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Home > Past Conference Proceedings This page contains proceedings from the FRSA National Conferences in 2008 (Cairns) and 2009 (Sydney) and also our recent Senior Executives Forum (Canberra). Please click below to view proceedings.
Conference Proceedings 2009Family Relationship Services Australia 2nd National Conference Family Relationship Services Australia's 2nd National Conference 'Children and Families: Reducing Risk, Building Resilience' in Sydney November 2009 was a huge success. The conference offered a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and identifying and progressing collaborative practice. Please see below for available conference papers. To find a specific paper refer to the Conference Program and the day/session below. Over 450 people attended the conference over three days with an average of 390 people attending on each day. Evaluation feedback was provided through a written or online survey and the full report of the conference will be available shortly. To view the conference evaluation report click here.
Giving Despair the Boot-An article by Clare McHugh Like most young men Tristram Pigram is keen on footy – he captains the Saints AFL team in Broome Western Australia – and is quick to smile or share a joke. Unlike most young people, Tristram and his team mates have all lost young friends or relatives — some just teenagers — to suicide. An articulate 22 year old, Tristram was flown as a guest of FRSA to our annual conference held in Sydney last November. He accompanied youth outreach worker Joe Tighe to talk about the Alive and Kicking Goals Project, an innovative suicide-prevention program run by Men’s Outreach Services Inc in Broome WA. Click here to view the full article and for information about donating to the project.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS Tuesday 24 NovemberThe two preconference workshops provided an excellent opportunity to focus on specific elements of risk and resilience with experts from Australia and overseas across different disciplines and service systems. Perspectives on Risk Assessment and Safety with Families Affected by ViolenceOpening Message: The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Status of Women Strategies for resolving inter-professional differences in understanding and responding to family violence to improve outcomes for families: Lessons learned from the Wingspread Conference Family Dispute Resolution in Cases Involving Violence: Inter-Professional Practice, Communication and Trust Learning's and dilemmas associated with providing best practice integrated family violence service The story of collaboration between FDR and Family Violence Organisations Working with Children and Young People to Support Recovery and Build ResilienceAn Integrated Response to Enhance Children's Emotional Wellbeing Jigsaw - Finding the Pieces Together, Children's Groups Day 1 Wednesday 25 NovemberThe first day of our main conference program, is White Ribbon Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This was reflected in the program with a substantial focus on family violence prevention and response in the keynote presentations. KeynotesUnderstanding Domestic Violence Allegations In Child Custody Disputes: From A Great Debate To A Framework For Action Research PresentationsThe Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Intimate Partner Homicide Concurrent Session 1Building better working relationships between the Federal Magistrates Court and Family Relationship and Family Dispute Resolution Services Breaking the Intergenerational Dynamic of Family Violence What's Changed? Findings from Men's Domestic Violence Programs Step Parents and Family Law The Brady Bunch Breakup, Social and Legal Deficiencies in Supporting Children when Blended Families Breakdown Early Parenting: An interdisciplinary approach to integration Concurrent Session 2Communities for Children - catalysing collaboration through a new method of program governance and delivery The Blue Mountains Consortium: A case study in organisational capacity building and collaborative practice The pathway the client constructs when negotiating post seperation parenting arrangements, using mediation, legal and other services The Rainbow Service - Bridging the Gap in Service Delivery to LGBT Community Keeping it Together - Multi Family Group Work to Keep Parents and Teenagers Connected Children's participation in Family Relationship Centres: A cornerstone in strengthening the wellbeing of children following their parents' separation Understanding the difference between reactive and proactive aggression: A key to intervention Managing Critical Incidents in the Family Relationship Centre Environment Service Integration: The Family Pathways Network Way The role of Family Pathways Network to build resilience amongst practitioners Day 2 Thursday 26 NovemberOn the second day of the conference, our focus shifted from risk to resilience and measuring the impact of our work on individuals, families and communities. KeynotesAustralian Relationship Dynamics, Vulnerabilities and Resilience: New Insights from Current Research Panel SessionsChild Support Agency: Building Resilient Families Concurrent Session 3Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities around family and relationships Family