CETC - The role of the therapeutic specialist in therapeutic care - Practice guide - CETC

The role of the therapeutic specialist in therapeutic care – Practice guide

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Jun 2022

Written by Janise Mitchell Noel Macnamara

This guide has been developed to describe and support the enactment of the role of the Therapeutic Specialist.
The guide provides an overview of the role of the Therapeutic Specialist and the critical function as an enabler in the delivery of effective therapeutic care. The guide will help all staff in the Therapeutic Care system and key external stakeholders to understand the specialist clinical and practice leadership provided by Therapeutic Specialists to staff and key stakeholders in the care and support of children and young people.

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Foster Care Week 2023, celebrated from September 10-16, is an annual celebration of foster carers and their supporters for the contributions they make to the lives of children, young people,...

Research Update: Understanding Relationships in Therapeutic Residential Care

The Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) is engaged in ongoing research to understand how positive, trusting relationships and social connections can be fostered for young people in Therapeutic...

Meet the CareSouth team

CareSouth was recently awarded the Outstanding Therapeutic Residential Care Team Award at Youth Action NSW's Youth Work Awards. The CETC proposed the new Outstanding Therapeutic Residential Care Team award category...

Christmas time when glad tidings of joy should abound, and love be with us all

Christmas, for many, is an exciting time of year. However, for some children and young people, particularly those who have experienced attachment difficulties, trauma and/or adverse childhood events, Christmas can...

Submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People: Special Inquiry: Children and Young People in Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs)

Alternative Care Arrangements are the symptom of a care system in crisis ACAs have no place in a modern trauma-informed and child-centred out-of-home care system. The retention of foster carers...

The effective and efficient approach to preventing placement breakdowns

For children with complex trauma, the out-of-home care sector is more often reactive rather than proactive or preventative. Not many programs exist to provide significant early intervention support, as opposed...

Q&A with the trainer: Trauma-informed supervision

Over the recent decades, we have seen leaps in research and practice promoting the importance of taking a holistic trauma-informed approach to caring for children and young people with trauma....

Q&A with the trainer: Behaviours that challenge

One of our most frequent requests at the CETC is for more training on how to respond to the behaviours of young people in out-of-home care that caregivers can find...

When systems designed to protect do harm

What comes to mind when you think about the child protection or youth justice system? Protection and safeguarding? Rehabilitation? Trauma-informed care? These two complex and often interacting systems are intended...

What is neuroaffirming practice and how can it help young people in out-of-home care?

The 2nd of April is World Autism Awareness Day, celebrating and promoting understanding and inclusiveness of people on the autism spectrum. In out-of-home care, neurodiversity is a highly prevalent and...

Women in Leadership: Fiona Atkins at Ashley Youth Detention Centre

The care of young people in detention has been a focus in the media both in Australia and overseas. Media reports have highlighted inadequate levels of care and abuse of...

Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility - alternative diversion model

The focus of this submission The Australian Childhood Foundation and Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) are dedicated to upholding the rights of children and helping them to heal...

The essential role of collaboration in clinical assessments for young people experiencing complex trauma

As a clinician supporting young people who engage in harmful sexual behaviour, I have the privilege of travelling across the northern region of Victoria and engaging with many residential workers....

Student spotlight: John Gallagher on Youth Justice

Over the past year, the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care has launched its first blended learning program, CHC40521 - Certificate IV in Youth Justice.Dan Howell, Senior Manager for Training,...

“I’m not a Barbie girl”: Spatial design reform in residential care

The Create Voices in Action conference was held in Adelaide in March 2024. Three compelling voices at the conference belonged to Professor Suzie Attiwill and Create Consultants Hayley and Ella. ...

Holding on by a thread - Connecting with adolescents in a culture of disconnection

Recently I listened to the Brené Brown podcast Unlocking Us episode from 20th March 2024, where she spoke with Esther Perel on the new “AI” – Artificial Intimacy. There were...

Supporting Aboriginal young people in justice and care – Rhett's story

A few years ago, I met Rhett when he was collaborating with the Advocate for Children and Young People on a report about experiences of Aboriginal children and young people...

What you told us about restrictive practices

In July 2023 we asked for your help to better understand how ‘restrictive practices’ were understood and interpreted in therapeutic residential care (TRC) across Australia. Through a blog on our...

On-Demand: What we’ve learnt delivering trauma training to carers online

Over the past 18 months, we have been asking ourselves how online training can help meet the knowledge and support needs of foster and kinship carers. What are the benefits...

Ask us: How do you help young people feel safe in residential care?

At the CETC, we know how important it is to listen and learn from residential care workers about what works for young people in care. Recently, we interviewed several residential...

Professor Lynne McPherson appointed as Chair of Out-of-Home Care

We are excited to announce Professor Lynne McPherson's appointment as Chair of Out-of-Home Care Research. This Chair role, the first of its kind in Australia, is a joint position funded...

Consent conversations with young people in out-of-home care

Having meaningful conversations with children and young people in out-of-home care about consent, while critically important, can be tricky. These consent conversations need to keep both young people and carers...

And the recommendations are… systemic reform towards providing therapeutic care, again

The Australian Institute of Family Studies recently released a report titled Improving the Safety and Wellbeing of Vulnerable Children: A Consolidation of Systemic Recommendations and Evidence. This report aims to...

Research findings - Phase 1: Policy Analysis

Phase 1: Policy Analysis This document presents an overview of the findings from Phase 1 of the Strengthening Relationships and Connections in Therapeutic Residential Care project. This phase focused on analysing...

Reflections on the National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care Conference

At this week’s National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care conference held in Melbourne, the experiences of pleasure and pain faced by kinship carers were clearly evident. Amidst the stories of love and...

Too exhausted and overwhelmed for self-care

Working with trauma-impacted children and young people can be exhausting and overwhelming. This feeling is often compounded by not having the resources to help these children and young people in...

Tough talk, weak evidence: Victoria’s step backward on the minimum age

The Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) is confounded, disappointed and seriously concerned about the Victorian Government’s backflip on raising the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) in Victoria....

10 tips for talking consent with kids in care

Amplifying Aboriginal voices in out-of-home care through research and co-design

As I approach seven years in the out-of-home care (OOHC) sector, my journey has taken me from studying Early Childhood and Primary Teaching, to pursuing Criminal Justice, and eventually earning...

Trauma-informed... youth detention? The realities of reform

Last week, CETC facilitated an insightful panel about trauma-informed care and young people in youth detention. CETC welcomed Joanne O’Connor, Associate Professor Tim Moore and Murray Robinson to share their...

Grandparent kinship carers: the pleasure, the pain

Today in Australia, the preference for and growth of kinship care has meant that the majority of children in out-of-home care are now placed in relative or kinship care arrangements...

The overlooked crisis of FASD hiding in youth justice and out-of-home care

In Australia, children and young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in out-of-home care are at critically greater risk of getting involved with the youth justice system. The issues...

Online gambling harms: Why young people in care need targeted protection

Online gambling is a significant risk for young people, particularly those in out-of-home care. The Australian Government is currently considering its response to the 31 recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry...

Interoception: the hidden sense that can help children understand their feelings before they react

You’re probably familiar with the five basic senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. But did you know there are three additional 'hidden' senses that we use constantly to guide...

Consent laws for legal change, community for behavioural change

Harmful sexual behaviours displayed throughout childhood development is a serious and complex problem. This issue has sustained increased attention from policymakers following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child...