Refugee and Asylum Seeking Experiences Online

This self-contained course, taking approximately two hours to complete, will introduce you to key concepts for working with survivors of trauma from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. You will gain knowledge of the context and experiences of people from these backgrounds, as well as ways to promote recovery. The course explores how the Foundation House Trauma Recovery Framework can be applied in your work.

The key concepts for working with survivors are brought to life through the stories of four people from refugee backgrounds including:

• flight 
• camp experiences 
• urban experiences 
• settlement and recovery in Australia.

Key data on the global refugee situation and Australia’s Humanitarian Program is also included to give you an understanding of the global and national context of refugee resettlement.

The online course can be incorporated as part of your Professional Learning package.

Visit our Online Learning page for more details or for an individual login.

Trauma-informed Practice: An Organisational Systems Approach to Supporting Recovery

Provides practitioners with an understanding of trauma-informed practice, and the essential processes and systems required to develop a trauma-informed organisation.

Content includes: 

• the impact that working with trauma can have on survivors, practitioners, teams, and organisational dynamics and systems
• critical reflection on key theories, principles, systems, processes, and practices that support the development of a trauma-informed system
• an exploration of how organisational systems and processes can support trauma recovery   
• the application of Foundation House’s Trauma Recovery Framework at all levels of an organisational system to promote recovery.  

Trauma-informed Practice for Managers and Leaders 

Explores the unique challenges faced by managers and leaders in organisations supporting traumatised people by taking an in-depth look at the most effective processes and practices required to create an organisational environment primed to support trauma recovery work.

Content includes: 

• understanding trauma-informed practice, and how this can be implemented in an organisation
• the elements of a good trauma-informed leader and manager
• the culture, systems, processes, and practices required in a trauma-informed organisation
• understanding change management through a trauma-informed lens. 

Trauma-informed Practice for Bicultural Workers   

Staff employed for their language skills, cultural knowledge and relationships within newly arrived communities, also negotiate complex expectations from clients, communities and their own organisations. This workshop explores the challenges for ‘bicultural’ staff in health settings, and provides opportunity for sharing strategies, resources and networking. 

Content includes: 

• trauma-informed practices 
• managing client, community and organisational relationships and expectations 
• working sustainably with survivors of trauma 
• opportunities for sharing experience and strategies, and networking.

Trauma-informed Practice for Non-direct Service Staff

Currently in development – please let us know if you are interested in this content 

Development and Trauma: Understanding the Life Trajectories of Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with a trauma-informed understanding of theories of psychosocial and cognitive development and challenges. It explores ways of working with individuals who have experienced torture and other traumatic experiences at different stages of their psychosocial and cognitive development, using a developmental approach. 

Content includes: 

• the major theories of psychosocial and cognitive development
• trauma-informed understanding of the major stages of psychosocial and cognitive development
• the impact that adverse experiences such as torture, trauma, disruptions to attachment and forced migration can have on psychosocial and cognitive development
• working with survivors of trauma to support recovery from a developmental perspective.

Trauma-informed practice with culturally and linguistically diverse individuals, families, and communities

A framework for integrated trauma recovery for working with people of refugee backgrounds, that is also relevant for practitioners and leaders working with other individuals, families, and communities impacted by the trauma of persecution and human rights violations. 

Content includes:

• the need for trauma-informed, trauma-focused, and culturally-informed practice when planning and implementing interventions to support recovery, to overcome the debilitating effects of traumatic experiences
• the critical need to be responsive to emerging stressors in the environment, so that a recovery environment can be built
• essential intervention principles such as identifying vulnerabilities and strengths of survivors and designing programs and strategies with individuals, families and communities.

• Trauma-informed Practice for Managers and Leaders 
• Trauma-informed Operational Supervision  
• Trauma-informed Reflective Supervision  
• Team and Organisational Dynamics in Organisations Impacted by Trauma 
• Effective Language & Communication for Leaders 
• Leading for the Future 
• Leading through Uncertainty  
• Trauma-informed Leadership for Community Leaders.

