Events Calendar

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a highly acclaimed evidence based program cultivating emotional, psychological and physical resilience. It brings together meditative practices with current scientific understandings of human functioning. The 8 week program (2 hours in evening plus one Sunday retreat day) is highly experiential and includes systematic training in formal and informal mindfulness practices. It is open to health professionals and members of the general public.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic disorder characterised by excessive worry, accompanied by somatic symptoms such as restlessness, sleep disturbance, muscle tension and fatigue. It is one of the most common comorbid disorders, particularly with major depression and other anxiety disorders. GAD is also frequently associated with chronic pain conditions, medically unexplained symptoms and sleep disorders. Estimates of lifetime prevalence range between 4.0% and 7.0%. Because of its frequently chronic course, GAD has the potential to create greater disruption in peoples' lives than other anxiety disorders. Historically, it has been less responsive to psychological treatment than other anxiety disorders, and until around 2000, studies reviewing treatment outcomes based on standard CBT interventions found limited improvements.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

The AASW is currently preparing a submission for the Royal Commission into Aged Care. To ensure we’re advocating with the most recent experience and knowledge from our members, we’re holding consultation sessions with interested members to express their voice and contribute to our submission. In this 90-minute group consultation, we’ll be generating discussion around the terms of reference and other key points relevant to the Royal Commission to inform our submission.

This session will be facilitated by a member of the AASW National Social Policy and Advocacy Team and hosted by the NSW Branch Manager.

We warmly welcome the participation of NSW members.

If you are too remote to be able to attend in person, we may be able to organise for you to dial in. When registering tick the option for remote participation and please send an email to socialpolicy@aasw.asn.au and we will share with you the details on how to join the session using an internet connection.

If there’s enough interest in a regional area we may be able to hold a second consultation. If you’re interested in this option, please contact our social policy and advocacy team at socialpolicy@aasw.asn.au

Simple refreshments/nibbles will be provided.

This one-day interactive professional development training provides the information and skills needed by all personnel working in the legal and justice sector to better assist, advocate for and support the large numbers of their clients impacted by diverse traumas, past and present.

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around working with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

This Masterclass is delivered by 2017 Mental Health Nurse of the Year, Matt Ball. Matt is renowned for his trauma-informed approach to working with people who experience psychosis or altered states.

Schema Therapy has been designed to treat disturbed people, including those with chronic mood disorders and personality disorders. There is now considerable evidence of effectiveness with randomised control trials.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Join Slater and Gordon's Maggie Poole to discuss Social Work and the Law and Insurance and Superannuation Claims via Webinar!

2 CPD hours

The LGBTIQ+ Ally Practice Group is open to social workers and students who have an interest in advancing LGBTIQ+ rights, advocacy, wellness, safety and social work practice, and advocating for laws, policies and services that include LGBTIQ+ communities. This practice group will provide necessary tools, information and resources to enhance social workers’ practice in this area.

This meeting will include a presentation by guest speaker Dr George Turner, Lecturer in Social Work at Western Sydney University.

Video conferencing available

Attachment consists of diverse lifespan phenomena. Studies have now expanded including all age cohorts: younger and older children, adolescents, adults and older adults. Both understanding and responding to attachment needs of each group requires knowledge of important differences and similarities, continuities and discontinuities. This seminar provides a unique overview of practical interventions applicable across the full attachment lifespan. For each age group, one evidence-based approach will be engaged whereby specific skills and activities are explored with a focus on applicability for practice. Although fewer practitioners work with every lifespan age group, awareness of the full spectrum remains valuable for understanding clients, their families and their relations.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Doing Death and Dying Well (Deathwalker Training) is a 3 day strength based training providing pallative care awareness to professionals working with people who are dying, their loved ones and carers. The training provides legal and practical knowledge around death and dying. It is experiantial and educational in it's delivery, building resilience and developing skills that enable you to accompany the dying person, their loved ones, carers and bereaved on their journey during what can be a challenging time.

The EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Certification is a 3 day engaging and deeply interactive course. Over the 3 days you will learn how to use EFT for yourself, with individual clients and in groups. There is also a short pre training to complete online. The wide range of benefits of EFT as a therapeutic tool is being increasingly recognised, largely due to numerous research studies conducted to assess the benefits of the modality. You will learn to use EFT to reduce stress, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, cravings, pain, phobias and more…

The EFT Certification is suitable for participants from all levels of the Social work profession – from student to advanced practitioner.

