Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery

Blue Knot Foundation’s Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery present the collective wisdom of the last two decades of national and international research in the trauma field. They are poised to revolutionise possibilities for recovery for the large numbers of people with unresolved "complex trauma" - child abuse in all its forms, neglect, family and community violence and other adverse childhood events. They establish insights that optimism about recovery from complex trauma is warranted, and that childhood trauma can be resolved.

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2013 | Trauma Informed Care and Practice Policy Reform

Dr. Cathy Kezelman, Blue Knot Foundation President was co-author on the MHCC document: Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) 2013, Trauma-Informed Care and Practice: Towards a cultural shift in policy reform across mental health and human services in Australia, A National Strategic Direction, Position Paper and Recommendations of the National Trauma-Informed Care and Practice Advisory Working Group, Authors: Bateman, J & Henderson, C (MHCC) Kezelman, C (ASCA).

The Position Paper is informed by extensive international and national evidence and the work of the National Trauma-Informed Care and Practice Advisory Working Group (NTICP AWG). It provides a platform from which MHCC and Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA) are advocating broad-based policy reform to embed trauma-informed principles of practice across jurisdictions and sectors; in organisations, service delivery and professional practice. The paper incorporates the recommendations of the NTICP AWG needed to facilitate a strategic approach towards a cultural shift in policy reform in mental health and human services in Australia.

Download Position Paper

The following are a snapshot of some of the presentations, forums and webinars involving ASCA in recent years

Nov 2013 | Forum convened by ASCA, MHCC and NSW Mental Health Commission
The following presentations were featured in this forum:

• Henderson, C (2013) Mental Health Coordinating Council, Trauma-Informed Care & Practice Forum, MHCC, ASCA & the NSW Mental Health Commission, Sydney November 2013 - "Trauma-Informed Care & Practice: A National Strategic Direction"

• Kezelman, C (2013) Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Trauma-Informed Care & Practice Forum, MHCC, ASCA & the NSW Mental Health Commission, Sydney November 2013 - "Putting trauma into perspective" & "Life journeys and trauma: difference being trauma-informed could make"

• Kim, I (2013) Royal Prince Alfred, Missenden Unit, Trauma-Informed Care & Practice Forum, MHCC, ASCA & the NSW Mental Health Commission, Sydney November 2013 - "Trauma-Informed Care & Practice in Inpatient Mental Health"

• Lucas, J (2013)Wesley Mission, Trauma-Informed Care & Practice Forum, MHCC, ASCA & the NSW Mental Health Commission, Sydney November 2013 - "A Journey"

August 2013 | Trauma, Trauma Frameworks and Being "Trauma Informed"
On the 7th August 2013 the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse convened a forum about trauma-informed practice, jointly hosted with the Australian Centre for Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA). Dr Cathy Kezelman, President of Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA) delivered a keynote address, before the panel discussed a range of issues around dealing with trauma and the need to be 'trauma-informed' in practice situations. A Q&A session allowed practitioners and service representatives to further engage the panel on a range of important issues.

Download all presentations   Download Dr Kezelman's presentation


Nov 2011 | Dr. Cathy Kezelman at Inaugural Conference, Westmead Psychotherapy Program for Complex Traumatic Disorders
"Responding to the needs of consumers with complex trauma histories a consumer perspective"
Available on registration at psychevisual http://www.psychevisual.com/, this presentation focuses on the needs of adult survivors of child abuse, highlighting the frequent failures of the current system to identify them and respond appropriately.

2016 | Working Therapeutically with Complex Trauma>>
The third in a three-part professional development series focused on complex trauma, watch this webinar to benefit from an interdisciplinary panel's insights as they discuss a case study.

2015 | Supporting the Wellbeing of People Experiencing a Trauma Response >>
Benefit from an interdisciplinary panel's insights as they discuss a case study. Panelists are Ms Jac Taylor (SA based Coordinator Counselling Services & Royal Commission Support Services); Ms Naomi Halpern (VIC based social worker); Mr John Ellis (NSW based survivor/solicitor providing legal support to survivors); Adjunct Prof Warwick Middleton (QLD based psychiatrist)

2014 | Recognising, Screening and Assessing Complex Trauma >>
Recognising, screening and assessing complex trauma Dr. Mary Emeleus moderates this webinar, the second in a series of 3 delivered by MHPN, supported by ASCA and funded by Royal Commission Support Services Initiative. Panellists are Dr Johanna Lynch (QLD based GP); Ms Michelle Everett (NSW based clinical psychologist); Mr Dragan Wright (NSW based consumer advocate); Adjunct Prof Warwick Middleton (QLD based psychiatrist)

2014 | Recognising and Responding to Complex Trauma >>
Dr. Mary Emeleus, GP moderates this MHPN webinar which was supported by ASCA and delivered to a GP audience. Panellists are Prof Louise Newman, psychiatrist; Dr. David Walker, GP; Iggy Kim, mental health nurse; Dr. Cathy Kezelman, consumer advocate, President of ASCA.

2013 | A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse >>
Mary Emeleus, GP moderator with panelists, Dr. Cathy Kezelman, ASCA President; Johann Lynch GP and member of ASCA Advisory Panel, Dr. Richard Benjamin, psychiatrist and member of ASCA Advisory Panel, Mr. Philip Hilder, psychologist.

2011 | Complex Trauma, working together, working better to support adult survivors of childhood abuse >>
Participants: Prof Warwick Middleton, ASCA Advisory Panel, Dr. Cathy Kezelman, ASCA President, and Ursula Benstead, a psychologist from Melbourne.Moderated by Dr. Michael Murray GP and medical educator.

Facilitating Transition after Child Sexual Abuse >>
This resource was developed by the Royal District Nursing Service SA for providers. We thank them for their generosity in making this resource available.

Reframing Responses Stage Two >>
Supporting Women Survivors of Child Abuse An Information Resource Guide and Workbook for Community Managed Organisations

2010 | Position Paper: Traumatic Amnesia ASCA & MHCC >>
Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA) and the NSW Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) have developed this brief literature review - Traumatic Amnesia, in response to the recent media coverage relating to the issue.Our objective is to inform Governments, health care professionals and agencies, the media and the community of the extensive research evidence which is available around Traumatic Amnesia (also referred to as Recovered Memory). Our aim is to dispel the pervasive mythology that surrounds the subject and is widely perpetuated in the media, and bring clarity a very complex controversial issue.

"Use and Abuse" | The Experiences of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse in Drug and Alcohol Treatment >>
Over the last two years ASCA has worked in partnership with the Centre for Gender Related Violence studies (CGRVS) at the University of New South Wales. The research team interviewed clients of alcohol and drug services, as well as alcohol and drug workers, about the complex relationship between childhood abuse, alcohol and drug use and mental health.This is the first time that the experiences of alcohol and drug clients with abuse histories have been documented and analysed through qualitative research in Australia, alongside the accounts of alcohol and drug workers.

Literature Review on Trauma Informed Care in Mental Health Services >>