It is essential that anyone you refer to QPASTT first consents to the referral and would like support. If necessary, ensure you use an accredited interpreter to seek consent.

If you are concerned about your client’s psychological wellbeing and you think this might be connected to past trauma you could ask the following questions to determine if a referral to QPASTT is appropriate – the questions only require a yes/no answer:

I am aware that before coming to Australia you may have experienced some terrible events. You don’t have to tell me about this but I feel there might be something upsetting you about the past. Is it OK if I ask you a few questions?

Do you have bad dreams or keep remembering things that happened in the past (as if a past experience is happening), or thoughts about them when you do not want to?

Do you try hard not to think about the past or go out of your way to avoid situations that remind you of this?

Do you constantly worry that something bad might happen, or are you easily frightened by noises (e.g. phone, doorbell, etc.)?

Do you feel uninterested in other people, places, or activities?

Are any of the above impacting on your current everyday life? If so, it can be helpful to talk to a person trained and experienced in working with such situations. Would you like to talk about this with someone at QPASTT?

Provide information to the client about QPASTT as a service which can assist people with the problems / difficulties which people face when arriving in a new country. Some of those difficulties are the result of previous experiences. For example, you could say:

“QPASTT is a service which has worked for many years with people who had to leave their country due to war, conflict, persecution or other situations where it was no longer safe. They offer assistance for individuals and families to help them cope and recover from these difficult past experience which can continue to impact in the present.”

They can provide assistance for (choose the most suitable for the client’s situation of the following):

Feelings of nervousness

Feelings of sadness

Difficulties with sleeping

Coping with everyday problems

Trouble with learning or remembering, or thinking too much

Not feeling like you want to be around other people

Not feeling that there is any future

Family difficulties or conflicts in families and/or

Children and/or young people finding it difficult to settle into a new country or school (or getting used to all the changes they face)

Consider giving the client a QPASTT brochure in their own language – see Resources for Survivors section above.

Resources for Health Professionals

QPASTT Information Brochure for General Practitioners

Mental health referral pathways for children, adolescents and adults from refugee backgrounds – Options for General Practitioners and Health Professional

The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide can be used by doctors, nurses and other primary care providers to inform on-arrival and ongoing health care for people from refugee backgrounds, including people seeking asylum. If you are looking for services for people from a refugee background in QLD please go here.

Queensland Government Multicultural Health – Information for the public, for health workers, Interpreting and translating, policies, plans and strategies.

Community Profiles for Health Care Providers – practical tool that assists health care providers to better understand the health beliefs, pre-migration experiences, communication preferences and other aspects of their clients’ culture.

Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre – A state wide service for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Health Translations Victoria – Health Translations enables health practitioners and those working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities to easily find translated health information.

Refugee Health Network in Victoria

Refugee Health Network of Australia (RHeaNa)

Raising Children in Australia – A resource kit for early childhood services working with parents from African Backgrounds (2007) (VFST)

Hand in Hand – Parenting by Connection – A range of parenting tools, resources and consultations.

‘From isolation to connection; a guide to understanding and working with traumatised children and young people’ (Child Safety Commissioner, Victoria, 2009)

Resources for Schools

HEAL Program

HEAL is Queensland’s school-based expressive arts therapy program for young people from refugee backgrounds.

HEAL programs are delivered in schools to support students who are experiencing the impacts of trauma. HEAL offers both individual and group sessions. Expressive arts therapies are evidence-based and delivered by qualified arts and music therapists. Expressive therapies are less stigmatising for young people accessing support and help ensure that trauma is not a barrier to learning.

Contact HEAL for service packages and prices:
E: heal@qpastt.org.au
P: 07 3391 6677
www.fheal.com.au

School Outreach

QPASTT offers a school outreach service of counselling, group work and youth work.

Children and Youth Counsellors provide direct counselling and run therapeutic groups with children and young people on a needs basis, in partnership with school staff.

QPASTT Youth Workers deliver outreach services to a number of schools and provide support to students through referrals to relevant services, family inclusion and liaison between school and families. Youth Workers gain valuable insight through their work with students in schools and are therefore able to ensure the appropriate supports within the school environment can be put in place for students from refugee backgrounds.

Contact QPASTT to discuss our school-outreach service:
P: 07 3391 6677
E: admin@qpastt.org.au

Training for Schools

QPASTT offers a range of professional development training for school staff to improve their understanding of the refugee experience and the impact of torture and trauma on students and families. The workshops are offered to schools and tailored to meet the specific needs of schools and school staff.

To request training for your school, fill in the Training Request for Schools form below, or download a Training request for Schools form and email to Taryn McBurney

It may take up to 3-weeks from lodgment to assess a request.

For further information, contact QPASTT’s training Coordinator Taryn McBurney.

Email Taryn McBurney Call Taryn McBurney Download Form

Request for Professional Development for Schools

Tailored Training Form

Date of Request

Postion/Title

Contact Person

Organisation

Postal Address

Phone

Mobile

Fax

Have you had any training from QPASTT in the past 12 months?

Yes

Please specify the topic

About your organisation

The percentage of your clients from a refugee or asylum seeker background?

The estimated percentage of your clients who are newly arrived refugees? – ie. those who have been in Australia less than 12 months

What is the nature of your work with clients?

