affected by suicide and other loss events throughout Australia. A strategically targeted intervention that builds on the established evidence base of the Seasons for Growth grief and loss education program, drawing from the key insights from more than 350,000 participants over the past 26 years. The Seasons for Life team will collaborate with key stakeholders in education, community and health organisations to build the capacity of high school leaders, staff and parents across Australia in understanding the impacts of change loss and grief more broadly, as well as following suicide and other traumatic loss events.
Critically, this presentation will share research and evidence, and the key insights and protective factors to supporting young people’s experience of loss and grief. Central to our approach is the development of culturally tailored resources supporting positive and continuous connection to communities and cultures for Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples, drawing on Tammy Wallace’s Six Practice Principles of Cultural Safety (Wallace, 2021).
The Seasons for Life project supports young people in school communities affected by suicide and other loss events throughout Australia. A strategically targeted intervention that builds on the established evidence base of the Seasons for Growth grief and loss education program, drawing from the key insights from more than 350,000 participants over the past 26 years. The Seasons for Life team will collaborate with key stakeholders in education, community and health organisations to build the capacity of high school leaders, staff and parents across Australia in understanding the impacts of change loss and grief more broadly, as well as following suicide and other traumatic loss events.
Critically, this presentation will share research and evidence, and the key insights and protective factors to supporting young people’s experience of loss and grief. Central to our approach is the development of culturally tailored resources supporting positive and continuous connection to communities and cultures for Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples, drawing on Tammy Wallace’s Six Practice Principles of Cultural Safety (Wallace, 2021).
Biography
Tammy Wallace Mann is a Jirrabal women with strong cultural ties in the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland. Her people are the rainforest people and lived and walked on that country for thousands of years. Her traditional name is Mahjah which means lore giver, this name was given to her from her grandmother, Maisie Barlow. Yarracali was her grandmother’s traditional name, the Princess of their tribe, the Jirrabal people.
Tammy works with the Seasons for Life team to provide specialist support with Program Cultural Design & Implementation. She has worked within government and the NGO sector for over 25 years.