*AASW member discount**

This one-day workshop is based on the experience of over 30 years of STARTTS experience and theoretical frameworks developed by eminent practitioners such as Dr Jim Ife; as well as the essential community development models: social capital development; asset based community development; and collective narrative approaches. It will include practical examples and experiential activities that participants can use and adapt in their own work. Participants will leave the workshop with a strong understanding of how persecution, organised violence, forced displacement and resettlement can create unique challenges for refugee communities, and how they can work with and alongside communities to enhance their strengths, heal from trauma and rebuild in Australia.

This Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Intervention (GC BCI) is highly sought after qualification that will give practitioners theoretical and clinical skill to support patients and clients with both normative and complicated grief reactions. The course is post graduate level and a nationally recognised VET qualification designed for counsellors, social workers, psychologists and other allied health professionals wanting to specialise in bereavement counselling and intervention.

This one-day interactive professional development training provides practitioners with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to work in counselling and/or therapeutic relationships with adult survivors of complex trauma.

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around the unique issues faced by children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It will look at the impact of war and violence from a developmental perspective, with attention paid to attachment and resilience. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

Join Brooke Kooymans in this two part online webinar for Social Workers!

Please note: This Webinar is available via Live Webinar on 04 and 11 June OR you can register to access the Webinar Recording after 04/11 June respectively. Mark your preference when you check out at registration.

Asylum seekers need to cope with prolonged uncertainty and the fear of being sent home associated with their protection claims, while dealing with the impact of persecution, organised violence, torture, forced displacement, a sometimes dangerous journey to Australia, and detention in Australia; all in the context of an Australian political and media environment that can be unsupportive of asylum seekers. This workshop will discuss the global situation of displaced people, the history of asylum seeker policy in Australia, the legacy caseload and the situation of offshore detention on Nauru and Manus Island. It will explore the complex challenges with seeking protection in Australia, and help participants understand how they can support asylum seekers to be able to contain their emotions and feelings, cope with what they are going through in Australia, and prepare for what may come in the future, whether that means obtaining a protection visa or being returned.

The Student Series: Social Workers in Practice provides opportunity for students to hear from professional social workers about their work and build connections within the profession. There are 8 events planned for 2019, between March and November.

Our June speakers will be Biljana Milosevic and Aisha Akkawi

Biljana Milosevic is employed as the Director of the Jannawi Family Centre, an NGO specialist child protection service located in Wiley Park which works with children at risk aged 0-12 years and their families.

Aisha Akkawi is a Social Worker employed as a Family Counsellor at Jannawi. Her role is to provide specialist counselling and support to parents and children who have experienced interpersonal abuse and violence.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Video conferencing available

The Student Series: Social Workers in Practice provides opportunity for students to hear from professional social workers about their work and build connections within the profession. There are 8 events planned for 2019, between March and November.

Our June speakers will be Biljana Milosevic and Aisha Akkawi

Biljana Milosevic is employed as the Director of the Jannawi Family Centre, an NGO specialist child protection service located in Wiley Park which works with children at risk aged 0-12 years and their families. She began working there in 200 and has significant experience working directly with children and families who have experienced violence. She believes strongly in resilience based practice and maintaining hope. She is also the current chair of CASAC Inc., a non-funded peak representing community based child sexual assault counsellors in NSW.

Aisha Akkawi is a Social Worker employed as a Family Counsellor at Jannawi. Her role is to provide specialist counselling and support to parents and children who have experienced interpersonal abuse and violence. She believes in the human right for all children to live in safe homes and the need to advocate for children in adult systems. Aisha also provides support and external supervision to social work students on placement.

Deepen your understanding of Gottman Method Couples Therapy and expand your strategies and interventions in your work with couples. Practice using Gottman Method interventions in group role-plays while receiving personal, supportive coaching from trainers. This workshop provides a wealth of information about relationship theory, observation, couple dynamics, relationship assessment, treatment planning, when and how to use interventions, and working with co-morbidities. All materials may be used in clinical settings.

This interactive and stimulating 2 day course will assist professionals to explore conflict and impart the essential principles and process of mediation. The structured 5-step mediation model and specific conflict resolution skills will be presented and practiced. The course can be utilised in many different areas of conflict e.g. client work, workplace disputes and interpersonal conflict.

* Discount to AASW members *

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around working with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

Do you find working with couples a challenge? Would you like to feel more confident to be able to work with couples? Being an effective couple therapist requires us to develop skills that may not come naturally. This two day workshop teaches participants the fundamental skills of couple therapy and explores the challenges of working with adults who present with relationship problems and the particular issues they bring to the counselling room.

