Rosemary Signorelli, Psychotherapist, Registered Music Therapist, Occupational Therapist

1. Providing Culturally Appropriate Parenting and Child Protection Support to Refugee Parents with 0-5 Year Old Children. Rosemary Signorelli, Psychotherapist, Registered Music Therapist, Occupational Therapist Mohamed Dukuly, Community Development Worker, Psychosocial Educator, Families in Cultural Transition Programme (FICT) Project Officer

2. Overview • Vignettes • What the CWAs see • How these signs may indicate trauma • Cultural differences and transitions • Possible re-traumatisation • The spirit of child protection • Common ground • Strategies that have worked • Future topics • Conclusion

3. Vignette I – Escalating processes Odour at Kindergarten Anger, shame Child taken Child Bruised Child traumatised Report of neglect Report abuse Family, community distraught CPO  home Parent called to school Parent traumatised Reduced engagement in services CPO abused Child sees conflict

4. What does the CWA see? • Possible neglect • Physical abuse

5. Vignette II – Complex interactions Throwing clothes off Mother accused Risk of report Poor eating Concern, humiliation, frustration Parents’ trauma symptoms Visit to dying relative Playing alone Parenting difficulties Separation anxiety Pending Homelessness School refusal Fear Toileting issues Behaviour problems at School

6. What does the CWA see? • Possible neglect • Failure to provide secure housing

7. What may be behind the signs? Health or support constraints Refugee camp life $ constraints Shame, Dignity interrogation Memory of displacement and escape Housing issues Sensory Memory of trauma Despair Post traumatic stress reaction Survival strategies

8. A ComplexInteraction International Events Normal Life Cycle Traumatic Experiences Resettlement Challenges Australian System

9. Adaptive survival strategies may become maladaptive – for adults and children Trauma • Re-experiencing: • Thoughts • Images • Perceptions • Repetitive play • Avoidance: • Avoid reminders • Unable to recall • Loss of interest • Detachment •  affect • Arousal: • sleep • Irritability, anger •  concentration • Hypervigilance • Startle Loss Deprivation

10. What do these look like in children? Eating & digestive problems Illnesses Developmental delay or regression Risk taking Sensory or motor problems Toileting problems Dysregulated behaviour & emotions Language & learning problems Separation anxiety, distrust Nightmares Re-enactment in play or drawings Withdrawal, day dreaming compliance

11. How does this impact on parenting in Australia?

12. Examples of Parenting variationsFICT 2012, Signorelli 2012, Kaur 2012 • Collectivist culture • Broader attachment • Birth and breast mothers • Discipline • Corporal punishment • All adults in community • Supervision • Safe to play in street, • compound • Older children responsible • Parents take care if hurt • Relationship • Expectations • Praise, affection • Play • Children play with children, not adults

13. Cultural transition & settlement issues STARTTS 2011, FICT 2012, Kaur 2012 • Community fragmentation • Family changes and stresses • Unfamiliarity with laws, systems, authorities in Australia • Reluctance to seek help • Fear • Access to services

14. Considering possible re-traumatisation in CP process Being questioned Authority figures Feeling disrespected Fight / flight - anger Fright / freeze - tune out Monitoring, Surveillance Fear of losing child Official coming to home

15. So where do we go from here?

16. What is the spirit of Child Protection?Signorelli and Dukuly 2012,extracts fromACWA Strategic Priorities 2012 • Children are • well – inc. healing, family and community connection • Safe – not re-traumatised • protected • Families are strong and resilient • Communities are connected and empowered • Organisational capacity isstrengthened -collaboration • Workforce is skilled and supported strengthened – inc. cultural appropriateness and trauma awareness

17. Common ground & commitment • Start from a non-deficit stand point • Despite trauma, refugees are incredibly resilient • Same goals: safety, development, opportunity and justice for children • Made sacrifices so children would have a good life • Came here because system working here – one law for everyone • Refugees contribute to the Australian community in a positive way

18. Strategies that have worked…. STARTTS, FICT, Kaura, Bath Cultural Appropriateness Awareness, Assessment and Collaboration Cultural Transition Settlement issues Trauma Informed Practice Case by case

19. Other areas for future discussion and collaboration • Alternatives to first assessment visit in home – collaborative meeting? • Restoration after out of home care • Response to pending homelessness • Risk of suicide / murder

20. Conclusion: achieving better outcomes through.... • Awareness of common ground • safety and well-being of the child • Awareness of cultural transition • new strategies and laws • Trauma informed practice • non-escalation • Collaboration • family • services • community

21. For more information….. Rosemary.Signorelli@sswahs.nsw.gov.au Mohamad.Dukuly@sswahs.nsw.gov.au www.startts.org.au www.trauma-pages.com www.traumacentral.net