Relationships and Mental Illness: Impact and Service Responses A Beginners Guide to Evaluation Concurrent Session 4Collaborative family dispute resolution: A team synergy Meeting the challenges facing school-aged children when post separation conflict gets in the way of 'having a life' Hello, is there anyone out there? Imprisoned fathers' experinces of the family law changes and how Family Relationship Centres can help them and their children Engaging fathers from intake through to counselling Embedding Research in Practice: Research within Family Relationship Centres in Australia Acrimony, alliance and child focus - measuring the impact on Family Dispute Resolution outcomes Assessing for violence - a progress report on research into family and domestic violence in Family Relationship Centres Parenting in Place: Exploring parenting and socioeconomic position in the context of neighbourhoods
By Clare McHugh Like most young men Tristram Pigram is keen on footy – he captains the Saints AFL team in Broome Western Australia – and is quick to smile or share a joke. Unlike most young people, Tristram and his team mates have all lost young friends or relatives — some just teenagers — to suicide. An articulate 22 year old, Tristram was flown as a guest of FRSA to our annual conference held in Sydney last November. He accompanied youth outreach worker Joe Tighe to talk about the Alive and Kicking Goals Project, an innovative suicide-prevention program run by Men’s Outreach Services Inc in Broome WA. On his first visit to the East Coast, Tristram found Sydney more relaxed than Perth but had never been exposed to anything like the FRSA conference. He was struck by the huge number of people working in the sector and ‘how much work is being done for people in need’. He wants to take that message back to the Broome communities. Before Alive and Kicking, Tristram says he and his mates coped with the suicide of young friends in isolation, trying not to think about it too much. ‘It’s something we didn’t talk about’ Tristram says. But a little over a year ago Indigenous parents — some of whom had cut down family members from trees in their own backyards — approached Joe Tighe, to help them stop the devastation of young men’s suicide. Joe, a fellow footy devotee and outreach worker, agreed to volunteer his time and support ‘if the young men could be the decision makers on all matters, not me or the footy club committee. I see this as leadership development’ he said. The Alive and Kicking Goals Project was born, using the natural combination of football and fun to develop peer leaders and networks among young Aboriginal men aged 15 - 25. Tristram is one of 15 developing leaders who will eventually work with ten communities in the Broome region helping others to find ways of staying strong and connected. Because no-one talked about it, Tristram thought suicide was a rare occurrence but has since learned about the alarmingly high rates of suicide among young men. ‘Every day someone takes their life’ he said. The peak age for suicide among young Indigenous males is 12 to 24 years. When pressed for reasons behind these high rates he says most young boys and men feel a sense of hopelessness. ‘They have no sense of belonging’. Apart from footy, other favourite past-times are fishing, music and camping. But as Tristram points out, when boys and young men drop out of school early, don’t have jobs or a sense of purpose they can easily lose connections and interest in these activities too. Unemployment means many can’t afford the petrol or don’t have transport to participate. As a result they can fade into drink and drugs. Yet the project’s education, sport and peer leadership approach have given Tristram and his mates a focus and wider possibilities. His face lights up as he talks about work and the future, his love of AFL, his impressions of the East coast and plans for travel. Joe Tighe hopes to raise enough funds so that 15 peer leaders can travel to his native Ireland in October 2010 to participate in the international football competition. They will play a mix of AFL and Gaelic Football and aim to get people interested in what is happening with young Indigenous men in this corner of the globe. Tristram hopes it might motivate other Indigenous young men ‘to get involved’. Seeing some positive outcomes from the project and the lure of playing football in Ireland with mates has already opened one young man’s eyes to the world that waits. He wants to share that sense of belonging to something bigger, with other young men. If you would like to support the Alive and Kicking Goals Project you can:
Family Relationship Service National Conference Family Relationship Services Australia's Inaugural national conference 'Collective Wisdom: together we are better' in Cairns November 2008 was a great success. The conference offered a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and identifying and progressing collaborative practice. Please see below for available conference papers. To find a specific paper refer to the Conference Program and the day/session below. Over 315 people attended the conference over three days with an average of 290 people attending on each day. Evaluation feedback was provided through a written or online survey completed by 161 conference delegates. The Conference Evaluation report is available here.
