Working with Youth
Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm:
Suicide claims the lives of over 2000 Australians each year including increasing numbers of adolescents and children. Each life lost is a tragedy that causes grief to countless individuals, often devastating family and friends. Create safer communities by training your staff and volunteers in suicide and self harm awareness and prevention.
Key Competencies Gained by participants:
- General knowledge about suicide, and specific knowledge about suicide amongst children/youth
- Ability to recognise the warning signs related to suicidal behaviour in children/youth
- Practical strategies for responding appropriately
- Knowledge of referral resources to minimize risk and provide ongoing support for at risk children/youth
Child Abuse
Child abuse and neglect is Australia's most significant social problem; over 30,000 cases of Australian children being abused or neglected were confirmed last year alone. Child abuse is known to increase the risk of negative outcomes in adulthood such as substance addiction, crime, homelessness, poor physical health, educational failure, poor employability prospects, depression and suicide. Help protect the safety and wellbeing of children by providing training in child abuse and neglect to your staff and volunteers.
Key Competencies Gained by participants:
- Understanding of the dynamics of different types of abuse and neglect, and how they affect children
- Ability to recognize warning signs of abuse
- Practical skills for responding to disclosures of abuse
- Understanding of abuse Reporting Requirements.
Working with Difficult Youth
Anyone involved in the care of groups of children knows how difficult that challenge can be when you have to contend with disruptive or anti-social behaviour. Help equip your staff and volunteers with effective strategies to respond to youth exhibiting disruptive and difficult behaviour from a positive framework of understanding.
Key Competencies Gained by participants:
- Brief understanding of conditions presenting with behavioural problems.
- Understanding of different Behavioural Modification theories and methods
- Practical Strategies for responding to difficult behaviour
- Knowledge of referral sources for children/young people and families requiring further support and intervention.
Grief and Loss:
Grief is the natural response to loss as people try to come to terms with significant change. Grief can be an isolating experience as every person grieves in a different way, often experiencing a wide variety of emotions over time. When grieving adolescents are able to share how they are feeling with a supportive listener, it can greatly reduce the sense of isolation and loneliness that often comes with grief. Equip your staff and volunteers to effectively respond to youth experiencing grief and loss through this practical workshop.
Key Competencies Gained by participants:
- Understanding of grief and bereavement, including basic understanding of complex and prolonged grief
- Awareness of common grief reactions and possible behaviors of grieving youth; knowing when to be concerned
- Confidence in recognising the needs of grieving youth
- Identify and implement effective strategies to support grieving youth
- Receive resources that can assist youth who are experiencing strong emotions when grieving.
- Understanding of when to refer to specialist services for ongoing support.
Depression
Everyone feels sad from time to time, but for youth suffering depression, these feelings of lowered mood can be experienced intensely and can last for long periods of time – often without reason. Depression is the most common mental illness in children and youth and the number of cases being diagnosed are increasing. It can affect peoples normal day-to-day functioning; causing them to withdraw from activities they previously enjoyed and increases the risk of a number of other negative outcomes including substance abuse and suicide. Equip your staff and volunteers to recognize and appropriately assist young people struggling with depression by providing this training workshop.
Key Competencies Gained by participants:
- Awareness and understanding of depression in youth
- Ability to identify signs and symptoms of depression and respond appropriately
- Strategies to reduce the impact of depression on your organisation’s staff, volunteers, and/or other individuals your organization assists.
- Awareness of referral resources for providing youth suffering depression with ongoing support specific to their situation