Therapeutic Care Blog
The CETC blog tells the stories behind 'what works' in Intensive Therapeutic Care
The Intensive Therapeutic Care Dance
Therapeutic residential work can be conceptualised as a dance. It works best when therapeutic workers display therapeutic presence, are in sync with the young person, can making meaning of the young person’s behaviour and responses and work in a climate that supports therapeutic care. At its best, therapeutic residential work is a process of synchronised …
Read MoreThe Role of Supervision in the Trauma-Informed Journey
The intention of trauma-informed practice and care is an increased understanding of how present behaviours and difficulties can be understood in the context of past trauma. The approach offers a framework for a common set of values, knowledge and language. Trauma-informed care (TIC) can also be applied to understanding and protecting the workforce from secondary …
Read MoreTahlia’s Story: Having a Voice in Out-of-Home Care
Tahlia is a 16-year-old young woman who likes to be in complete control of her world at all times. She is as strong, articulate and as sassy as they come. Tahlia is an incredible advocate not only for herself but for all young people in care. She can recite the Charter of Rights and is …
Read MoreMaking Sense of Complex and Challenging Behaviours
An inability to understand trauma-based behaviours often sees young people ‘labelled’ in ways that can create a ‘spiral of negativity’. A trauma-informed approach orients us to be curious about what is going on for the young person rather than seeing their behaviour as separate from what has happened to them. This is one of the …
Read MoreIsaac’s Story: Having a Voice in Out of Home Care
Isaac is 15 years old, about 6ft tall, and you know when he is in the room. Isaac lives in his house with one other young person. Isaac experiences the world differently than others. This is because Isaac has Autism and a Moderate Intellectual Disability. Due to this, Isaac asks his team to be patient …
Read MoreMyth Busting Child Sexual Exploitation
When it comes to the sexual exploitation of children, most Australians tend to view it as a problem that exists somewhere else. However, those of us working in Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) know that this not the case. The sexual exploitation of young people in Out of Home Care (OOHC) is an issue of significant …
Read MoreVanessa Farrell Interview: Therapeutic Opportunities in the Time of COVID-19
In this video, we talk to Vanessa Farrell Therapeutic Care Manager at Anglicare. I had the opportunity to hear Vanessa speak at a recent Therapeutic Specialist Community of Practice on how COVID-19 had presented enormous therapeutic opportunities in the context of residential care. In this conversation, Vanessa talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the …
Read MoreSupporting Young People in Residential Care during COVID-19
In this webinar, Noel MacNamara – Executive Manager, Research and Policy from CETC – offers a range of helpful strategies to support young people and staff in residential care during COVID-19. He shares some ideas around how to foster the experience of safety for young people in care and reflects on online safety and supporting …
Read More10 ways to enable young people’s participation in therapeutic residential care
In this blog, I’m keen to offer practitioners in therapeutic residential care some ideas about how to involve young people in decisions that affect their lives. Many young people in residential care have negative experiences of participation. From not being adequately informed about the reasons for entry into care, to not being prepared for care …
Read MoreYoung peoples’ participation is a right, not a privilege
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Australian young people should be assured the right to express their views freely in all matters that affect them, their views being given due weight, in accordance with their age and maturity. Yet in a recent survey of 143 children and young people …
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