Preconference Workshops Tuesday November 4 Re-partnering with children Working with Men Family Group Conferencing
DAY 1 Wednesday November 5Opening Address Panel: Vision and action steps for achieving a paradigm shift in the way we respond to family separation involving dispute and conflict
Concurrent Session 1Inter-profressional practice - Family Lawyers and Family Dispute Resolution PractitionersEnhancing inter-professional relationships in a changing family law system Collaborative practice in Canberra and Australia - what has worked, what has not worked, where are we now? Collaborative practice in the sticks - what does it take? Engaging Indigenous Communities & FamiliesReflections on delivering group programs to uniquely diverse audiences Integrated Approaches to Intake and AssessmentWorking together for sustainable outcomes Innovative approaches to assessment and service delivery Crossing program boundaries Working with Schools and Early Childhood SettingsRestorative conferencing Working together for young families – Relationships Australia NSW and Sydney Day Nurseries Children’s Services Fathers using Networks (FUN) for Kids programs Relationship EnrichmentOverview of research on family strengths and engaging families in programs to strengthen relationship A 4 year evaluation of Group work in Western Sydney - what have we learnt? What really works?
Concurrent Session 2Panel: Expert panel discussion – safety for women and children in family relationship servicesElspeth McInnes (University of South Australia), Presentation Lisa Whittaker-Nichols (Anglicare WA), Presentation Embedding a public health approach to mental health within a family relationship serviceKaren Field & Reima Pryor (Drummond Street Relationship Centre), Presentation Enhancing parenting capacityParticipatory action research: Improving the capacity of parents to respond to children’s needs Sourcing useful data and researchSourcing useful data and statistics: Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse and other resources
Thursday November 6KeynotesInternational Keynote: Strengthening families: using evidence to build effective policies and interventions Australia’s child support system – looking to the future Address Research presentation: The evidence for father engagement Concurrent Session 3Models of mediationIs staged mediation appropriate? Innovative models of mediation in family relationship centres Inter-professional practice - family relsationship services and child protectionChild protection and family law Collaborative practice and innovation: A partnership between child protection and community services Integrating secondary and primary services - lessons from Child FIRST North East Metro Engaging men and dadsWhat is ‘father engagement’ and how do you do it? Post separation parenting and patterns of shared careWhat mum did what dad did – past patterns of care Concurrent Session 4Measuring child wellbeingEpidemiology to measure children’s outcomes (and influences upon this) in order to inform strategies and services for children and families The power of child focusThe power of child focus Family connections: A parenting program with a differenceFamily connections: A parenting program with a difference
Friday November 7Community Leaders on Strategic IssuesWhat keeps us awake at night? Strategic issues for community organisations A national compact - what's in it for government, what's in it for the sector? Concurrent Session 5Culturally responsive practice in family dispute resolutionCulturally responsive family dispute resolution Cross cultural exploration of mediation – a collaborative approach between Relationships Australia WA & Multicultural Services Centre WA An introduction to parent effectiveness training for professionalsAn introduction to parent effectiveness training for professionals Working with StepfamiliesIntroduction to re-partnering with children Games we play in the third spaceNon traditional methods of assisting with trauma and resettlement Practioner consultation and update - evaluation of family law reformsPractitioner consultation and update - evaluation of family law reforms Social InclusionPlacing families with young children on the social inclusion agenda: the importance of multiple adversity, Professor Bryan Rodgers (The Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University) FRSA Senior Executives Forum
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Professor Janet R. Johnston (San Jose University, US)
Walter Ibbs (Legal Aid VIC) and Margot Scott (Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria)
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Cassandra Dowling (Centacare Tasmania).jpg){kind=small}
Katrina Baird (Child Support Agency)
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Daniela Zimmerman (Stepfamilies Australia)
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The Hon Robert McClelland MP, Attorney-General | Did you find this information useful? | ||