Emerging Minds Podcast

In this episode of the Emerging Minds podcast, Bill Wilson and Chris Dolman discuss how working within a narrative therapy framework can support connections and resilience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

This episode is the second in a two-part series exploring work with women and children who have experienced trauma and disadvantage throughout their lives (you can find the first episode here). In this episode, we speak with Lisa Hofman and Gaby Munro, who work with mothers and their children (under the age of eight) while they undergo treatment for substance use.  

Many of the children who attend the Jarrah House residential treatment service have experienced child protection involvement and past trauma, and are affected by developmental or behavioural issues. In this conversation, Lisa and Gaby explore the impacts of significant adversity and child removal on mothers and their children, and share examples of ways children may behave following experiences of trauma. 

Lisa and Gaby also share how they strengthen and rebuild the mother-child relationship and reduce child protection risk by: 

increasing the mother’s emotional availability to her child 

transforming how mothers think about and understand their children 

helping mothers to respond better to their children’s cues; and  

showing mothers how to delight in their children

Gaby describes how she uses reflexive practice and modelling to help parents consider what their child is feeling, in order to better understand and respond to them. Lisa discusses how mothers are supported with emotional regulation and distress tolerance, and how this growing ‘mindful awareness’ helps them to respond to their child from a calmer space. 

about the developmental issues that affect many of the children at Jarrah House, as a consequence of past trauma, domestic violence, or parental substance use [2:59] 

how Lisa and Gaby used the Key to Interactive Parenting Scale to help a mother recognise her child’s cues and the ways that she offered her child warmth and recognition, so that she could replicate that behaviour more consistently [6:03]

the importance of treating the child as a client, as well as the mother, in services like Jarrah House, and the difference this can make for a child [10:32]

how Lisa and Gaby use the Circle of Security approach to focus on the importance of routines and help children and mothers feel safer and more confident [16:05].

 

KIT Menu

How do you engage children when working with them remotely via video? In this episode, Tayla Iellamo, an occupational therapist who works for Royal Far West, shares her experience of delivering telehealth services to children in rural and remote areas. Tayla has worked as an OT for five years and has been delivering telehealth services through the Windmill and Telecare programs at Royal Far West for the past year. She has a passion for working with children and families in remote areas and finds telehealth a valuable and dynamic approach to delivering therapy.

Tayla shares her experience of what helps families prepare for a telehealth service, what to consider when engaging children through a video platform, and troubleshooting tips and tricks for when things don’t go as planned.

In this episode you will learn:

What a family can expect from the first telehealth session (07:15)

Helping families become comfortable with technology (10:38)

Keeping the child’s context in mind in telehealth service delivery (18:19)

Suggestions for practitioners new to telehealth (24:22)

 

Further information and resources:

A practical guide to working with children and families through telehealth: https://emergingminds.frmdv.com/resources/a-practical-guide-to-working-with-children-and-families-through-telehealth/

How might children’s social and emotional wellbeing be affected by the changes brought about in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? In this bonus episode, Brad Morgan, Director of Emerging Minds, discusses some challenges that might be coming up for families at this time as they navigate spending more time at home together. Tune in to this discussion to hear about what infants, toddlers, and children are needing from their parents right now and some suggestions on how parents can have child-centred conversations about coronavirus that are supportive of their mental health as well as what’s important to consider in relation to maintaining routines during home isolation. 

In this episode you will learn:

Why talking to children about the coronavirus pandemic is important (03:49)

What support babies and toddlers are needing (10:16)

What to consider in terms of the way parents’ mental health may be impacting on the wellbeing of their children (18:08)

What to consider in maintaining routines under isolation (22:00)

How news and media might be impacting children (23:14)

Further information and resources:

Video: Talking to children about natural disasters, traumatic events, or worries about the future

Factsheet: Communicating with your child about COVID-19

Factsheet: Helping children cope with stress during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Factsheet: Traumatic events, the media and your child

Guide and tools: Coronavirus (COVID-19): family guide – raisingchildren.net.au 

Factsheet: How to talk to your children about coronavirus (COVID-19)

Website: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – healthdirect.gov.au

Podcast: The power of play

Women who have experienced trauma and disadvantage throughout their lives are much more likely to develop mental health difficulties and substance use issues. This can seriously affect their ability to parent in safe and consistent ways, and can have significant negative impacts on children.  