*FPS relevant activity *

** AASW Member discount **

This course will provide the necessary understanding, skills and confidence to manage the difficult discussions effectively. The difficult conversation in the workplace will be necessary for the manager with employees, between colleagues and with clients or students. It is also applicable for challenging interpersonal conversations. This course will explore the difficult conversation utilising the Harvard Negotiation Project model.

* AASW Member Discount *

There will be times when people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds talk about their previous traumatic experiences of war and violence to workers and volunteers; or get angry or upset, or display other types of trauma reactions. This workshop has been designed to give workers not trained as counsellors some basic tips and skills for how to recognise and deal with difficult behaviours in the workplace. It is mostly practical and focuses on a series of case studies and role plays to develop skills in dealing with trauma reactions. It is assumed that participants have attended an introductory workshop by STARTTS such as the Core Concepts or equivalent.

Doing Death and Dying Well (Deathwalker Training) is a 3 day strength based training providing pallative care awareness to professionals working with people who are dying, their loved ones and carers. The training provides legal and practical knowledge around death and dying. It is experiential and educational in it's delivery, building resilience and developing skills that enable you to accompany the dying person, their loved ones, carers and bereaved on their journey during what can be a challenging time.

This one-day interactive professional development training alerts attendees to the possibility that their clients and/or co-workers may have experiences of childhood and/or other past or current trauma(s), which are affecting their health, wellbeing, daily interactions and functioning.

The aim of this workshop is to introduce the integration of mindfulness training with core principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to improve our way of addressing chronic conditions, crisis and prevent relapse in a wide range of psychological disorders. It will describe the important theoretical framework underlying MiCBT and introduce participants to the use of these skills across a wide range of chronic and acute conditions

**FPS Relevant ACtivity**

Join Dr Debra Alvis for a day of cutting edge contemplative and brain based interventions to address a spectrum of clinical disorders. With the seminar's focus on clinician self care, conclude the day feeling renewed energised and ready to apply these new approaches.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

As there has been a significant increase in demand for mental health services and a requirement for economical ‘less is more treatment approaches’, skills in brief, focused therapies are becoming necessary. With Psychodynamic Therapy noted for its emphasis on the unconscious, transferences, childhood patterns, and defence mechanisms, one might wonder how it could be adapted to be an effective brief therapy.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

This is a rare opportunity to develop understanding and skill in the use of art as visual processing in therapy and particularly in trauma treatment and recovery. When clients find it difficult to talk about an event, situation, relationship, feeling etc. a nonverbal expression can open up expression and make way for therapeutic work. Trauma memory can be a visual reoccurrence or recollection, that is triggered unexpectedly at times and using art becomes a relevant approach regardless of a person’s artistic ability.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Doing Death and Dying Well (Deathwalker Training) is a 3 day strength based training providing pallative care awareness to professionals working with people who are dying, their loved ones and carers. The training provides legal and practical knowledge around death and dying. It is experiential and educational in it's delivery, building resilience and developing skills that enable you to accompany the dying person, their loved ones, carers and bereaved on their journey during what can be a challenging time.

This training will introduce participants to the Open Dialogue model of care (Finland) and the dialogical clinical practices that underpin and emerge from this model.
There will be a particular focus on the role of open network meetings in Open Dialogue, as well as working therapeutically with families and wider systems in a variety of clinical contexts.

* Discount for AASW members *

1.5 CPD hours

Training: Working with Grief & Loss.

Presenter: Kylie Duncan is a Community Palliative Care Social Worker with NSW Health. With AASW Accredited Mental Health status and a wealth of experience working with grief and loss, this training is a must for social workers wishing to develop their skill set within this area.

This one-day foundational interactive professional development training alerts attendees to the possibility that clients, staff members and/or practitioners may have experiences of trauma/s, from childhood, or more recently, which are affecting their health, wellbeing, and daily interactions and functioning.

Working with couples can be very challenging and asks a great deal of the therapist in different ways to working with individuals. This training day is designed to give therapists an opportunity to learn systemic concepts when working with couples and participants will learn practical skills and tools to build confidence in this area of clinical work.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

7.5 CPD hours

Do you work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a role that is not specifically therapy or counselling, but you still want to apply culturally appropriate trauma-informed principles to your work?

