Strong Minds in the Early Years - Supporting Children in Response to Natural Disasters
Tracks
Tamborine Gallery - In-Person Only
| Tuesday, March 25, 2025 |
| 1:15 PM - 1:35 PM |
Overview
Mel Gordon & Lisa Wilson, Social Futures
Presenter
Ms Mel Gordon
General Manager
Social Futures
Strong Minds in the Early Years - Supporting Children in Response to Natural Disasters
Abstract
Social Futures – Effective use of puppets in processing trauma
Abstract
Puppets have had a long association in supporting children to process difficult emotions and traumatic events. This abstract provides a brief overview of the Strong Minds in the Early Years program delivered by Social Futures between 2022 and 2023. After the flooding in the Northern Rivers area in February 2022 many children and their families were displaced. Children 0-5 were traumatised, and some were displaying signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the initial stages of setting up the program over 59 preschools were visited and over 150 interviews were conducted with educators and parents. Using puppets and play therapy, the children were invited to share their experiences, meaning-making and in processing their traumatic experiences in a playful and safe environment.
A robust evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in every domain measured for the children, families and educators involved. For children, the vast majority of those assessed demonstrated positive outcomes in wellbeing, education, and family circumstances, with even housing identified as an improvement area for most children despite the flood damage. For both parents and educators, 86% of those surveyed reported improvements in their capacity to support emotional wellbeing and manage behaviours.
The innovative model of the Strong Minds program has demonstrated its crucial role in supporting children who have been adversely affected by the 2022 floods.
Abstract
Puppets have had a long association in supporting children to process difficult emotions and traumatic events. This abstract provides a brief overview of the Strong Minds in the Early Years program delivered by Social Futures between 2022 and 2023. After the flooding in the Northern Rivers area in February 2022 many children and their families were displaced. Children 0-5 were traumatised, and some were displaying signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the initial stages of setting up the program over 59 preschools were visited and over 150 interviews were conducted with educators and parents. Using puppets and play therapy, the children were invited to share their experiences, meaning-making and in processing their traumatic experiences in a playful and safe environment.
A robust evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in every domain measured for the children, families and educators involved. For children, the vast majority of those assessed demonstrated positive outcomes in wellbeing, education, and family circumstances, with even housing identified as an improvement area for most children despite the flood damage. For both parents and educators, 86% of those surveyed reported improvements in their capacity to support emotional wellbeing and manage behaviours.
The innovative model of the Strong Minds program has demonstrated its crucial role in supporting children who have been adversely affected by the 2022 floods.
Biography
Mel Gordon, General Manager, Children Youth and Families at Social Futures. Social Futures is a large not for profit with over 47 years’ experience in community covering from the Gold Coast down to the Central Coast and out to regional communities such as Broken Hill. The Children Youth and Families stream delivers high-quality services across the spectrum of need of early intervention, wellbeing, and intensive support programs. Melissa manages the development and provision of high-quality Children Youth and Family services and is responsible for supporting innovative practice as well as ensuring business performance outcomes, standards and compliance requirements are met.
Ms Lisa Wilson
Counsellor
Social Futures
Strong Minds in the Early Years - Supporting Children in Response to Natural Disasters
Abstract
Social Futures – Effective use of puppets in processing trauma
Abstract
Puppets have had a long association in supporting children to process difficult emotions and traumatic events. This abstract provides a brief overview of the Strong Minds in the Early Years program delivered by Social Futures between 2022 and 2023. After the flooding in the Northern Rivers area in February 2022 many children and their families were displaced. Children 0-5 were traumatised, and some were displaying signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the initial stages of setting up the program over 59 preschools were visited and over 150 interviews were conducted with educators and parents. Using puppets and play therapy, the children were invited to share their experiences, meaning-making and in processing their traumatic experiences in a playful and safe environment.
A robust evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in every domain measured for the children, families and educators involved. For children, the vast majority of those assessed demonstrated positive outcomes in wellbeing, education, and family circumstances, with even housing identified as an improvement area for most children despite the flood damage. For both parents and educators, 86% of those surveyed reported improvements in their capacity to support emotional wellbeing and manage behaviours.
The innovative model of the Strong Minds program has demonstrated its crucial role in supporting children who have been adversely affected by the 2022 floods.
Abstract
Puppets have had a long association in supporting children to process difficult emotions and traumatic events. This abstract provides a brief overview of the Strong Minds in the Early Years program delivered by Social Futures between 2022 and 2023. After the flooding in the Northern Rivers area in February 2022 many children and their families were displaced. Children 0-5 were traumatised, and some were displaying signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the initial stages of setting up the program over 59 preschools were visited and over 150 interviews were conducted with educators and parents. Using puppets and play therapy, the children were invited to share their experiences, meaning-making and in processing their traumatic experiences in a playful and safe environment.
A robust evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in every domain measured for the children, families and educators involved. For children, the vast majority of those assessed demonstrated positive outcomes in wellbeing, education, and family circumstances, with even housing identified as an improvement area for most children despite the flood damage. For both parents and educators, 86% of those surveyed reported improvements in their capacity to support emotional wellbeing and manage behaviours.
The innovative model of the Strong Minds program has demonstrated its crucial role in supporting children who have been adversely affected by the 2022 floods.
Biography
BSc Social Science, Postgraduate Dip in Creative Art and Play Therapy, Postgraduate Dip Consultative Supervision, registered Play and Creative Art Therapist with the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association.
Lisa is passionate about providing a safe, creative, and non-directive space for children and young people to explore their feelings.
Lisa’s therapeutic approach is child-centred at its core and underlined with an attachment- based theoretical perspective. Using puppets and Creative Art Therapy children and young people are invited to share and process their traumatic experiences in a playful and safe environment, often with Lisa’s much-loved puppet Jack.