In the first episode of this two-part podcast series, Christine Watson, Clinical Director at Kamira Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services, talks about Kamira’s rehabilitation work with women experiencing substance use, and their children.  

At Kamira, practitioners are interested in the contextual reasons that have made it more difficult for women to parent in safe and nurturing ways. Kamira’s residents are generally affected by their own experiences of trauma, as well as cultural, institutional and social discrimination. Many have also had children removed from their custody. Christine discusses how she and her staff work with these women on ways to provide safe and consistent care for their child. She also explores their strategies for helping women overcome historical issues which have prevented them from providing this care.  

At the same time, Kamira’s programs focus on children’s mental health and wellbeing needs, in ways that can help enhance the lives of both mothers and children. Christine discusses the importance of therapeutic interventions that encourage women to see their children’s needs as a motivation for change. She considers how this focus can reduce the negative effects of stigma, and allow women to develop practical strategies for safe and secure parenting. 

about the background of trauma, institutional and social discrimination experienced by many of the women in substance use programs, and the impact intergenerational disadvantage has on the lives of these women and their children [1:06]

how to talk with women about their parenting in ways which avoid stigma, build trust and joy in the parent-child relationship, and help women to recognise the possibilities for change [8:32]

how to help mothers understand their children’s experience, focusing on what the child might be feeling, thinking, or observing, and offering practical examples of how to support the communication between mother and child [14:55]

the importance of routine in the lives of children and mothers, and how strong routines can be the key to establishing safer and more consistent environments for children [20:41]. 

This two-part podcast series features a collection of parents talking about their children who live with disability. In part two, Chris, Jacqui and Lisa discuss some of the ways in which professionals can support their children’s wellbeing.

Children are shaped and influenced by a range of individual, social and environmental factors, all of which go into making the ‘whole child’. Children living with disability experience the same range of emotions as every other child; and their mental health and wellbeing are influenced by the same factors as other children’s.   

Parents and professionals might see a child’s social and emotional wellbeing, communication, and behaviour as just an outcome of their disability. But children living with disability can experience positive mental health too. It is important to support children living with disability to express their hopes, preferences, and concerns, just like all children. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank our child and family partners, Chris, Lisa and Jacqui for taking the time to share their wisdom and expertise with us. 

  

In this episode you will learn:  

how deeply parents who have children with disability understand their children’s unique needs, how fiercely they love them, and how by listening to and reflecting on their stories, we can learn a great deal about supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children with disability 

how a child-focused approach encourages professionals to focus on the ‘whole child’, including their strengths, hopes and abilities, rather than just their physical and medical needs 

how children’s social and emotional wellbeing can be supported by creating space for them to explore and express aspects of their lives other than disability; and 

how living with disability can provide children with the opportunity to nurture a range of strengths and abilities. These can include positive qualities such as being loving and affectionate, being persistent, and being adaptable, resilient and determined.  

   

Parent voices: Supporting children with disability - part two

Understanding child mental health and disability (e-learning course)

Colleen Lovegrove and Diana Uribe describe their approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait families as part of the Kornar Winmil Yunti team (KWY).

In this podcast, Craig Rigney, CEO of KWY shares how he walks alongside families in his work to provide a holistic family model of care.

In this podcast, Sue-Anne Hunter talks about her work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the out-of-home care system. She discusses ways to heal trauma through evidence-based practices, and how integrating these practices within a cultural framework can benefit both children and practitioners.