This training, subsidised by the AASW as part of our Reconciliation Plan, aims to enable social workers in non-therapeutic roles to enhance their understanding of the complex, collective and intergenerational trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to work in ways which enhance safety, minimise re-traumatisation and support healing.

This training is suitable for social workers who work in health, housing, employment, disability, aged care, child protection and similar services. It is also suitable for counselling or mental health social workers who wish to explore the particular types, dynamics and impacts of trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples, but doesn’t address therapeutic work directly.

*Subsidised by the AASW as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan*

*Can count towards AASW Mental Health Accreditation CPD requirements*

This course will help participants develop skills in positive engagement of parents/carers from the outset. The course aims to provide participants with an engagement framework that complements all their existing knowledge and skills. It brings together knowledge of trauma, attachment, shame research, attunement, invitations to responsibility framework, parental ethics, and their role in ethical client engagement.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

The concept of attachment difference within Attachment Theory has offered a truly valuable framework to understand many of the serious mental health care risks associated with childhood difficulties. This second 2019 attachment seminar extends this focus to addressing a relatively new set of adult differences identified as ‘attachment disorganisation’, something potentially influenced by ‘early and ongoing’ trauma and associated with adult personality disorders. In addition to clarifying current knowledge of ‘attachment disorganisation’ into adulthood, the seminar will also introduce more integrated approaches to treatment that include attachment and might also provide greater direction to our work.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

For many clients, suicidal feelings occur once in their life during periods when they are overwhelmed by current life stressors. Helping such clients is usually a relatively straightforward process. The most commonly applied psychotherapeutic and psychiatric techniques are usually successful. However, more difficult are those clients who have been suicidal all of their adult life. These clients do not respond to medication, social support, community mental health teams, and most other forms of psychotherapy. Many of these clients are also habitually self-destructive, regularly hurting themselves and acting on suicidal impulses. Dealing with clients who are both chronically suicidal and self-destructive can be a source of great anxiety for many professionals. This workshop is intended to help participants develop an understanding of the source of chronic suicidal thoughts and actions, and provide some basic principles for use when treating such clients.

This one-day workshop is designed to equip participants with appropriate knowledge and skills to run Jungle Tracks within an integrated therapeutic model. Jungle Tracks is a program that includes five short stories that mirror real life struggles related to the lives of children, adolescents and parents with a background of refugee trauma. The stories promote hope and empowerment and assist the reader/listener to process and reconcile their past experiences and ongoing difficulties in transition.

There will be times when people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds talk about their previous traumatic experiences of war and violence to workers and volunteers; or get angry or upset, or display other types of trauma reactions. This workshop has been designed to give workers not trained as counsellors some basic tips and skills for how to recognise and deal with difficult behaviours in the workplace. It is mostly practical and focuses on a series of case studies and role plays to develop skills in dealing with trauma reactions. It is assumed that participants have attended an introductory workshop by STARTTS such as the Core Concepts or equivalent.

2.5 CPD hours

The AASW NSW Aged Care Practice Group meets bimonthly at locations across Sydney. Social workers across the public and private sector working in the field of aged care are welcome to attend.

The purpose of the group is to discuss relevant issues affecting social work practice in aged care, provide a networking platform for workers across NSW and provide ongoing professional development.

This meeting will include an interactive presentation from Regis and Alzheimer’s Australia.

Video conferencing available

We all know the statistics about the type of patient who is most likely to be vulnerable and at risk of suicide. The reality is that at some point, all mental health practitioners are confronted by a suicidal client who does not fit inside the box the stastics have led us to believe is accurate. This training is designed to give you specific strategies on how to intervene, the steps you, as a professional Mental Health practitioner need to take, to provide the most effective care and support to help your patient choose life.

Measures provide clinicians with the information they require to support the development of management/care plans, as well as the monitoring, review and evaluation of that care. Experience shows that no single measurement scale offers an accurate overall picture of a person’s mental health, and the use of a ‘suite’ of measures can help to overcome the limitations of individual measures.

This two-day clinical workshop incorporates close to 30 years of STARTTS’ experience working with refugee trauma and is based on the latest research in the trauma field. It aims to provide counsellors with a framework of the essentials of best practice in moving beyond symptoms to the context of children and young people from refugee backgrounds which includes cultural transition, resettlement, integrating into a school community and collectivism. It will cover the distinct biopsychosocial sequelae of torture and refugee trauma, including on the developing nervous system, memory and attachment; ways to overcome barriers to engaging young clients from refugee backgrounds in therapy and groups; and the importance of utilising a combination of expressive and body and mind approaches in a phased trauma treatment approach. It will emphasise the importance of incorporating family, the school and community; and working with other professionals to achieve desired clinical outcomes.

