Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) Working therapeutically in employment and educational settings -a

Transcription

1 Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) Working therapeutically in employment and educational settings -a holistic inter-agency approach 1

2 Support, Skill and Connect Program Overview Background: TAFE Queensland Brisbane approached QPASTT to deliver a program for adult English language students from refugee background One year to develop, pilot and evaluate a program specifically designed to function within an educational and employment setting Support, Skill and Connect objectives 2

3 SSC Overview and Recovery Outcomes 12 week program, one day a week as part of an English language term - structurally designed to be flexible and responsive Used the Ucan2 structure - - Morning Session: English language skills - Middle Session: Psycho-social component - Afternoon Session: Volunteers (approximately volunteers per program) 2 3 days at a community centre for community connection and work-like experience QUT School of Public Health and Social Work conduct the evaluation component Recovery outcomes 3

4 Garden of Resilience

5 Bridges and Circles of Culture

6 Why focus on collaboration? There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives Audre Lorde 6

7 Challenges Funding streams and processes for welfare and English language course attendance are complex and ever evolving impacting who can attend the program and under what conditions Conflicting priorities between humanitarian settlement and employment government policy areas impact service delivery priorities and people from refugee backgrounds who are affected/impacted by both areas simultaneously Professional, organisational and cultural differences between QPASTT and TAFE, educators and QPASTT practitioners 7

8 Theory and Model Interdisciplinary professional ethics - theory and frameworks Duluth model Relational theory and approaches 8

9 Theory and Model cont. Macro level: - Reference group in developmental stage - Continuing high level engagement between agencies - finding a champion - QUT evaluation Meso level: - Development within the TAFE environment - TAFE/QPASTT project collaboration Micro level: - Teacher remains in class throughout program delivery - QPASTT staff work with TAFE case managers around client issues and needs - One hour teacher/qpastt debrief after every module - Volunteer recruitment, induction and debriefing 9

10 Outcomes Summary We have not had time to go into all of the challenges, there have been many and continue to be many. Collaboration is difficult and messy work but worth it. Cohesive, insightful and meaningful information and processes for the students, helping them to make better sense of the broader systems they navigate. Uncovered commonalities between agencies and people, developed strong trusting relationships between agencies and workers that allow for these commonalities to be honoured and prioritised. Resourced agencies and the community (flow on effect) and in turn have had our own practice improved. Personal and professional gains 10

11 It takes a village to raise a child We want to acknowledge and sincerely thank the team of people and professionals who allowed us to implement this program: The students we have worked with and will work with in the future - our biggest teachers and motivators! The TAFE staff who have bravely and consistently supported the program, mistakes and all The community centres that have hosted our students for the Work/Community Placement component Our internal support team at QPASTT, our program manager and our CEO, our clinical supervisors and colleagues Foundation House for the Ucan2 Program Our friends and families 11