Taking care to describe things in ways that make sense to the child and inviting them to share their understanding of why you’re meeting with them can make a big difference. These practices can enable children to contribute to the conversation and participate fully in your work together. They can also potentially ‘open the door’ to a conversation with the child about the problem they’re facing. In this episode (the first in our Engaging children podcast series), hosts Chris Dolman and Jen Ly are joined by practitioners Kate Headley, Liz Lodge, Jackie Amos, Jessica Warren and Mthobeli Ngcanga. Together, they share their ideas and reflections on the key skills for working effectively with children. In this episode you will learn: the importance of understanding the child’s perspective on why you’re meeting [02:27] what to consider in regard to transparency when beginning to work with children [06:04] what other professionals have found helpful in this work [10:49] Further information and resources: Engaging children: Good beginnings e-learning course Hervatin, M. (2020). Practical strategies for engaging children in a practice setting. Adelaide: Emerging Minds.

In a previous episode, psychologist Penny Sih shared her thoughts about child mental health assessment and engagement and ways to support a child to live their ‘best life’. In this episode, social worker Ali Knight and child and family partners Jess and Emi continue this conversation. They explore child mental health assessment and engagement practices that help families feel more confident and engaged in the therapeutic process, which in turn helps them to live their ‘best lives’. When a child and parent first arrive to meet with a professional, they often feel anxious or even reluctant. They might feel like they’re going to be told off, or lectured, or made to discuss subjects that make them feel uncomfortable. Ali, Jess and Emi discuss the practices that help children to overcome this initial anxiety, to engage fully within the practice environment, and to become holistically involved in the decisions that affect their lives. In their role as Emerging Minds Child and Family Partners, Jess and Emi have made a significant contribution to Emerging Minds’ online training courses, webinars and practice papers. Ali Knight is a social worker with 25 years’ experience, specialising in work with infants and children in child protection, child development and trauma-related services. All three were instrumental in the development of Emerging Minds’ online course, Practice strategies for assessment and engagement.     In this episode you will learn: how to set the scene with children who might not be happy about coming to a professional environment, so that you can increase their sense of comfort and confidence and give them the time and space that they need [02:52] how to help children and parents consider the strategies that already work well for them, rather than focusing only on the problems that they are facing [05:37] how a holistic understanding of the ‘whole child’ – their preferences, relationships and hopes – can influence practice [14:16] how to pick up on cues that children provide throughout the engagement, to ensure sessions are flexible enough to cater for the child’s needs [18:29] why it’s important to include children in strategies that can be replicated at home or at school [23:15]   Further information and resources: Practice strategies for assessment and engagement (online course) Practice strategies for formulation (online course) Helping children to live their ‘best life’ – part one (podcast) Helping children to live their ‘best life’ – part two (podcast)

There are a wide range of professions that work in child mental health. In this episode, we explore some of these child mental health support roles, and chat with a range of practitioners who work with children and families. Each guest comes from a different discipline, and discusses the role they play in supporting families. We'll be hearing from Gabrielle Hart, an infant, child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice; Marnie Winterford, a clinical psychologist with a specialty in supporting young children and adolescents; Gill Munro, who comes with many years of experience managing a large drug and alcohol rehab service in South Australia; Ali Chisholm, an occupational therapist who works in an early childhood and family team in community health; as well as Fiona Bottroff, a speech pathologist who is also from an early childhood and family team. In this episode you will learn: the role of social workers in child mental health support and working with families [01:21] the role of clinical psychologists in child mental health support and working with families [03:59] the role of psychiatrists in child mental health support and working with families [10:19] the role of speech pathologists in child mental health support and working with families [19:31] the role of occupational therapists in child mental health support and working with families [22:41]