Counselling and Psychotherapy with Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with the knowledge, skills and insights needed to provide effective counselling and psychotherapy to survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences. 

Content includes: 

• theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of effective counselling and psychotherapy with survivors of trauma 
• understanding the distinctive needs of adult survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds, including complex case formulation skills
• Foundation House’s Trauma Recovery Framework 
• major evidence-based therapeutic modalities for use with adult survivors of trauma, and the common elements of effective interventions
• skills in the identification and application of intervention strategies to respond to specific trauma related  presentations.

Incidental Counselling with Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills  to integrate into practice key theories, approaches, and methods for providing counselling to survivors of refugee trauma when this is incidental to their primary roles. Practitioners will gain incidental counselling and other skills for responding to difficult and distressing situations. The workshop involves presentations, practical exercises, roleplay, and discussions in large and small groups. 

Content includes: 

• understanding the psychological sequelae of torture and other traumatic events using Foundation House’s Conceptual Framework and Trauma Recovery Framework
• applying strategies for responding to survivors of trauma and their distress
• responding to disclosures and providing emotional containment
• identifying duty of care issues and responding to  needs through further assessment, intervention and referral
• how to maintain appropriate boundaries within your role and level of expertise
• opportunities for reflection on one’s emotional, physical, and attitudinal responses to survivors and their circumstances.

Working Therapeutically with Children and Adolescents

Provides practitioners working therapeutically with children and adolescents with an understanding of key developmental theories relevant to trauma recovery work; how trauma impacts on development and developmental trajectories; and an understanding of trauma-informed, evidence-informed and trauma-focused approaches to promoting recovery in children and adolescents impacted by traumatic events. 

Content includes: 

• applying a developmental lens to assessment, formulation and choice of appropriate interventions for individuals, families and groups
• identifying common manifestations of trauma in children and young people and making sense of symptoms and presentations
• examining and identifying what constitutes best-practice trauma recovery work when working with children and young people from refugee backgrounds who have experienced trauma 
• understanding common dynamics when working with children and adolescents and ways to manage these creatively
• understanding and responding to ethical issues that arise when  working with children and adolescents. 

Incidental Counselling with Children and Adolescents

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills  to integrate into practice key theories, approaches, and methods for providing counselling to children and adolescents from refugee backgrounds, when this is incidental to their primary roles. Practitioners will gain incidental counselling and other skills for responding to difficult and distressing situations. The workshop involves presentations, practical exercises, roleplay, and discussions in large and small groups. 

Content includes: 

• understanding the psychological sequelae of torture and other traumatic events using Foundation House’s Conceptual Framework and Trauma Recovery Framework
• applying strategies for responding to survivors of trauma and their distress
• responding to disclosures and providing emotional containment
• identifying duty of care issues and responding to  needs through further assessment, intervention, and referral
• how to maintain appropriate boundaries within your role and level of expertise
• opportunities for reflection on one’s emotional, physical, and attitudinal responses to survivors and their circumstances. 

Psychotherapeutic Group Work

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to facilitate therapeutic group work with survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds, which is trauma-informed, and culturally safe and responsive. 

Content includes: 

• the application of therapeutic factors in the running of psychotherapy groups
• understanding a framework to develop and facilitate psychotherapeutic groups
• stages of group processes and group dynamics
• relevant theoretical frameworks to understand group dynamics and processes in psychotherapeutic groups how Foundation House’s Trauma Recovery Framework is applied in psychotherapy groups  with survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds. 

Working Therapeutically with People Seeking Asylum

Provides practitioners with opportunities to examine good practice when working therapeutically with individuals and families seeking asylum including those living in the community on bridging visas, in held detention, and community detention as they wait for their claim to be determined.

