Stories of Hope and Healing

The Hope & Healing Framework is underpinned by several common practice principles of Trauma Informed Care. One principle is that care is culturally safe and culturally proficient. Another principle is that care supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity. In alignment with this the Hope & Healing Framework outlines the components of a needs informed approach which emphasises the importance of cultural safety, cultural connections and cultural wellbeing.These components are relevant to young people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and for young people who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, however in this episode we are focusing specifically on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peopler for two reasons. First, these children and young people are over represented in the child protection system and secondly because these young people have been uniquely impacted by historical child protection policies that have created intergenerational trauma, which further compounds their care experience. Therefore, as a system it is imperative that we do better.In this episode you will be hearing from two young people Mark and Bob, as well as experienced residential care worker Tony & Peter. Finally, we have included Dion Tatow from QATSICPP and Lisa Hillan from the Expert Advisory Group. We hope that their stories and ideas will bring to life this important element of Hope and Healing.

You will be hearing fromthree young peopleChantell, Mark andBob,as well as two experienced residential care staffTony andChad.You willalso be hearing again fromDion Tatow fromQATSICPPand Lisa Hillan, who waspart of the Expert AdvisoryGroup for the Hope andHealing Framework.We hope that theirstories and ideas will bring to life this important element of Hopeand Healing

The Hope & Healing Framework emphasises that each young person’s journey in residential care varies, for some it is a brief experience, and for others it may span years as well as different settings. It is important however that throughout a young person’s journey in care, a focus on transitions of all types is important – to support young people to deal with change, and with uncertainty.In this episode you will be hearing from two young people with an experience of living in care - Ethan and Bob, as well as experienced residential care worker Tony & Peter. Finally, we have included Dion Tatow from QATSCIPP and Lisa Hillan from the Expert Advisory Group. We hope their wisdom and insight brings to life this important area of Hope and Healing.

Positive identity is vital for sustained well being of a young person. It is related to a young person’s sense of self – or a sense of knowing “who they are” - and feelings of self worth – that is that that they are worthy in the eyes of others. For young people in residential care, their past need to focus on survival often means that these areas are under developed. Young people may have an uncertain sense of identity, and in particular their cultural identity, if there has been a loss of and disruption to connections with family and community.You will be hearing from one young person with an experience of living in care - Mark, as well as an experienced residential care staff Peter. You will also be hearing again from Howard Bath and Lisa Hillan, who were part of the Expert Advisory Group for the Hope and Healing Framework. Finally we will hear from trauma and development expert Dr Russell Pratt and international expert Kevin Creeden.We hope that their stories and ideas will bring to life this important element of Hope and Healing.

Building a young person’s emotional know how is critical for their mental health, development and learning. In practice, you need to support young people to find ways to cope with internal and external stress in adaptive and healthy ways.In this episode, you will be hear from one young person with an experience of living in residential care - Jessica, as well as experienced residential care staff Peter, Tony and Ellia. Finally, we have included two experts in this episode. You will hear from national and international experts on trauma and development Dr Russel Pratt and Kevin Creeden. We hope that their stories and ideas will bring to life this important element of Hope and Healing.

Connections refers to the young person having a sense of themselves in relation to others and it is the foundation for belonging. Feeling connected is a basic human need – without connection, young people, or any of us, are isolated. Connections with family and with peers and community are particularly important for long term wellbeing.In this episode, you will be hearing from two young people Jason and Mark, as well as Peter & Tony who are very experienced residential care staff members. You will also be hearing from two members of the Expert Advisory Group who assisted in the development of the Hope and Healing Framework – Lisa Hillan, Sandy Wilson as well as Dion Tatow from QATSICPP.

There are four areas that therapeutic care focuses on in the Hope and Healing Framework. This includes Connections, Relationships, Emotional Know-how and Positive Identity. In this episode, we begin our exploration of each area and explore the role of relationships in therapeutic care. This is not just about the development of a relationship between a residential care worker and young person, but also refers to a young person’s capacity to engage in healthy relationships. In your role, you model health relationships through your efforts to work through elements of a relationship such as trust, empathy, caring and forgiveness.You will be hearing from two young people Jason and Chantel, as well as Ellia, Peter and Chad who are very experienced residential care staff members. You will also be hearing from two members of the Expert Advisory Group who assisted in the development of the Hope and Healing Framework – Lisa Hillan and Howard Bath.

Therapeutic care is about creating the conditions for healing to occur. When children and young people feel that they are in a safe home where their needs will be met, they can begin the process of healing. In this episode, we explore what healing means to young people who have been impacted by trauma and intergenerational trauma. We will share the stories of Jessica and Chantelle, who have an experience of living in care, as well as Peter who is an experienced residential care worker. We also share the expert insights from Lisa Hillan, Howard Bath and Dion Tatow.

Development is a fundamental element of care in the Hope and Healing Framework and involves attention to young people’s developmental needs relevant to their age, stage and capacity. This can include their needs for physical and emotional development, as well as educational opportunities.You will be hearing from two young people Jason and Chantel, as well as Peter and Tony who are very experienced residential care staff members. In this episode, you will also be hearing from an international expert on trauma and development – Kevin Creeden. Their stories will help you understand how to meet the developmental needs of young people in care.

Nurturance is about meeting the young people’s needs for nurturing relationships and physical care. Some of these are more obvious, like good food, clothing, shelter, and others can be more difficult to define or measure but we think of them as being ‘looked after’, having ‘normal’ things and experiences, and feeling like a home.You will be hearing from two young people Jason and Chantel, as well as Ellia, Peter & Chad who are very experienced residential care staff members. You will also be hearing from two members of the Expert Advisory Group who assisted in the development of the Hope and Healing Framework – Lisa Hillan and Howard Bath.

Safety is the foundation of all trauma-informed care. In this episode, you will learn how you can help young people feel physically, emotionally and culturally safe while living in care. Jessica and Ethan, are young people with an experience of living in care and they explain what safety meant to them. You will also hear from an experienced residential care staff member - Tony, and three experts in the area - Lisa Hillan, Howard Bath and Sandy Wilson. This is an action packed episode that will help you understand this fundamental element of the Hope and Healing Framework.