Issue 5, April 2009

These last months have highlighted the diversity of experiences that children and adolescents may have with incidents involving trauma, loss and grief. We have seen the ongoing tragedies and courage as children, families and communities attempt to rebuild their lives after the bushfires. We have seen community violence affecting families across many of our communities, in the far reaches of the continent and in our cities. We have recognised the stresses faced by children in circumstances of asylum seeking; the challenges for refugee families; and the horrors of war. We have been reminded of so many of the strengths of our community with Anzac Day celebrations and the innocent, serious and human touch of the faces of children during these celebrations.

All these call for great recognition of needs and strengths, for research and knowledge to assist those working with children and sharing their lives. This edition gathers some of these resources but we will continue to seek more. Your views on what is of value will be helpful to us as we progress these developments further.

Over the past month the Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network (ACATLGN) has continued to build on and develop resources that are able to be used and applied across a spectrum of settings. The need for local resources that are able to guide and educate a range of professionals working in this area, is one that has been repeatedly brought to our attention.

We have also looked further afield to bring together quality resources from around Australia  and Internationally. We are continually adding resources to our website, so please remember to regularly access our professional resources pages.

• ACATLGN have just launched the Review Collection webpages. This literature review collection covers reviews on interventions for bereavement, trauma and traumatic events and child abuse and neglect. The aim is to provide you with up to date information to help you determine which interventions are considered most appropriate for children and young people experiencing trauma and loss. Please click here to access these pages.
  

• ACATLGN have recently been involved in the development of guidelines for health professionals working in primary care settings. Titled, Guide for Health Professionals Working in Primary Care: Supporting Children, Young People and Their Families Affected by the Victorian Bushfires, this document can be downloaded from our website by clicking here.

• ACATLGN has launched two new hubs. Please visit the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families and Communities Hub and the Mental Health and Primary Care Hub. 

• ACATLGN has recently changed the format and structure of some of the material on our website. Please make sure to update your bookmarks next time you visit the earlytraumagrief site. 

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has released new resources following the Victorian bushfires. By following this link you will find resources for people working with affected communities and information for people affected by bushfires. This includes information about the impact of trauma on children and how to look after those children affected by the bushfires.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has recently published a book available online, Trauma Informed Interventions. The aim of this book has been to identify and review trauma informed treatment interventions and to describe their level of cultural competency. The book can be viewed by clicking here.

The NCTSN have also launched a new website: NCTSN Learning Center for Child and Adolescent Trauma. The website provides an online resource for professionals and families seeking to learn more about childhood traumatic stress. It is currently free to join the website, which means you are able to access resources as well as the NCTSN speaker series. 

Postvention conference 2009: connectedness - a link to hope, Melbourne, 21 May 2009. This conference aims to provide support, information and opportunities for networking and collaboration between postvention researchers, practitioners and those bereaved by suicide. It also aims to facilitate efforts to promote the need for suicide bereavement services and other issues relevant to the needs of people bereaved by suicide at community, state, national and international levels.

Further information on upcoming conferences and events can be viewed on the ACATLGN website.

Please remember to upload any resources and information you have for ACATLGN to place on the website, or alternatively contact us and we will upload information for you.