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  • Gala Dinner

Programme

  • Wednesday, September 21st

  • Registration1

    08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
  • Mihi Whakatau and Opening

    09:00 AM - 10:15 AM
    • Welcome
  • Morning Tea

    10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
  • Brain Whispering: Parenting the Mistrustful Child

    10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
    • Brain Whispering: Parenting the Mistrustful Child
  • Lunch

    12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
  • Sector Keynotes

    01:15 PM - 03:00 PM
    • Growing our Presence: Rangatiratanga For Rangatahi
    • Face your Future
    • Independent Children's Monitor - Arran Jones
    • Oranga Tamariki - Chappie Te Kani
  • Afternoon Tea

    03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
  • Workshop Session One

    03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
    • Creating Sustainable Therapeutic Networks for Children and Young People in Foster Care
    • Layers of Trauma Associated with Alcohol Use in Aotearoa
    • Birth Family Contact for Children in Care: How much? How often? Who with?
  • Caring Families Aotearoa AGM

    04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Get ready for the Spring Gala Dinner

    05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
    • Dressing Room
  • Pre Spring Gala Dinner

    05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
  • Spring Gala Dinner

    06:00 PM - 11:00 PM
    • Lets Celebrate!!!
  • Thursday, September 22nd

  • Welcome

    09:00 AM - 09:15 AM
  • With what we now know!

    09:15 AM - 10:15 AM
    • With what we now know!
  • Morning Tea

    10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
  • Workshop Session Two

    10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
    • Ko Au, Me - To enable the wellbeing of others we must look after the wellbeing of self
    • When you know better, you can do better; an A&E guide to parenting and working with tamariki with FASD
    • Creating sustainable therapeutic relationship networks for children and young people in foster care
    • Kaupapa Māori approach – Connecting back to Culture and the importance of identity for tamariki Māori.
  • Breakout to Workshop Rooms

    11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Workshop Session Three

    12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
    • Ko Au, Me - To enable the wellbeing of others we must look after the wellbeing of self
    • Oranga Tamariki Transition Support Service - A service overview and how caregivers can play a vital role in Rangatahi journey to adulthood
    • Trauma-informed education implementing a relational approach to help children succeed
    • Embodied Parenting: Embracing all of you (and your child!)
  • Lunch

    01:00 PM - 01:45 PM
  • Porn and Young People in Aotearoa: Understanding and responding to the new landscape

    01:45 PM - 02:45 PM
    • Porn and young people in Aotearoa: Understanding and responding to the new landscape
  • Relationships between carers and children as vehicles for change and healing

    02:45 PM - 03:45 PM
    • Relationships between carers and children as vehicles for change and healing
  • Evaluation/Poroaki

    03:45 PM - 04:00 PM
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Welcome

Speaker

 Linda Surtees

Linda Surtees

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
Close
 Linda Surtees

Linda Surtees

Caring Families Aotearoa
https://www.caringfamilies.org.nz

Linda has been with Caring Families Aotearoa since 2010 and has a wealth of experience in the foster care sector.  Linda is a strong advocate for fostering families to receive robust, collaborative support and training to provide qulaity care for our most vulnerable children.

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Brain Whispering: Parenting the Mistrustful Child

Speakers

Ph.D. Jonathan Baylin

Ph.D. Jonathan Baylin

PhD Daniel  Hughes

PhD Daniel Hughes

Details

Caring for children who have experienced early life maltreatment is challenging, not a “no brainer”.   Indeed, sustaining a caring state of mind towards defensive children calls upon the caregiver to overcome a natural risk for developing “blocked care” in response to a child’s “blocked trust”.

Dr. Hughes and Dr. Baylin will present a brain-based model of compassionate caregiving that can help the mistrusting child recover the ability to feel safe and learn to trust trustworthy adults.  Dr Baylin will explain how early exposure to poor care affects the child’s brain development, giving rise to blocked trust. Dr. Hughes will present a model of caregiving that can help to disarm the child’s chronic defensiveness and awaken the child’s blocked potential to feel safe enough to experience a caregiver as a reliable source of comfort and joy.