Content includes: 

• an overview of the historical and current legal and policy frameworks essential to understand when working with people seeking asylum
• the range of roles practitioners engage in when working with people seeking asylum, including therapeutic work and interventions, advocacy and case work
• understanding how pre-arrival traumatic histories and the asylum-seeking process  impact the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and families
• examining what represents good practice in work with people seeking asylum in relation to assessment, formulation, interventions and treatment, advocacy; and other support that may be provided
• identifying the impact of this work on practitioners and ways to sustain ourselves in our practice. 

Working with Uncertainty

Explores the psychosocial realities of living with long-term uncertainty for people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. The mental health consequences arising from pre-arrival experiences are compounded by the uncertainties of the determination process and the political environment, as well as other factors such as concern for family overseas.

In the current context, client-worker interactions are frequently related to discussions around migration status, and themes relating to uncertainty can dominate the relationship. Feelings of helplessness are common in both the client and worker. Ways of supporting clients living with ongoing uncertainty will be explored and the potential impact of this work on professionals is acknowledged.

Development and Trauma: Understanding the Life Trajectories of Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with a trauma-informed understanding of theories of psychosocial and cognitive development and challenges. It explores ways of working with individuals who have experienced torture and other traumatic experiences at different stages of their psychosocial and cognitive development, using a developmental approach. 

Content includes: 

• the major theories of psychosocial and cognitive development
• trauma-informed understanding of the major stages of psychosocial and cognitive development
• the impact that adverse experiences such as torture, trauma, disruptions to attachment and forced migration can have on psychosocial and cognitive development
• working with survivors of trauma to support recovery from a developmental perspective. 

Trauma Focused Assessment and Formulation

Provides practitioners with the knowledge, skills and insights needed to conduct comprehensive assessments, and develop case formulations for adults from refugee backgrounds who have experienced torture and other traumatic events. 

Content includes: 

• key domains to be explored in a comprehensive assessment
• consideration of survivor’s developmental needs and cultural perspectives, using a bio-psycho-social approach
• how to undertake a comprehensive assessment  to identify survivor’s therapeutic needs
• creating a case formulation, based on a comprehensive assessment, that informs the selection of relevant evidence-informed interventions. 

Recognising and Understanding Complex Mental Health Presentations

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and understand complex mental health presentations in adult refugee survivors of torture and other traumatic events  to support their recovery.  

Content includes: 

• recognising complex presentations, signs and symptoms of mental illness and complex post-traumatic stress which are common presentations among survivors of torture and trauma
• understanding the knowledge base regarding evidence-based therapeutic modalities relevant to treatment of the most common mental health diagnoses
• understanding the complexity of social and cultural factors in facilitating engagement with mental health supports.  

Understanding and Working with Suicidality   

Provides practitioners with an understanding of the  complex factors that should be considered when engaging with ‘at risk’ trauma survivors from refugee backgrounds. 

Recognising the complex and diverse circumstances facing people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds, this workshop will explore a range of considerations and responses the practitioner requires to understand and effectively support survivors of trauma who are at risk of suicide and self-harm. 

Content includes: 

• the global and local context of suicidality across communities from refugee backgrounds
• reflecting on participants own beliefs and attitudes towards suicidality and how this may influence engagement with survivors of trauma
• the diverse causes and presentations of self-harm and suicidality in the context of refugee and asylum seeking experiences
• risk assessment, decision making processes, referral, and documentation
• the impact of supporting ‘at risk’ clients, including practical strategies to encourage sustainable practice. 

Counselling and Psychotherapy with Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with the knowledge, skills and insights needed to provide effective counselling and psychotherapy to survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences. 

Content includes: 

• theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of effective counselling and psychotherapy with survivors of trauma
• understanding the distinctive needs of adult survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds, including complex case formulation skills
• Foundation House’s Trauma Recovery Framework
• major evidence-based therapeutic modalities for use with adult survivors of trauma, and the common elements of effective interventions
• skills in the identification and application of intervention strategies to respond to specific trauma related  presentations. 

Working Therapeutically with Children and Adolescents  

Provides practitioners working therapeutically with children and adolescents with an understanding of key developmental theories relevant to trauma recovery work; how trauma impacts on development and developmental trajectories; and an understanding of trauma-informed, evidence-informed and trauma-focused approaches to promoting recovery in children and adolescents impacted by traumatic events. 