This 2 day training affords a detailed focus on increasing clinical competence in Open Dialogue and dialogical practice. It builds upon the introductory training and is informed by dialogical and systemic theory and practice. There is a particular focus on Core Elements including reflecting and other dialogical processes and Core Dialogue including the use of self. Training methods include: role plays, experiential exercises, and reflection on the nuanced and sophisticated skills of dialogical practice.

* Discount to AASW members *

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a highly acclaimed evidence based program cultivating emotional, psychological and physical resilience. It brings together meditative practices with current scientific understandings of human functioning. The 8 week program (2 hours in evening plus one Sunday retreat day) is highly experiential and includes systematic training in formal and informal mindfulness practices. It is open to health professionals and members of the general public.

4 CPD hours

The next Palliative Care Social Workers Practice Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 30 July at the AASW NSW Branch office (rescheduled from 26 June).

The Palliative Care Social Worker Practice Group is open to qualified social workers and social work students who work with palliative care patients in hospice, community settings and hospital settings.

Video/teleconferencing available

Help couples in your practice manage conflict and deepen intimacy! This is the first step in learning Gottman Method Couples Therapy. A truly inspiring workshop, Level 1 Training will give you new insights into treatment for couples who struggle, using research-based assessments and effective interventions.

The Student Series: Social Workers in Practice provides opportunity for students to hear from professional social workers about their work and build connections within the profession. There are 8 events planned for 2019, between March and November.

Our August speaker will be Liam McGovern.

Liam works as a policy officer for the NSW Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP), an independent statutory office focusing on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. He undertakes research and drafts submissions that contribute to the policy process and inform decision makers. Prior to this, Liam worked with the NSW Services for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) in their School Liaison Team. Since 2017, Liam has served on the executive of the Social Work in Disability Practice Group (SWID), initially as the Student Representative and now Deputy Convener.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Video conferencing available

This 3-day face to face course is an opportunity not only to be trained in the RISE UP model of supervision, but for personal growth and personalised feedback, which culminates in a formal assessment phase. It has a pre-reading component of up to 40 hours. Your presenter has extensive experience in private practice and supervision, affording you insight into cases and supervision issues

The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People Seminar equips social workers and other frontline professionals with practical knowledge, skills and tools that they can apply directly in their work to support young people improve and maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing.

2 CPD hours

SWID is an AASW practice group for social workers working in the field of disability services, both in government and non-government organisations. Its main purpose is to facilitate support, networking, lobbying and professional development. Any social worker in the field of disability, from any organisation is welcome to join.

Video conferencing available.

A gold coin donation is requested, to go towards morning tea for the next meeting

This one day workshop will give participants a greater awareness of the key factors which impact on client-worker interactions such one’s worldview, privilege, bias and representation. Participants will come away with general knowledge of the socio-political contexts of the main countries of origin of refugees coming to Australia and how culture, identity and meaning are impacted by torture and other traumatic events, resettlement, interactions with the host culture and the Australian service provision context. The workshop will explore key worker attitudes and skills for working in a culturally competent and trauma informed manner with people from refugee backgrounds.

The emphasis of this two-day training program is upon imparting practical, accessible skills to use immediately with survivors of complex trauma (especially child abuse and neglect).

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Non verbal and creative interventions with clients are shown to have many benefits. Making an altered book in a therapeutic context can provide a framework for exploring a variety of themes, experiences and narratives, whilst supporting changes in perspectives and encouraging a sense of agency. For social workers, learning how to facilitate altered book making offers the opportunity for a new way of engaging with clients, which can be a catalyst for further therapeutic work.

This course is designed to expand your range of clinical skills with hypnotherapy, psychotherapy & counselling. There is a special component of regression and hypno-analytical therapy contained in this course.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

There will be times when people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds talk about their previous traumatic experiences of war and violence to workers and volunteers; or get angry or upset, or display other types of trauma reactions. This workshop has been designed to give workers not trained as counsellors some basic tips and skills for how to recognise and deal with difficult behaviours in the workplace. It is mostly practical and focuses on a series of case studies and role plays to develop skills in dealing with trauma reactions. It is assumed that participants have attended an introductory workshop by STARTTS such as the Core Concepts or equivalent.