 

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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Ph.D. Jonathan Baylin

Ph.D. Jonathan Baylin

Dr. Baylin received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1981. He has been working in the mental health field for 35 years. For the past fifteen years, while continuing his clinical practice, he has immersed himself in the study of neurobiology and in teaching mental health practitioners about the brain. He has given numerous workshops for mental health professionals on “Putting the Brain in Therapy.”

Several years ago, Dr. Baylin began a collaborative relationship with Daniel Hughes, a leader in the field of attachment-focused therapy. Their book, Brain Based Parenting, was released by Norton Press in the spring of 2012 as part of the Norton series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. Dr. Baylin has delivered keynote sessions at international conferences and has also given numerous workshops both internationally and regionally within the USA.

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PhD Daniel  Hughes

PhD Daniel Hughes

www.ddpnetwork.org/resources/library/authors/hughes-daniel-a/

Dan Hughes, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with a limited practice in South Portland, Maine.  He founded and developed Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), the treatment of children who have experienced abuse and neglect and who demonstrate ongoing problems related to attachment and trauma.  This treatment occurs in a family setting and the treatment model has expanded to become a general model of family treatment.   He has spent over 40 years helping children and youth reach their full potential and reconnect with others in their lives.

Dan has conducted seminars, workshops, spoken at conferences and guest lectured throughout the US, Europe, Canada, and Australia over the past 18 years.  He is also engaged in extensive training and supervision in the certification of therapists in his treatment model, along with ongoing consultation to various agencies and professionals.   He is a member of the American Psychological Association.  He is also president of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute (DDPI) which is responsible for the certification of professionals in DDP.  Information about DDPI can be found on their website, www.ddpnetwork.org. 

Dan has authored many books including Attachment-Focused Parenting (2009), Attachment-Focused Family Therapy Workbook (2011) and, with Jon Baylin, Brain-Based Parenting (2012) and The Neurobiology of Attachment-Focused Therapy (2016).  He has also written or been featured in many articles, many of which can be found at www.ddpnetwork.org/resources/library/authors/hughes-daniel-a/.

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Growing our Presence: Rangatiratanga For Rangatahi

Speaker

 Voyce - Whakarongo Mai

Voyce - Whakarongo Mai

Details

Hāpaitia te ara tika pūmau ai te rangatiratanga mō ngā uri whakatipu - Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence and growth for future generations.

In a presentation that promises to be a breath of fresh air, members of the VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai National Youth Council (NYC), supported by CEO Tracie Shipton, will use their own experiences to share advice on how to build leadership in tamariki and rangatahi.

These care experienced young council members will discuss their journeys of rangatiratanga, and the kinds of roles available to grow young people at VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai, from the National Youth Council, to Board appointments to the Spirit of Adventure voyage scholarships. 

Less theoretical and more practical, these growing leaders will share what helps their development, what doesn’t, and practical ways to support their care experienced peers to be empowered and build their rangatiratanga. 

The presentation will also explore different forms of leadership, beyond the stereotypical loud and confident personalities shown in mainstream media. The group will explore different development approaches to our introverts and shy personalities, and how they can best be supported to be the type of leader they aspire to be.

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 Voyce - Whakarongo Mai

Voyce - Whakarongo Mai

Voyce - Whakarongo Mai

The VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai National Youth Council is made up of care experienced young people aged between 16 – 24 years old from all over NZ, who are interested in making a difference and connecting to the care community.

Their first year members have just elected their first co-chairs, and this highly engaged group has monthly wananga, backed by a specially designed curriculum aimed to build their knowledge of governance, professional standards and communication, teamwork and ultimately build their leadership, their rangatiratanga.

Four representatives from the National Youth Council will present on their behalf, along with VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai CEO, Tracie Shipton.

 

 

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Face your Future

Speaker

Group Communications Manager Tanya Abbott

Group Communications Manager Tanya Abbott

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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Group Communications Manager Tanya Abbott

Group Communications Manager Tanya Abbott

L'Oreal New Zealand

Tanya is the Group Corporate Communications, Public affairs & Sustainability manager for L'Oréal New Zealand, a subsidiary of the largest beauty company in the world, found in over 130 countries with more than 85,000 valued employees.