In the second of this two-part podcast series (listen to part one here), you’ll continue to hear from Kimberley, Brad and Bec, parents of children who have experienced different chronic childhood physical illnesses. You'll hear how practitioners have been able to support not just the children’s physical conditions, but also the social and emotional wellbeing of these children and their families while they are undergoing treatment. Many children experiencing a childhood physical illness require regular trips to hospital and medical interventions that can be traumatic for both the child and their family. However, the negative impacts on everyone’s wellbeing can be minimised by taking a family-focused and trauma-informed approach. We would like to acknowledge and thank our child and family partners, Kimberley, Bec and Brad for taking the time to share their hard-earned wisdom and expertise with us. In this episode you will learn: the types of supports families find helpful while their children are undergoing treatment for childhood physical illnesses [01:17] the strategies that practitioners use to support the mental health of children throughout the treatment processes [08:36] the importance of taking a trauma-informed approach to caring for a child with a chronic physical illness [13:45] how to support the wellbeing of siblings of children with chronic childhood physical illnesses [19:25] Further information and resources: Understanding child mental health and chronic physical conditions e-learning course Childhood physical conditions and mental health fact sheets

In the first of this two-part podcast series, Emerging Minds Child and Family Partners Kimberley, Brad and Bec share how they manage their children’s social and emotional wellbeing while dealing with the challenges of chronic physical illness. They describe some of the ways that practitioners have been able to support their children’s mental health throughout the treatment process, and how these strategies have also helped them to support their child. Managing ongoing symptoms of chronic physical illness and undergoing medical treatment or procedures can have significant impacts for children and families. Promoting self-care strategies for parents and caregivers will lead to improved wellbeing outcomes for the children they are caring for. We would like to acknowledge and thank our child and family partners, Kimberley, Bec and Brad for taking the time to share their hard-earned wisdom and expertise with us. In this episode you will learn: more about the chronic physical illnesses experienced within these families [01:36] how a diagnosis of chronic physical illness impacts on the child and family [04:22] the impacts of managing ongoing symptoms and undergoing medical treatment/procedures [06:29] how self-care is important for parents and caregivers of children experiencing a chronic physical illness [16:06] Further information and resources: Family perspectives on childhood physical illness - part two Understanding child mental health and chronic physical conditions e-learning course Childhood physical conditions and mental health fact sheets

In this episode, Emerging Minds Practice Development Manager, Dan Moss joins Senior Cultural Development Officer, Rosie Schellen and Senior Practice Development Officer, Chris Dolman to reflect on what has made the infant and child mental health podcast series so effective over the past four years and 100 episodes. Rosie reflects on Emerging Minds’ collaborative work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to help bring to the fore stories of strength, resilience and hope, as well as those of hardship and systemic disadvantage. Chris describes how practitioners have helped change the way we think about infant and child mental health, in ways that make challenging work feel more possible and motivating. He also describes some of the ways that children and families with lived experience have contributed so richly to the podcast series. In this episode you will learn: how Rosie has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, leaders and practitioners to respectfully bring forth stories of hope, resilience and connection, and the considerations that are important within this process [04:23] how practitioners have contributed to understandings about infant and child mental health through stories of their everyday practice, and the strategies we can all use to help children and families tell their stories [06:52] how hurt and connection, strength and wisdom have been so powerfully interwoven in the stories of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guests, in ways that generously assist all practitioners to consider how they can make room for these stories in their work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities [09:56] how discussions with parents about their hopes for their children can become a great antidote for the experiences of shame and blame that families often feel when working with a practitioner, and the kinds of strength-based practices that have helped families find new ways to connect and overcome adversities [17:28] about the people that have contributed to the evolution of the Emerging Minds podcast series over the past 100 episodes! [20:50]