Content includes: 

• applying a developmental lens to assessment, formulation and choice of appropriate interventions for individuals, families and groups
• identifying common manifestations of trauma in children and young people and making sense of symptoms and presentations
• examining and identifying what constitutes best-practice trauma recovery work when working with children and young people from refugee backgrounds who have experienced trauma
• understanding common dynamics when working with children and adolescents and ways to manage these creatively
• understanding and responding to ethical issues that arise when  working with children and adolescents. 

Working Therapeutically with People Seeking Asylum

Provides practitioners with opportunities to examine good practice when working therapeutically with individuals and families seeking asylum including those living in the community on bridging visas, in held detention, and community detention as they wait for their claim to be determined.

Content includes: 

• an overview of the historical and current legal and policy frameworks essential to understand when working with people seeking asylum
• the range of roles practitioners engage in when working with people seeking asylum, including therapeutic work and interventions, advocacy and case work
• understanding how pre-arrival traumatic histories and the asylum-seeking process  impact the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and families
• examining what represents good practice in work with people seeking asylum in relation to assessment, formulation, interventions and treatment, advocacy; and other support that may be provided
• identifying the impact of this work on practitioners and ways to sustain ourselves in our practice. 

Psychoeducational Group Work

Provides practitioners with an understanding of the design and practice of psychoeducational group work. 

The course will provide practitioners with an understanding of the  theories and frameworks relevant to group work development which is culturally safe and responsive. Participants will develop the skills to design, plan, and implement a psychoeducational group work program 

Content includes: 

• best practices and strategies for tailoring psychoeducation group session/s according to participants’ needs and knowledge
• evidence-based material that can provide clear education and resources to group participants
• skills to plan, design, and deliver psychoeducational groups
• understanding how to facilitate psychoeducational groups for a range of ages and stages. 

Development and Trauma: Understanding the Life Trajectories of Survivors of Trauma

Provides practitioners with a trauma-informed understanding of theories of psychosocial and cognitive development and challenges. It explores ways of working with individuals who have experienced torture and other traumatic experiences at different stages of their psychosocial and cognitive development, using a developmental approach. 

Content includes: 

• the major theories of psychosocial and cognitive development
• trauma-informed understanding of the major stages of psychosocial and cognitive development
• the impact that adverse experiences such as torture, trauma, disruptions to attachment and forced migration can have on psychosocial and cognitive development
• working with survivors of trauma to support recovery from a developmental perspective. 

Working Therapeutically with Children and Adolescents

Provides practitioners working therapeutically with children and adolescents with an understanding of key developmental theories relevant to trauma recovery work; how trauma impacts on development and developmental trajectories; and an understanding of trauma-informed, evidence-informed and trauma-focused approaches to promoting recovery in children and adolescents impacted by traumatic events. 

Content includes: 

• applying a developmental lens to assessment, formulation and choice of appropriate interventions for individuals, families and groups
• identifying common manifestations of trauma in children and young people and making sense of symptoms and presentations
• examining and identifying what constitutes best-practice trauma recovery work when working with children and young people from refugee backgrounds who have experienced trauma
• understanding common dynamics when working with children and adolescents and ways to manage these creatively
• understanding and responding to ethical issues that arise when  working with children and adolescents. 

Incidental Counselling with Children and Adolescents

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills  to integrate into practice key theories, approaches, and methods for providing counselling to children and adolescents from refugee backgrounds, when this is incidental to their primary roles. Practitioners will gain incidental counselling and other skills for responding to difficult and distressing situations. The workshop involves presentations, practical exercises, roleplay, and discussions in large and small groups. 