 

Tanya champions L'Oréal's Sharing Beauty With All sustainability programme, and the Groups Ethics programme, both key to the company's license to operate as a respected business, as an employer and as a corporate citizen.

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Independent Children's Monitor - Arran Jones

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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Oranga Tamariki - Chappie Te Kani

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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Creating Sustainable Therapeutic Networks for Children and Young People in Foster Care

Speaker

 Janise Mitchell

Janise Mitchell

Details

Children in care often have impoverished relationship networks as a result of the abuse and trauma they have experienced and subsequent changes of placement and school once they enter care. They can have little connection to family. They can have few friends.  For many, their strongest relationships are professionals and carers.  Many children leave care with few close and enduring relationships. Relationships, connection and belonging are central to healing for children in care. This workshop will explore children’s need for relationship stability and relationship permanence as critical aspects of their healing journeys and the critical role of carers in meeting these needs.

 

 

Room

  • Meeting Room 1
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 Janise Mitchell

Janise Mitchell

Australian Childhood Foundation
https://www.childhood.org.au/

Janise has 30 years’ experience in the field of child protection and child welfare, with a focus on therapeutic care. She completed a Master of Social Work (Research) in 2008 in which she researched the implementation of therapeutic foster care in Victoria, Australia.  In her current role, Janise has been instrumental in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of the Australian Childhood Foundation therapeutic care programs.

Janise has extensive experience in the development of innovative therapeutic programs for traumatised children and young people in foster, kinship and residential care. She has provided consultancy to many governments on the issue of therapeutic services for children and young people and regularly participates on state and national Advisory Groups seeking to address the needs of children and young people in the child protection, out of home care, secure care and youth justice sectors.

Janise has a commitment to evidence informed practice and believes strongly in the participation of young people in the development of services, policies and programs that seek to support them.

Janise has presented nationally and internationally and has a range of publications, most recently she was lead editor on the 2020 book The Handbook of Therapeutic Care for Children: Evidence-Informed Approaches to Working with Traumatised Children and Adolescents in Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Care edited by Janise Mitchell, Joe Tucci and Ed Tronick, 2020, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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Layers of Trauma Associated with Alcohol Use in Aotearoa

Speaker

 Tania Henderson

Tania Henderson

Details

Past & Present: Layers of Trauma associated with alcohol use in Aotearoa

Intergeneration tolerance towards alcohol and the resistance to change due to a shift in Whānau (family) norms and the normalisation of drinking during pregnancy.

Research has shown that the colonisation process heavily influenced alcohol use within our country. The impact and break down of Traditional Tangatawhenua parenting practices has led to un-wellness within our Māori population in many ways. With the tolerance of alcohol use during pregnancy being a reflection of the changes in Whānau norms.

The aim of this presentation is to introduce participants to Traditional Indigenous Māori parenting practices and show how these can be used to identify the health and wellbeing of the individual and Whānau as a whole.

Using a Whānau centred approach and practice model to introduce and discuss traditional practices, participants learn how these practices can be used to support the journey back to wellness, used in the healing process, used to identify core issues, used to identify Whānau norms and what needs to be done if changing those norms is desired.

In this context, the term Whānau is defined as a collective of people who identify as having a commonality. The term Whānau is not limited to biological relatedness; it includes Caregiver/Foster groups, Work groups and Social groups.

In this context Whānau norms is defined as the set of rules and practices that a family live by.

Room

  • Event Space 2
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 Tania Henderson

Tania Henderson

Education 4 U Limited

Tēnā koutou katoa Ko Poho-o-te-rangi te maunga, Ko Matumako te awa, Ko Te Ao Hou te marae, Ko Ngati Ruawaipu te iwi, Ko Whanau-A-Tapuhi te hapu, Ko Tania Henderson ahau.

Kaiwhakahaere Mātauranga, Whānau Therapist, Whānau Ora Navigator, Resolution Institute Mediator, Whānau/Parenting Support, Community Lead, FASD Education and Support, Parenting Educator.