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around working with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

1.5 CPD hours

Agenda includes acknowledgement of Overdose Awareness Day, which is on 31 August.

Training: Self-care in mental health recovery

Presenter: Sue Aenishaenslin has a wealth of experience using recovery models of practice within the field of mental health.

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD - A treatment for complex trauma. This two-day workshop aims to train clinicians to deliver CPT. The training is practice-oriented and includes video clips of expert demonstrations. You will also be provided with a comprehensive manual and client handouts (in hard and soft copy) for clinical use.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

We all know the statistics about the type of patient who is most likely to be vulnerable and at risk of suicide. The reality is that at some point, all mental health practitioners are confronted by a suicidal client who does not fit inside the box the stastics have led us to believe is accurate. This training is designed to give you specific strategies on how to intervene, the steps you, as a professional Mental Health practitioner need to take, to provide the most effective care and support to help your patient choose life.

Measures provide clinicians with the information they require to support the development of management/care plans, as well as the monitoring, review and evaluation of that care. Experience shows that no single measurement scale offers an accurate overall picture of a person’s mental health, and the use of a ‘suite’ of measures can help to overcome the limitations of individual measures.

This one day workshop will give participants a greater awareness of the key factors which impact on client-worker interactions such one’s worldview, privilege, bias and representation. Participants will come away with general knowledge of the socio-political contexts of the main countries of origin of refugees coming to Australia and how culture, identity and meaning are impacted by torture and other traumatic events, resettlement, interactions with the host culture and the Australian service provision context. The workshop will explore key worker attitudes and skills for working in a culturally competent and trauma informed manner with people from refugee backgrounds.

There will be times when people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds talk about their previous traumatic experiences of war and violence to workers and volunteers; or get angry or upset, or display other types of trauma reactions. This workshop has been designed to give workers not trained as counsellors some basic tips and skills for how to recognise and deal with difficult behaviours in the workplace. It is mostly practical and focuses on a series of case studies and role plays to develop skills in dealing with trauma reactions. It is assumed that participants have attended an introductory workshop by STARTTS such as the Core Concepts or equivalent.

15 CPD hours

This training is designed for practitioners who work in a counselling and/or therapeutic relationship with complex trauma clients, and utilise clinical assessment, case formulation and treatment/care planning in their daily practice. This two-day interactive professional development training presents the three-phased approach for working ‘bottom up and top down’ with clients who have complex trauma histories. Informed by current research, it assumes foundational knowledge around complex trauma, trauma-informed practice, attachment theory and affective neuroscience, and builds on it.

*Can count towards AASW Mental Health Accreditation CPD requirements*

This one-day workshop will give participants a greater understanding of the impact of torture and refugee trauma on group participation and dynamics, and how it can be effectively managed. It will cover the general principles of group facilitation in a cross-cultural context; and the things to be aware of and techniques to create a safe and engaging learning experience, to encourage a meaningful exchange of ideas, and to involve each member in thinking through different issues. Group facilitation tools and practical exercises to encourage meaningful participation will also be covered.

3.5 CPD hours

The AASW NSW Aged Care Practice Group meets bimonthly at locations across Sydney. Social workers across the public and private sector working in the field of aged care are welcome to attend.

The purpose of the group is to discuss relevant issues affecting social work practice in aged care, provide a networking platform for workers across NSW and provide ongoing professional development.

Refugees have experienced persecution, torture and other traumatic experiences in the context of organised violence, which has implications for healing from trauma and rebuilding lives in Australia. It is essential that workers have the skills to manage conflict when it arises and provide a safe service provision environment. This practical workshop focuses on understanding and resolving conflict in a trauma-sensitive way. It is informed by latest research in the conflict and trauma field, and aims to draw the link between the two fields. Participants will come out of the training with an understanding of how conflict, violence, the trauma experience and trauma-healing are related, and practical skills of facilitating resolution of conflict in a trauma-sensitive way.

Mindful Self-Compassion is an outstanding workshop. The program consist of didactic and experiential training exercises in mindfulness and self-compassion, to improve professional skills and personal lives.

Rapidly expanding research shows that mindfulness and self-compassion are strongly associated with emotional well-being, lower levels of anxiety, pain and depression, better healthy habits such as diet and exercise, more satisfying personal relationships and enhanced self-care.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Mindful Self-Compassion is an outstanding workshop. The program consist of didactic and experiential training exercises in mindfulness and self-compassion, to improve professional skills and personal lives.

