Page 2190 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 4 August 2015
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today about the work being undertaken with children at Melaleuca Place. Melaleuca Place officially opened on 10 July 2014. It supports some of the most vulnerable and traumatised children in the ACT. It was specifically designed to provide a service for children and young people who have suffered from complex trauma and who have been involved in the child protection system in the ACT.
Melaleuca Place leads trauma-informed practice in the ACT and there are currently 27 children receiving therapeutic services. It receives referrals from Child and Youth Protection Services. Melaleuca Place is a key initiative that supports the ACT government’s “A step up for our kids” strategy and is complemented by the deployment of therapeutic assessors who will ensure all children in care receive a trauma-informed response.
Research demonstrates that many children involved in the child and youth protection system are exposed to a number of negative experiences earlier in life that increase their risk of experiencing not only trauma and disrupted attachments but also developing mental health issues. We therefore know that children in statutory care display consistently higher rates of behavioural and other mental health problems, as well as compromised cognitive and adaptive functioning, than children in the general population. We also know from research that addressing these issues early increases the opportunity to achieve better life outcomes. Early intervention is vital.
In addressing this kind of trauma within the ACT it was acknowledged that there was a need for a dedicated trauma-informed service, and in 2013 the ACT government committed to the provision of such a service. After some significant research, consultation and planning across government and the community, Melaleuca Place opened its doors. Indeed, one of my first duties as Minister for Children and Young People was to formally open Melaleuca Place and I was especially pleased to return there last month to celebrate the first-year anniversary.
Melaleuca Place is staffed by therapists from a range of disciplines including social workers, psychologists, a speech therapist and an occupational therapist. In addition to this group we also employ a child psychiatrist one day a week. All therapists have received extensive training in trauma and its impact on children. It is the intention of the government to ensure this staff group continues to receive training that keeps their knowledge of best practice up to date.
The work undertaken by Melaleuca Place with children is in the context of their care and support networks, utilising trauma and attachment-informed interventions. These therapeutic interventions aim to provide a sense of stability and safety through consistency and predictability, nurturing attachments also and allowing young people, their carers and family the time and space to heal, recover and move towards achieving more positive life outcomes.
We are seeking to ensure that we respond to the needs of all children who are in out-of-home care with a therapeutic plan. Melaleuca Place has been at the forefront of this over the past year. Child and Youth Protection Services have restructured with a focus on ensuring that children in out-of-home care receive trauma-informed services that are specific to their needs. Indeed, the recent restructure puts a greater emphasis on
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