I have an in-depth, working knowledge of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and its impact on whānau and the wider community. Focus has always been on raising awareness of FASD with a lens on the trauma associated with alcohol.

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Birth Family Contact for Children in Care: How much? How often? Who with?

Speaker

Associate Professor Nicola Atwool

Associate Professor Nicola Atwool

Details

Birth family contact for children in care: How much? How often? Who with?

Irrespective of type of placement, contact with birth family is one of the more contentious issues in decision-making for children in care.  Despite widespread belief that contact with birth family is beneficial for children and young people in care, this aspect of children’s care experience has not received a great deal of attention.  

This presentation reviews what is known about the views of children and young people in care, foster parents, and social work practitioners. The complexity of belonging to more than one family will be discussed and tensions in relation to contact with birth family are explored. I will argue that each situation is unique and that there is no ‘rule of thumb’ that can be applied.

Five key variables are identified: child or young person’s developmental stage and history; child or young person’s views and wishes; type of placement and future goals; cultural factors; work with birth families.  Practice guidelines in relation to these are developed in the final section. Particular attention will be focused on care provider’s obligation to ensure cultural connection for all children in care, and the challenges these may present to you.

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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Associate Professor Nicola Atwool

Associate Professor Nicola Atwool

University of Otago

Nicola Atwool is an Associate Professor in the Social and Community Work at the University of Otago.  She returned to academia at the beginning of 2012 having spent six years as a Principal Advisor in the Office of the Children's Commissioner.  She previously worked at the University of Otago as a lecturer and senior lecturer in the social work programme from 1994 to 2005. 

Nicola has professional qualifications in social work and child and adolescent psychotherapy and was employed in a variety of roles by what is now Oranga Tamariki for nearly twenty years before taking up an academic position.  Her research interests include the social construction of childhood and adolescence, attachment theory, resilience, the impact of trauma on children and young people, the experience of children in care and social work intervention with children, young people and their families.  Nicola is committed to bridging the worlds of academia, policy and practice.

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Dressing Room

Details

For those who have accommodation in Wellington, we have organised a Dressing Room at the Conference Venue for you to freshen up and change into your evening attire for the Cocktail Hour and Spring Garden Gala Dinner.

Outfit ideas...

Think all things SPRING - Flowers, soft pastel colours, fresh, etc

Now put this into an outfit - perhaps a floral shirt? or a bright coloured or patterned tie?

Perhaps a hat or a beautiful fascinator, head piece or scarf - the options are endless - be as loud as you would like or keep it simple!

Put your touch of spring on your outfit of choice and get ready to celebrate!

Room

  • Dressing Room
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Lets Celebrate!!!

Details

With the Spring season upon us we welcome you to our 

"Spring Garden Gala Dinner"

We have a DJ ready to entertain you while you eat some good food with some good people!

We have a speed quiz after dinner to test your knowledge, with some great prizes up for grabs.

This will be a great night for all! 

Lets come together and celebrate!!

Room

  • Event Space
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With what we now know!

Speakers

 Rob Surtees

Rob Surtees

 Sally Moffatt

Sally Moffatt

Details

Parenting children with developmental trauma is especially challenging because caregivers are trying to provide nurture, behavioural management and guidance to children who do not trust them or their good intentions.

Through the science available to us, and our continued worrying statistics, we know that traditional parenting does not work. All the evidence, including our own points to healing tamariki in care through therapeutic care or parenting.

We will explore how we can improve outcomes for tamariki by increasing caregivers knowledge. The caregiver becomes the therapeutic parent. We look at the Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) with an attitude of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy). We have always done the best we could with what we have known, but, with what we now know, we are able to provide the healing needed to change a child’s trajectory.

Close
 Rob Surtees

Rob Surtees

Caring Families Aotearoa
https://www.caringfamilies.org.nz

Rob’s professional interests lay with Family Therapy and parenting children with attachment disorders. He has a degree in counselling, has completed study in Psychotherapy, and has experience in foster caring.

