Trauma Responsive Practice with Children and Families

his workshop builds on participants’ knowledge of the neurobiology of trauma.  It develops this understanding into considering practice with children and young people and the families of which they are a part.
Working with children is not something that happens in isolation and we need to understand issues and implications of experiences of trauma within and across families.
The workshop considers core concepts of transgenerational and intergenerational trauma and its positive and negative impacts on adaptability and survival.  The session also explores epigenetics from a role perspective and considers the implications this knowledge has for us as practitioners when working with the challenges of family dynamics and interactions.
The session then reviews the fundamental challenge for traumatised children to experience safety and engage in relational exchanges that support them.  These children and young people need adults and systems which understand the impact of these experiences on their development and functioning to ensure they can be more effective in the support they provide.
This workshop provides participants with an opportunity to explore a conceptual, yet practical, trauma responsive practice framework to enable practical application of knowledge into practice.  This framework will then be used to explore specific strategies that participants can use in their own role and practice.
 
By attending this workshop you will:

• Review your understanding of neurobiology and the impacts of relationally based trauma
• Strengthen your understanding of the broad issues vulnerable children face within the context of culture, relationship, environment and experience.
• Explore the difficulties in engaging and re-engaging marginalised parents and carers who have also experienced complex trauma and explore the long- term implications of their experiences.
• Build your understanding of intergenerational trauma, trans-generational trauma, the science of epigenetics and its impact on our understanding of family functioning and the developing child
• Identify strategies for recovery and healing.
• Integrate a conceptual model of trauma responsive work with children and young people into current practice.
• Explore evidence-based practice strategies for intervention with traumatised children and young people, and their families
• Contextualise practical strategies for working with children, young people and their families to participants’ current role and practice.