The Catchment Area of your organization (eg. specific region, state-wide)

Proposed training content and format

What topics would you like to be addressed in this training?

Number of sessions requested

Length of each session (hours)

What is the reason for this training request? What has led to the need for training?

How many people will be attending the training?

What is their profile? (eg. Case manager, volunteer)

What do you want the participants to get out of the training?

Your answers to the questions in the following section will assist us in planning your session.

Please rate on a scale of 1-5 (where 1= limited knowledge, 5=expert knowledge) the participants knowledge in the following areas:

Australia’s Humanitarian Program

Psychosocial effects of traumatic experiences

Working with children and families

Services for refugees & asylum seekers

Principles of working with traumatised clients

Incidental counselling skills

Recovery goals

Impact of trauma on learning and wellbeing

Understanding the refugee experience

Working with adults

Working with young people

Identifying survivors of torture and trauma

Cross-cultural skills & considerations

Boundaries & emotional responses of workers

Clinical focus (comprehensive assessment and interventions)

Date and Venue

Date

Requested date and time of session

Proposed Venue

Is there flexibility around this date and time?

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Video Resources for Schools

What Trauma Looks like in Children

Play Video

Section One

An overview of QPASTT; different presentations you may see in children and young people from refugee, asylum seeker and migrant backgrounds; and different types of trauma and how these traumas could impact on children and young people.

Play Video

Section Two

This section of the video covers: the refugee experience and how this can impact family relationships and dynamics; the impact of the refugee experience on education; the impacts of trauma on brain development; the fight/flight/freeze response; and signs and symptoms of trauma in different age groups.

Play Video

Section Three

Responding to and Managing Trauma Related Behaviours in Children and Young People from Refugee Backgrounds

Play Video

Section One

This section of the video covers: the recovery framework; the values and micro-skills of listening to trauma; confidentiality; common pitfalls; working with interpreters; professional boundaries and responding to disclosures.

Play Video

Section Two

This section of the video covers: responding to dissociation; containment and grounding strategies; responding to anger and aggressive behaviours; Life Space Interviews and responding to risky sexual behaviours.

Play Video

Section Three

This section of the video covers: responding to the use of alcohol and other drugs; harm minimization; diverse sexualities and identities; self-harm; responding to suicidality and safety planning.

Vicarious Trauma, Burn out and Self-Care

Play Video

This section of the video cover: the four components of the trauma reaction and us; definitions of vicarious trauma; signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma; risk factors; unhelpful beliefs and things people may experience in the body.

Play Video

This section of the video covers: empathic strain; characteristics of ideal range relationships; preventing and addressing the effects of vicarious trauma; postural mirroring; debriefing techniques; making meaning and care plans.

QPASTT Video Series for Schools:

A free set of video resources covering the following topics:

Description of QPASTT and how to use the school resource videos

Understanding the refugee experience and its potential impact on learning and wellbeing

Supporting children from a refugee background

Working with children from asylum seeker backgrounds

Working with young people with a refuge background in an educational setting

Understanding a Whole of School approach

Reflections from school representatives

External links:

The Refugee Student Support Kit for teachers, school Counsellors and school communities (Education Queensland)

School’s In for Refugees: A whole-school approach to supporting students of refugee background (VFST, 2016)

Talk’s In; Families of refugee backgrounds and schools in dialogue (VFST, 2014)

Calmer classrooms; A guide to working with traumatised children (Child Safety Commissioner, Victoria, 2016)

Making SPACE for Learning – Trauma Informed Practice in Schools (Australian Childhood Foundation, 2010)

Acknowledgement of Country

QPASTT acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land where we live and work and we pay our respect to their cultures, their ancestors and their elders – past, present and emerging. We recognise the continuing trauma caused by losses of children, language, lore and land and the impact that this continues to have on psychological, physical and spiritual wellbeing. We recognise that since time immemorial, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have nurtured communities of belonging and thriving and we work in solidarity towards a future of healing and justice.

QPASTT is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and equitable environment for people from all genders, sexualities, religions and cultures – for our clients, communities and our staff.

QPASTT is committed to the safety and protection of children, young adults and vulnerable people in all its work. When entering our offices or engaging in our programs, staff, volunteers and contractors are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which is consistent with QPASTT core values and the safeguarding practices which are inherent in all QPASTT policies. QPASTT provides a welcoming, inclusive, trusted, and safe environment for all clients while acknowledging the importance of establishing and maintaining clear professional boundaries that protect everyone and promote safety.

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Resources

Watch for Hints and Tips for staying well and accessing support – for the Ukrainian community

An Introduction to QPASTT in your language

QPASTT Brochures in-language

Information for carers supporting a person to access our services

Information for anyone to support people who are in distress

Information for Community Leaders about Mental Health

How can I talk to a person about making a referral for them?

HEAL Program

School Outreach

Training for Schools

Request for Professional Development for Schools

About your organisation

Proposed training content and format

Your answers to the questions in the following section will assist us in planning your session.

Date and Venue

What Trauma Looks like in Children

Section One

Section Two

Section Three

Responding to and Managing Trauma Related Behaviours in Children and Young People from Refugee Backgrounds

Section One

Section Two

Section Three

Vicarious Trauma, Burn out and Self-Care

QPASTT Video Series for Schools:

External links:

Connect with us