Travelling the country, Rob has delivered training in Kim Goldings “Foundations of Attachment” and provided more in-depth levels of understanding for foster carers. He believes anyone who cares for or makes decisions for children in foster care needs to have an understanding of the trauma these children have experienced.

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 Sally Moffatt

Sally Moffatt

Caring Families Aotearoa
https://www.caringfamilies.org.nz

Sally holds a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). Sally is a skilled facilitator, delivering the Foundations for Attachment programme to caregivers across Aotearoa. Sally has an in-depth knowledge of developmental trauma, attachment, therapeutic parenting and the impact of developmental trauma on the developing brain. She has a passion to change the way we parent children and young people who have experienced maltreatment so that their trajectory in life changes for the better.

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Ko Au, Me - To enable the wellbeing of others we must look after the wellbeing of self

Speaker

 Tuihana Ohia

Tuihana Ohia

Details

In this session we will review, reflect on:

- Your Pūmanawa - Talents / Gifts
- Your Pūkenga  - Skills / Knowledge
- Te Whare Tapa Wha  - Your House of Health & Wellbeing 

Creating a picture, a story, a reflection of your all that is within and your current practices of wellbeing.  We will consider your values that sit alongside this. 
 
Outcomes of these workshops:
- A better understanding and shift in the wellbeing of ourselves.

- Create a kete of tools that will enable you to share your learnings and knowledge with your friends, family and the community you work in.

Room

  • Meeting Room 3
Close
 Tuihana Ohia

Tuihana Ohia

Woo Wellbeing

Tuihana's expertise spans across all aspects of wellbeing including project management, design, building inhouse capacity, strategy development, relationship liaison, workshops, event management and implementation.


Seamlessly navigates all sectors of business and communities, working among diverse range organisations both Māori and mainstream.


Recognised as one of Aotearoa’s leading wellbeing consultants she has won several awards for her work, notably with the launch of Manaaki Peer to Peer Support initiatives in Vodafone and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s wellbeing programme Tau Ora.

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When you know better, you can do better; an A&E guide to parenting and working with tamariki with FASD

Speaker

FASD Navigator Anna Gundesen

FASD Navigator Anna Gundesen

Details

A & E doesn’t refer to ‘triage’ although it may feel like that sometimes when you are parenting a child who has behavioural symptoms that are a result of a brain injury from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Acceptance and Empathy are two principles of PACE that are instrumental in maintaining connection when parenting a child with brain-based differences.

If we, as parents, can maintain a sense of calmness ourselves then we have a better chance of keeping in relationship with our tamariki. We can co-regulate them which can help them with their emotional regulation. I can share with you what my path to less challenging behaviours looks like.

How I have tried Keeping Pace with brain-based parenting techniques to improve the connection with my young teenager and what strategies I have found useful on this lifelong journey towards interdependence.

Room

  • Meeting Room 1
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FASD Navigator Anna Gundesen

FASD Navigator Anna Gundesen

FASD-CAN Inc
https://www.fasd-can.org.nz

Anna is a FASD Navigator and enjoys walking beside whānau through their often challenging journey of raising individuals with behavioural symptoms from pre-natal alcohol exposure. 

Her career began in Occupational Therapy followed by decades of leadership in the creative arts, and then experience of advocacy, support and facilitation in the foster care sector.

Anna brings to this role lived experience. She has been an advocate navigating her way through services to find the best fit to support their child, diagnosed with FASD. Over the past 7 years she has undertaken a breadth of professional development in FASD and continues to do so.

Close

Creating sustainable therapeutic relationship networks for children and young people in foster care

Speaker

 Janise Mitchell

Janise Mitchell

Details

Children in care often have impoverished relationship networks as a result of the abuse and trauma they have experienced and subsequent changes of placement and school once they enter care. They can have little connection to family. They can have few friends. 

For many, their strongest relationships are professionals and carers.  Many children leave care with few close and enduring relationships. Relationships, connection and belonging are central to healing for children in care. This workshop will explore children’s need for relationship stability and relationship permanence as critical aspects of their healing journeys and the critical role of carers in meeting these needs.