How are children from refugee backgrounds faring in terms of their social and emotional wellbeing? Tune into this conversation with Dr Sonia Terhaag to find out what the Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants can tell us about this. Sonia has worked in research for more than ten years in Canada and Australia and currently works on various national longitudinal research studies at the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In this episode you will learn: What the BNLA study can tell us about social and emotional wellbeing in refugee children (6:07) Experience of trauma in refugee families (07:56) Impact of parent experiences on children’s mental health (10:11) Implications of study findings for practitioners (17:00)   Further information and resources: Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants: https://aifs.gov.au/projects/building-new-life-australia Adjustment of refugee children and adolescents in Australia: outcomes from wave three of the Building a New Life in Australia study Cohort Profile: Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA): the longitudinal study of humanitarian migrants

What does the evolving nature of sexual and gender identities mean for working with families? Tune into this episode with Dr Priscilla Dunk-West to explore this question and learn about shifts you can make in your practice and organisation to become more inclusive of rainbow families. Priscilla is a sociologist and social worker and has worked in academia in both Australia and England. She practiced social work firstly in child protection and later went on to specialise in sexual health counselling. Her research interests include identity, sexuality, intimate relationships and parenting. She has produced five books and her bestselling text 'How to be a Social Worker: A Critical Guide for Students' has been translated into Swedish and is now in its second edition. In this episode you will learn: The social and cultural context of sexuality (02:47) Asking questions to understand family configuration rather than making assumptions (07:43) What child-focused and parent-sensitive practice looks like (12:44) What services can do to promote inclusivity with rainbow families (23:32)

How do you support a child through the transition to school, whilst also managing constant changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic? Educator and researcher, Dr Kathryn Hopps, has spent her career as an early childhood educator and primary teacher in a diverse range of education settings. Her research expertise is in school transitions, and her PhD study focused on the transition to primary school. Kathryn is a member of several national and international transition networks, whose important work includes a transitions position statement. In this episode of the Emerging Minds podcast, we discuss her particular interest in families’ and children’s experiences of transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kathryn also draws on her knowledge of early learning and primary school transitions to provide practical advice for parents and carers. In this episode you will learn: transitions can sometimes be thought of as a one-off event. However, it’s important to think of a child’s transitions as a process of adapting to change and finding a sense of belonging that happens over time (02:38) transitions can also be an opportunity for families to work in partnership with educators to establish a plan aimed at supporting their child’s needs (18:12) research about children's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that disruptions to their peer relationships has been impactful on their social and emotional wellbeing (25:09) it’s important to know that there can be a level of parental grief associated with transitions, and to recognise that this is a common experience. As a parent, it becomes important that you’re aware of these emotions and find ways of looking after yourself during these times. (26.20) Further information and resources: First transitions take time – RMIT Transition (back) to school – Dr K. Hopps Transition to school – Preparation for families – ACT Council of P&Cs Follow Kathryn on Twitter – @drkhopps

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health difficulties experienced by Australian children. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Andrew Leech, a GP based in Perth, Western Australia, to discuss working with children, parents and families where paediatric anxiety may be present. Andrew has a passion for paediatric general practice as well as the role that GPs can play in positively influencing a child’s life trajectory. This year, Andrew was selected to be part of the WA Health Clinical Advisory Group Taskforce reviewing mental healthcare in children – a review that is still ongoing. Andrew discusses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on child anxiety; anxiety presentations by age and stage; strategies to support children experiencing anxiety; how to recognise when further specialist support might be needed; ways of ‘holding the family’ while they await specialist support; and resources to help GPs in this work. In this episode you will learn: what the prevalence of childhood anxiety is in Australia (03:56) what to expect from typical developmental behaviours and when a child may need further support (05:24) how to identify anxiety presentations in different ages and stages, including infants, toddlers, and school-aged children (06:53) how to decide when a child may require specialist support and how to support the family through that process (12:49) ways to support a child experiencing anxiety and work sensitively with the family (16:36) ways to work sensitively with the child’s parents/carers (22:33) how GPs can support families as communities start to re-open after the COVID-19 pandemic, including transitions back to school and living with COVID-19 in the community (27:19) where to find supporting resources to assist GPs in this work (30:02)