Rapidly expanding research shows that mindfulness and self-compassion are strongly associated with emotional well-being, lower levels of anxiety, pain and depression, better healthy habits such as diet and exercise, more satisfying personal relationships and enhanced self-care.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Loss and associated grief are defining characteristics of the refugee experience. This two-day clinical workshop will give participants a greater awareness of the key components of loss and grief counselling when assessing and treating refugee survivors of torture and trauma. It will introduce participants to a model of cross cultural grief treatment and its relevance to the refugee resettlement context associated with the loss of loved ones and homeland, change of social status, and a loss of a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose. It will give participants practical strategies for how to treat grief, including traumatic grief, and assist clients rebuild their lives in Australia.

This experiential and arts based workshop provides a fresh approach to understanding therapists' self care. You will use art based activities to help you recognise the impact your work can have on you, identify your individual self care needs and the strategies which can support you, and plan how to integrate self care into your life.

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around the unique issues faced by children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It will look at the impact of war and violence from a developmental perspective, with attention paid to attachment and resilience. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

The aim of this course is to enable the achievement by all participants of a satisfactory level of competence for supervising social work staff in an effective, efficient and sensitive manner. The course will focus on the development of supervisory skills, techniques and knowledge using a variety of methods, including presentations, small group discussion and experiential learning assisted by the use of video.

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around the unique issues faced by children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It will look at the impact of war and violence from a developmental perspective, with attention paid to attachment and resilience. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with children and adolescents from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

This practical one-day training workshop begins with a brief review of historical approaches to couples therapy and how research has revealed the ineffectiveness in those approaches. Ari will then present some of Gottman’s (leading couples therapy researcher) findings about destructive patterns in couple relationships and their predictive validity as well as those aspects that enhance satisfying and enduring relationships.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

This two-day clinical workshop is informed by STARTTS’ research and is focused on the unique challenges of working clinically with children from refugee backgrounds under six years of age and their parents/caregivers who have experienced war and violence. It will explore how direct and indirect traumatic experiences impact on the mother and child pre- and post-natally. Consideration will be given to influences such as the developing nervous system, memory and attachment, potential delays in all areas of development as a result of the complex interactions of refugee-related trauma, ways to overcome barriers to engaging young children from refugee backgrounds and their parents in therapy; the importance of balancing structure with child-centred / relationship based following of the child, regulating emotions, using play, music and movement. Attention will also be given to how to act as a role model, mentor and supporter for parents. The workshop will discuss incorporating the family’s cultural beliefs in therapy and how to integrate an interpreter into sessions.

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for, and commitment to, a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. Motivational interviewing utilises the principles and practices of person-centred counselling to engage a person in a conversation about change.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

How can we differentiate bipolar disorder from borderline personality disorder (BPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder from obsessive compulsive personality disorder, or a cognitive lack of empathy from the emotional lack of empathy that is part of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)? Although personality disorders are often talked about, their symptoms can be difficult to recognise - particularly by novice therapists who may be baffled by behaviours associated with personality disorders. This seminar will provide an understanding of the ten DSM-5 listed personality disorders, with an emphasis on: learning to identify the symptoms; understanding the lived experience of consumers; and learning to manage some of the difficult behaviours.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

The unpredictability of mood swings and rages associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be confusing and challenging for family, friends, co-workers and therapists alike. This seminar will provide an in-depth understanding of BPD and NPD.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Narratively oriented therapists take the position that our lives are shaped by stories. We never see the world as it is, we always see through a narrative ‘lens’, we give value to certain aspects of experience and neglect other aspects, we are constantly interpreting what is happening in, to and around us. It is through the stories we have about ourselves, others and life in general that we make sense of things and navigate our way in the world. And how we see the world clearly shapes how we act in the world.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

1.5 CPD hours

Agenda includes acknowledgement of Blue Knot Day.

Training: Working with adult survives of childhood trauma.

Presenter: Sue Partridge, AMHSW and Certified Neuropsychotherapy Practitioner

There will be times when people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds talk about their previous traumatic experiences of war and violence to workers and volunteers; or get angry or upset, or display other types of trauma reactions. This workshop has been designed to give workers not trained as counsellors some basic tips and skills for how to recognise and deal with difficult behaviours in the workplace. It is mostly practical and focuses on a series of case studies and role plays to develop skills in dealing with trauma reactions. It is assumed that participants have attended an introductory workshop by STARTTS such as the Core Concepts or equivalent.