Content includes: 

• understanding the psychological sequelae of torture and other traumatic events using Foundation House’s Conceptual Framework and Trauma Recovery Framework
• applying strategies for responding to survivors of trauma and their distress
• responding to disclosures and providing emotional containment
• identifying duty of care issues and responding to  needs through further assessment, intervention, and referral
• how to maintain appropriate boundaries within your role and level of expertise
• opportunities for reflection on one’s emotional, physical, and attitudinal responses to survivors and their circumstances. 

Group Work Theory and Practice

Provides practitioners with an understanding of key group work theories  underpinning group work practice and design. The course explores the developmental stages of group work; the complexities of group work dynamics, and how they can influence the functioning of the group. The training will provide facilitators with thetools to promote a safe group environment for all participants. The content addresses some of the challenges that often come up in groups and how these may be addressed.   

Content includes:

• the major theories of group dynamics and group work
• the therapeutic benefits and challenges of working with groups
• knowledge of different group types  to inform  program design
• understanding of the skills and processes required for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of groups
• important considerations when working with survivors of trauma from CALD and refugee background in group programs
• the role of leaders, co-facilitators, and interpreters in group work.

Psychoeducational Group Work

Provides practitioners with an understanding of the design and practice of psychoeducational group work. 

The course will provide practitioners with an understanding of the  theories and frameworks relevant to group work development which is culturally safe and responsive. Participants will develop the skills to design, plan, and implement a psychoeducational group work program 

Content includes:

• best practices and strategies for tailoring psychoeducation group session/s according to participants’ needs and knowledge
• evidence-based material that can provide clear education and resources to group participants
• skills to plan, design, and deliver psychoeducational groups
• understanding how to facilitate psychoeducational groups for a range of ages and stages 

Psychotherapeutic Group Work

Provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to facilitate therapeutic group work with survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds, which is trauma-informed, and culturally safe and responsive. 

Content includes: 

• the application of therapeutic factors in the running of psychotherapy groups
• understanding a framework to develop and facilitate psychotherapeutic groups
• stages of group processes and group dynamics
• relevant theoretical frameworks to understand group dynamics and processes in psychotherapeutic groups
• how Foundation House’s Trauma Recovery Framework is applied in psychotherapy groups  with survivors of trauma from refugee backgrounds. 

Community Capacity Building: Theory and Practice

Provides practitioners with an understanding of evidence and trauma-informed approaches to community capacity building to promote recovery in communities of CALD and refugee backgrounds impacted by torture and other traumatic events.

Content includes:

• trauma-informed theories and frameworks for community capacity building
• understanding and reflecting upon an integrating trauma-informed approach to community work
• understanding evidence-informed interventions and their application in building the capacity of communities to promote recovery.  

Community Capacity Building: Engaging Communities about Mental Health 

Explores barriers preventing people from refugee backgrounds from accessing support for mental health struggles, and examines ways of engaging with communities around issues affecting wellbeing. 

Practitioners will be introduced to the Foundation House Community Capacity Building Framework, and examples of work within communities will be shared. There will be opportunities to reflect on this model and your practice. 

Content includes: 

• Foundation House’s Community Capacity Building Framework
• exploration of the potential effect of culture on perceptions of mental health and mental illness
• common mental health concerns for people from refugee backgrounds
• identification of key barriers preventing people from refugee backgrounds accessing mental health services
• examples of engaging communities around the impact of trauma
• where to next? eg. identification of engagement strategies and potential ways of implementing these; future training and collaborations. 

Trauma-informed Leadership for Community Leaders

Provides leaders from CALD and refugee background communities with an understanding of theories and approaches to support and lead their communities dealing with the impact of individual and collective trauma on the community and promote recovery. 

Trauma-informed Practice for Bicultural Workers

Staff employed for their language skills, cultural knowledge and relationships within newly arrived communities, also negotiate complex expectations from clients, communities and their own organisations. This workshop explores the challenges for ‘bicultural’ staff in health settings, and provides opportunity for sharing strategies, resources and networking. 

Content includes: 

• trauma-informed practices
• managing client, community and organisational relationships and expectations
• working sustainably with survivors of trauma
• opportunities for sharing experience and strategies, and networking.