Room

  • Event Space 1
Close
 Janise Mitchell

Janise Mitchell

Australian Childhood Foundation
https://www.childhood.org.au/

Janise has 30 years’ experience in the field of child protection and child welfare, with a focus on therapeutic care. She completed a Master of Social Work (Research) in 2008 in which she researched the implementation of therapeutic foster care in Victoria, Australia.  In her current role, Janise has been instrumental in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of the Australian Childhood Foundation therapeutic care programs.

Janise has extensive experience in the development of innovative therapeutic programs for traumatised children and young people in foster, kinship and residential care. She has provided consultancy to many governments on the issue of therapeutic services for children and young people and regularly participates on state and national Advisory Groups seeking to address the needs of children and young people in the child protection, out of home care, secure care and youth justice sectors.

Janise has a commitment to evidence informed practice and believes strongly in the participation of young people in the development of services, policies and programs that seek to support them.

Janise has presented nationally and internationally and has a range of publications, most recently she was lead editor on the 2020 book The Handbook of Therapeutic Care for Children: Evidence-Informed Approaches to Working with Traumatised Children and Adolescents in Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Care edited by Janise Mitchell, Joe Tucci and Ed Tronick, 2020, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Close

Kaupapa Māori approach – Connecting back to Culture and the importance of identity for tamariki Māori.

Speaker

 Māhera Maihi

Māhera Maihi

Details

Having broken out of the cycle of poverty and homelessness Māhera will share how she is using her own experiences to change the world one Māori at a time.  Māhera is founder of charity Mā Te Huruhuru which runs a 10-bedroom housing complex supporting young people in Ōtāhuhu.

Their approach is wrap around with a Kaupapa Māori approach, connecting back to whakapapa, learning te reo and learning pepeha.  A house is important but we also need to change our mindsets and what we know. Māhera will share with you how to bring a Kaupapa Māori approach into your home and how it is helping her create better outcomes for rangatahi.

 

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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 Māhera Maihi

Māhera Maihi

Mā Te Huruhuru

Māhera Maihi is the founder and Chief Executive of charity Mā Te Huruhuru, where she runs a 10 bedroom housing complex supporting young people in Ōtāhuhu. 

Māhera completed studies in Toiora whānau (Social work) and is currently completing a Masters in Māori and Management. Māhera worked at Oranga Tamariki for six years where she identified the need for systemic change, and therefore decided to pioneer and found Mā Te Huruhuru.

Mā Te Huruhuru is born out of Māhera's personal lived experience being raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. They offer kaupapa Māori programmes and services in employment, health, social services, wairua and housing. This includes work readiness programmes, enterprise, suicide prevention, COVID response, whakamoemiti, life coaching services, supported bail, and transitional housing. 

Māhera is also the co-owner of a cafe called Maihi and Co Cafe, in Manukau with her sister.

Close

Ko Au, Me - To enable the wellbeing of others we must look after the wellbeing of self

Speaker

 Tuihana Ohia

Tuihana Ohia

Details

In this session we will review, reflect on:

- Your Pūmanawa - Talents / Gifts
- Your Pūkenga  - Skills / Knowledge
- Te Whare Tapa Wha  - Your House of Health & Wellbeing 

Creating a picture, a story, a reflection of your all that is within and your current practices of wellbeing.  We will consider your values that sit alongside this. 
 
Outcomes of these workshops:
- A better understanding and shift in the wellbeing of ourselves.

- Create a kete of tools that will enable you to share your learnings and knowledge with your friends, family and the community you work in.

Room

  • Meeting Room 3
Close
 Tuihana Ohia

Tuihana Ohia

Woo Wellbeing

Tuihana's expertise spans across all aspects of wellbeing including project management, design, building inhouse capacity, strategy development, relationship liaison, workshops, event management and implementation.


Seamlessly navigates all sectors of business and communities, working among diverse range organisations both Māori and mainstream.


Recognised as one of Aotearoa’s leading wellbeing consultants she has won several awards for her work, notably with the launch of Manaaki Peer to Peer Support initiatives in Vodafone and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s wellbeing programme Tau Ora.

