Past Training

December 2021

Presented by Antony Gates – Implementation Specialist, Parenting Research Centre. Telepractice is the use of technology to deliver services to children and families remotely. It presents opportunities to open up access for clients by overcoming boundaries such as distance, logistics and restrictions on meeting in person. While the coronavirus pandemic has driven rapid adaptation, many practitioners have questions about how to get the most out of telepractice and its role in service delivery going forward.
This session covered the following topics: what telepractice offers for clients and practitioners, beginning and ending sessions well, applying telepractice with carers, adoption and permanent care, and considerations for maintaining safety

April 2021

Out-of-home care through the lens of attachment theory presented by Dr Amy Conley Wright – Director, Research Centre for Children and Families, and Pei Kong – Clinical Psychologist, PhD candidate (University of Sydney). This session presented and facilitated discussion about out-of-home care through the lens of attachment theory, considering issues for practitioners and policy makers in relation to decision-making. Issues for consideration included a child’s sense of time and permanency timeframes, impacts of removal and placement moves, and factors that promote healthy relationship functioning. The session began by sketching how attachment theory developed and its core concepts, discussed the misapplications and misinterpretations of attachment theory and invited conversation about how attachment theory can be informative, within a broader understanding of children’s relationships and social ecology.

October 2020

Understanding legal judgements and casework implications for the adoption of Aboriginal children in OOHC – Perspectives from the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office. Representatives from the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office outlined two recent legal judgements that involve the making of an adoption order for an Aboriginal child in OOHC and the move to provide a more expansive and descent-based definition for Aboriginal children in the NSW adoption and child protection systems. This was followed by a presentation from CSO Historians about family search, genealogy and the establishment of descent for Aboriginal children and families.

September 2020

Activities for working with children and young people in a virtual/socially safe environment. Presented by Jodie Mollison and Karen Verrier – The Benevolent Society. This was a participatory webinar designed for practitioners to consider some of the activities practitioners can use during a virtual or socially safe visit with children and young people in the COVID-19 context. Recording available for viewing

August 2018

Grief and Trauma – Responding to issues in adoption through a Narrative Lens. Presented by Loretta Pederson – Narrative Therapy Connections Sydney

March 2018

The screening of a presentation by Dan Hughes – Supporting Families Training Committee Facilitator

November 2017

Supporting parents who children are adopted through the care system session with Dr Sue Green

May 2017

Training session on Trauma and Attachment with Anne-Marie Tipper

May 2016

Dark Matter of Love Screening and facilitated discussion with Gail McCabe Johnston

July 2015

On Contact and Connection – Exploring Birth Family Contact facilitated by Gail McCabe-Johnston – Counselling Psychologist. This workshop was for practitioners to come together and reflect upon the challenges of birth family contact and to explore and generate practice ideas that can assist. The session focused on how to keep the child at the centre of our practice, building safety before, during and after visits, and supporting children to make sense of their experience by getting comfortable with talking about the uncomfortable.

February 2015

Preparing and Giving Evidence in Supreme Court Adoption Proceedings training was held. Nicole Hailstone Senior Solicitor BS LLB (Hons) from the Crown Solicitors Office presented this workshop aimed at professionals. This workshop was an opportunity to learn useful tips for drafting and giving evidence in adoption proceedings and to develop an understanding what constitutes “best evidence”.

November 2014

Due to an overwhelming response to the first ‘Train the Trainer in Therapeutic Parenting: Relationship and Regulation for Professionals Working with Families workshops’ facilitated by Sandi Petersen, a second 2 day workshop was held for professionals interested in facilitating the Therapeutic Parenting Courses with families within their client groups.

July 2014

‘Train the Trainer in Therapeutic Parenting: Relationship and Regulation for Professionals Working with Families workshops’ was facilitated by Sandi Petersen. This 2 day workshop was for professionals interested in facilitating the Therapeutic Parenting Courses with families within their client groups, or using concepts from the program in their individual work with families.

March 2014

A free training workshop on tracing tools and resources was presented by Mark Shortus. Mark has worked for 8 years as a skip tracer and investigator for many financial institutions, along with 3 years of adoption search for the Benevolent Society. The training workshop provided professionals with opportunities to expand their knowledge of current tracing methods and resources on tracing tools and resources.

November 2013

Dr Karyn Purvis – internationally acclaimed child psychologist presented her award winning Trust Based Relationship Intervention (TBRI) program. The training was introduced by Deborra-lee Furness and held in conjunction with National Adoption Awareness Week.

August 2013

Senior Social Worker and Psychotherapist from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead Angie de Casanove delivered art therapy training to professionals.
Her training provided professionals with knowledge of how art is effective and a non-invasive tool for unpacking trauma plus different techniques to use art in individual therapy and groups.

June 2013

New Zealand Adoption Specialist Mary Iwanek delivered a training to over 60 adoption professionals.
Her training provided insights in the pre and post adoption field and explored the evolution of adoption in NZ.
It also included a post adoption resource tool developed to assist professionals in understanding when and what motivates clients to search and begin the reunion process. Mary also provided a personal perspective on the emerging issues pertaining to children being adopted through the Out-of-Home Care system.

August 2012

Associate Professor Cathy McMahon from Macquarie University presented on Maternal Mood and
Prenatal Development. Cathy’s research has focused on psychological adjustment during pregnancy
and early parenthood in the context of various reproductive risk factors – in particular peri natal mood
disorders and infertility/assisted conception.

March 2012

Seeking Safety: Support for young people with self-harming behaviours facilitated by Gail Johnson.
We received a lot of positive feedback in regards to this training. It was great to have some parents
and carers in the room. Gail was particularly skilled at putting participants at ease in dealing with a
sensitive and emotive topic. It was enlightening to see these behaviours on a continuum of familiar
coping strategies.

July 2011

Self Care for Workers in Adoption and Permanent Care, facilitated by Judith Krahe Edwards.
A very interesting session in which workers reported feeling reinforced and acknowledged
in their roles. Judith was able to share some positive ways of dealing with stress that
promote health and wellbeing.

April 2011

The journey from fostering to adoption. Carers Chris and Rob have had a lengthy involvement
with Barnardos since the placement of Marc in 1986. In his early thirties, Marc was finally
adopted by Chris and Rob just prior to this talk. Participants found his journey enlightening
to hear how much an adoption order can mean for older children or adults and how vital their
input and participation in decision making is in their future happiness

October 2010

The screening of the film Resilience was held. This documentary film is the story of a Korea
intercountry adoptee raised in America and his search and reunion with his birth mother.
This film was produced and presented by Tammy Chu, herself a Korean intercountry adoptee.
The film explored the complex, emotional and practical challenges of trans-national birth family.

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