Why are some people ageing with a great sense of freedom and others with a sense of despair? Is it just a matter of attitude? What does the current research say about ageing with resilience? Evidence suggests that emotional wellbeing generally increases with age unless the older person is experiencing some major health issue or disadvantage (Centre for Mental Health 2014).

*This training may qualify for Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health website for more information.

At this Art Camp, you will be able to learn and enjoy creative ways of working with clients ( Children, Adolescents, Adults) and groups (Families, Corporations) , using Art Journals, Sand Play, Drawing, Drama Therapy, Body work, Masks, Paintings, Land Art, and more.

This course will present a mindful approach to working through loss, grief when learning new ways to cope with a changed world. The workshop will draw on John Kabat Zinn’s (2016) work which suggests that ‘The challenge of mindfulness is to work with the very circumstances in which you find yourself regardless of how discouraging and stuck you feel.’

*This training may qualify for Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health website for more information.

Non verbal and creative interventions with clients are shown to have many benefits. Making an altered book in a therapeutic context can provide a framework for exploring a variety of themes, experiences and narratives, whilst supporting changes in perspectives and encouraging a sense of agency. For social workers, learning how to facilitate altered book making offers the opportunity for a new way of engaging with clients, which can be a catalyst for further therapeutic work.

This workshop explores how both supervisors and supervisees provide input towards key processes in supervision.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

This two-day workshop presents a highly practical and interactive workshop (case-based) for treating PTSD patients; the content is applicable to both adult and adolescent populations.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Complex trauma is highly damaging but frequently unrecognised and inappropriately treated. While current research in the neurobiology of attachment has major implications for treatment of trauma, the potential of these insights is not widely operationalised in clinical practice and confusion about the differences between ‘complex’ and ‘single incident’ trauma persists.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Recent developments and research in neuroscience indicate that direct attention to and work with the emotions is necessary for effective therapeutic change. More particularly, ‘affective embodied experiences are central for change to occur’ (Schore 2012).

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

This one-day workshop is designed to put a framework of understanding around working with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. It focuses on understanding the link between what refugees have been through, the impact of torture and other traumatic events, the stressors of detention, resettlement and cultural transition. It explores how to work in a trauma informed and culturally competent way that promotes recovery and fosters feelings of trust, safety and control, while minimising the risk of retraumatisation. Participants will be encouraged to think about how to apply the concepts to their own workplace, and will leave the workshop feeling more confident in utilising their skills and experience with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

In this two-day workshop, the first day gives theory and practice of group therapy. The term 'group therapy' can be applied to a variety of theoretically and practically different kinds of groups from the psychoanalytic to the CBT.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

2.5 CPD hours

The AASW NSW Aged Care Practice Group meets bimonthly at locations across Sydney. Social workers across the public and private sector working in the field of aged care are welcome to attend.

The purpose of the group is to discuss relevant issues affecting social work practice in aged care, provide a networking platform for workers across NSW and provide ongoing professional development.

The emphasis of this two-day training program is upon imparting practical, accessible skills to use immediately with survivors of complex trauma (especially child abuse and neglect).

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Dr Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb brings her well received 1-week summer Gestalt Therapy residential straight from Italy to Tallows Beach Retreat Centre between the Teatree Lake and the Pacific Ocean!

This course will teach you the fundamentals of CBT, guided imagery, counselling, stress management and relaxation. The emphasis is on using a positive approach with your patients.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

This seminar aims to enhance counselling practitioner’s knowledge, sensitivity and awareness for working with transgender people. Some of the topics covered will be; awareness of language when referring to transpeople, scales of sex and gender, the current DSM gender dysphoria diagnosis, referral requirements for treatment and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards. Specifically, this training addresses background information, terms & definitions, diagnosis criteria, the prevalence of gender diversity & aspects of assessment.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

The Adolescent Culture workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to engage and be a part of an informative and experiential/interactive session about young people today. This workshop will include discussions, activities and information on adolescent culture, highlighting what young people are experiencing, feeling, participating in and experimenting with. In addition, participants will walk away with a tool belt with skills and strategies to best engage with and motivate young people.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

This workshop will draw from the work of Paul Gilbert, founder of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Dennis Tirch, founder of The Centre for Compassion Focused Therapy. The healing properties of compassion have been written about for centuries, including the Dali Lama who connects compassion with happiness. CFT is an integrated and multimodal approach that draws from evolutionary, social, developmental and Buddhist psychology, and neuroscience.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information