Close

Oranga Tamariki Transition Support Service - A service overview and how caregivers can play a vital role in Rangatahi journey to adulthood

Speaker

 Annalise Sharp

Annalise Sharp

Details

Every rangatahi has different goals for their adult lives. Being discharged from care or custody is a big milestone, and this transition is one that can come with many challenges, changes, and new experiences.

Rangatahi have the right to be supported as they prepare for adulthood. Developing their own plan and having relationships and connections that will assist them to succeed is a core part of the transition from care or custody into adulthood.

Oranga Tamariki is working together with a number of community and Iwi-Māori partners to offer ongoing assistance and support to rangatahi.

The presentation will cover the following:

·         Transition planning – helping rangatahi to prepare and plan for their journey into adulthood.

·         Transition worker – keeping in touch with and supporting rangatahi throughout their discharge from care until they turn 21.

·         Staying on with a caregiver – the entitlement to remain or return to living with a caregiver (ETRR). Rangatahi have the option to continue living with caregiving whānau, in an arrangement supported by Oranga Tamariki. 

·         Transition assistance – ongoing advice and support through the transition assistance helpline.

Room

  • Meeting Room 1
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 Annalise Sharp

Annalise Sharp

Oranga Tamariki

Annalise Sharp is a Service Manager from the Transition Support Services team, within Oranga Tamariki. Annalise is passionate about ensuring rangatahi are aware of, and have access to their entitlements, and are well supported as they journey from care into adulthood.

Annalise has worked for Oranga Tamariki for 14 years and is based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Annalise holds a Master of Social Work (Professional) and is experienced across a range of services for rangatahi within Oranga Tamariki, including youth justice, community placements and transition support.

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Trauma-informed education implementing a relational approach to help children succeed

Speaker

 Veronica George

Veronica George

Details

Traditionally, the education system has focused on behaviour and implementing consequences for behaviour deemed inappropriate at school in an attempt to stop the behaviour and engage children in education. Unfortunately, this often has the opposite effect on children who have experienced relational trauma and who have insecure attachment styles; it simply reinforces their story that they ‘are not good enough’ and keeps them stuck in a state of shame.

This often leads to further disengagement and oppositional behaviour as a way to protect themselves from these feelings. A relational approach, however, aimed at connecting with students and trying to understand what more vulnerable emotion lies beneath their behaviour is much more likely to shift the child into a more open and engaged state. PACE is a framework for doing this and I am currently working within many education facilities to help them understand how these children’s brains and bodies have developed differently and how, if educators are to support these students within a system that is meant to be inclusive, then it is imperative that a relational approach is implemented.

I will draw on real-life examples from my work to illustrate this, as well as include excerpts from Dr Sian Phillips (who was my supervisor for my DDP practicum) book ‘Belonging: A relational approach to trauma informed education’ (2021) to continue to spread the message of how we can work together to make school a positive experience for these students who have already had so many adverse experiences in their lives.

Room

  • Main Plenary Town Hall
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 Veronica George

Veronica George

Soul Psychology

Veronica is a registered psychologist, certified in Dyadic Developmental Practice.  She studied psychology at Waikato University, in the Applied Behaviour Analysis Programme. As she began working with children who had a background of relational trauma, she discovered there was something missing in the behavioural approach so attended many courses and trainings to better understand the impact of this. The more she learned, the more passionate she became about helping others understand the hidden needs beneath the children’s behaviour, and how to support them.

Veronica works therapeutically, from a DDP perspective, with children, their parents/caregivers, and provide consultancy and professional development for other professionals, including within the education sector.

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Embodied Parenting: Embracing all of you (and your child!)

Speaker

 Felicia Stewart

Felicia Stewart

Details

Embodied Parenting is how we bridge the gap between the parent we aspire to be and the one we discover we become when things get messy. Parenting isn’t something we do just with our heads.  Our hearts, histories, hopes, and habits show up too – sometimes consciously, sometimes hidden from awareness.  And they are held in the body, which is why we can trip up and get reactive, despite our best intentions.

Learn how a body-centred approach helps you cultivate the kind of embodied trust that comes from grounded authenticity, congruence and integrity, and through fostering a felt-sense of safety, belonging and acceptance.

Because when children trust the relationship is strong enough to take their weight, no matter how difficult the challenge, their own internal state can shift; they can soften their alarm response, and let go of their need for defensive behaviours.

Room

  • Event Space 1
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 Felicia Stewart

Felicia Stewart

The Trauma Initiative
Facebook

Felicia Stewart is a former PR executive and travel writer who found herself in a distorted parenting space following the adoption of a toddler in 2005. For 14 years she has been on a journey to understand the challenging behaviours that she faced each day; studying under the trauma masters, Peter Levine, Diane Poole Heller, Janina Fisher, Bruce Perry, and many other experts in the field.

Alongside her work helping families living with attachment difficulties, Felicia has trained as a specialist tea master and offers coaching in mindful tea practice.

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Porn and young people in Aotearoa: Understanding and responding to the new landscape

Speaker

 Nikki Denholm

Nikki Denholm

Details

Porn is now a primary form of sex education for many young people – shaping youth sexual culture in new and diverse ways.

This presentation will give an evidence based overview of the new porn landscape for young people including porn content, trends, youth consumption and how porn can impact young people’s sexual attitudes, behaviours and wellbeing.

It will then provide information on how we can equip our rangatahi to positively navigate the new online porn landscape through building porn literacy and resiliency; tools for shame-free and helpful conversations; responding to tricky porn related questions and issues; and how to mitigate harm through youth assessment tools and support.

 

 

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 Nikki Denholm

Nikki Denholm

The Light Project

Nikki has a health background and specialises in sexual health and gender issues.

She founded the NZ FGM Education Programme and NZ National African HIV/AIDS Education Project and has been working in the area of youth and porn since 2014.

She founded The Light Project and In The Know with the aim of equipping young people and their whānau to navigate the new online porn landscape. Nikki serves on a number of anti-human trafficking boards and was recently made a member of the NZ order of Merit for her humanitarian work.

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Relationships between carers and children as vehicles for change and healing

Speaker

Dr Joe Tucci

Dr Joe Tucci

Details

Relationships mean the world to traumatised children. It is what happens in the everyday of these relationships that heal the hurt of their past.

There are moments of interactions which provide the opportunity to change the way that a child or young person experiences themselves, their past and the way they start to give meaning to who they can be into the future.

How do these little moments work? What can carers do to help them be effective? What are messages that a child’s neurobiology needs to receive?  How are these messages given?

In this presentation, Joe will explore the intricacy of how therapeutic change actually occurs and how that change takes hold over time.


 

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Dr Joe Tucci

Dr Joe Tucci

Australian Childhood Foundation
https://www.childhood.org.au/

Dr Joe Tucci is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Childhood Foundation. 

Joe is a registered psychologist and social worker and author with significant experience in child protection and working therapeutically with children. He has worked in the field of child abuse and childhood trauma for the past 30 years. Joe completed his Doctorate into emotional child abuse in 2005.

In 1993, he was awarded a Creswick Foundation Fellowship in Child and Family Relationships to work with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in the United Kingdom.

He has acted as a senior consultant to government and non-government agencies across Australia on a range of projects related to trauma-informed care and child protection policy.  He has demonstrated experience in developing and implementing child focused therapeutic programs.

He has presented at national and international conferences on therapeutic work with children, trauma and child abuse. His writing has been published in both Australian and international academic journals and the broader media. Most recently he was co-editor of the 2020 book The Handbook of Therapeutic Care for Children: Evidence-Informed Approaches to Working with Traumatized Children and Adolescents in Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Care edited by Janise Mitchell, Joe Tucci and Ed Tronick, 2020, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Links

www: Caring Families Aotearoa

Contact Details

Jennifer Kinsella

Marketing & Communications Manager

Caring Families Aotearoa

Caring Families Aotearoa

Lvl 4, 45 Knights Road

Lower Hutt 5040

Ph: 0800 693 323