Addressing Family Violence Programs
- Awards
- AFVP Book
- Manuals
- Posters
- BuBs (Building Up Bonds) On Board
- Publications
- Training and Professional Development
- The Peek-a-Boo Club™
- Dads on Board™
- Contact Us
Until further notice the Addressing Family Violence Programs will be running at a reduced capacity. A small number of Peek-a-Boo Club™ and Dads on Board™ groups will continue to run, however we are no longer accepting referrals for these groups.
If you are based in the Western, North/Western Metro Melbourne area and are wanting to make referrals of infants and their parents/carers who have been affected by family violence then referrals should go to the RCH Integrate Mental Health Program through the RCH Intake Service (1800 44 55 11).
Click here for our Formal Statement letter explaining the current status quo of the AFVP work: AFVP Formal Statement (223kb)
Introduction
The Royal Children's Hospital Integrated Mental Health Program (RCH IMHP) Addressing Family Violence Programs (AFVP) operates specific specialist interventions to infants, children and families affected by severe family violence. The programs consist of groupwork interventions, the production of educational products and the delivery of specific training and workshops to welfare professionals.
The Addressing Family Violence Programs operates at three levels. The first is service delivery, and provides a range of specialist group work programs to families predominantly within Western and North Western Metropolitan Melbourne. These include programs for:
- Infants and mothers (The Peek-a-Boo Club™)
- Infants and fathers (Dads on Board™)
- Children and mothers (Parents Accepting Responsibility Kids Are Safe - parkas)
- Children (JUST FOR KIDS - JFK)
- And our bridging children's anger management program developed by the RCH IMHP Community Group Program (Feeling is Thinking FisT)
The second level, which is grounded in our direct service delivery experience combined with our knowledge of the latest research and training involves the provision of professional development training across Victoria and Interstate. This includes:
- Infant Mental Health & Family Violence two-day experiential training based on The Peek-a-Boo Club™ model
- parkas (parents accepting responsibility kids are safe) two-day experiential training
- FisT (Feeling is Thinking) one-day training for children's anger management group work
- Where are the Children? Placing children in the picture of Family Violence one-day workshop
- Cycle of Violence: How it effects Families and Schools one-day workshop
- Out of the Mouth of Babes: What Children have taught us about their experience of living with Family Violence - half or full day workshop
For more information on current training, see Professional Development.
The third level provides consultation to other services and endeavours to enhance awareness in the community about the lasting and damaging impact of family violence on infants, children and young people. This is done through our involvement in community projects and committees and in part through the educational products we have produced such as:
- Children Do Mind Family Violence poster
- The parkas manual a professionally produced 130-page program manual (available on attending the parkas two-day experiential training)
- The FisT manual - a professionally produced 85-page children's anger management group work manual, poster and story book
- The Therapeutic Use of Games in Groupwork - When to use them, Why to use then and How to use them
- Addressing Family Violence Programs: Groupwork interventions for infants children and their parents - a 15 chaptered book dedicated to the work of the AFVP
For more information on purchasing publications, posters or manuals please see below.
Service Delivery Model
Awards
The work of the AFVP has been acknowledged publicly in these ways:
|
2010 |
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT |
Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards, The Peek-a-Boo Club™ and BuBs on Board™. |
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2009 |
GOLD AWARD |
TheMHS (Aust & NZ), The Peek-a-Boo Club™ |
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2006 |
GOLD AWARD |
TheMHS (Aust & NZ), FisT Program |
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2006 |
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION AWARD |
PARKAS |
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2005 |
HIGHLY COMMENDED |
National Child Abuse Awards for Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect |
|
2004 |
GOLD AWARD |
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Association and The Mental Health Services in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Provision for the PARKAS program |
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2003 |
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT |
Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards |
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2003 |
ROSEMARY DERHAM SCHOLARSHIP |
RCH Travelling Scholarship & RCH Medallion. To present our work at an international conference & visit DV organisations in Canada. |
|
2002 |
GOLD AWARD |
Mental Health Promotion or Mental Illness Prevention for the Community Group Program, awarded by The Mental Health Services Conference Inc. of Australia and New Zealand (TheMHS) |
|
2000 |
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD |
awarded by Djerriwarrh Health Services |
Addressing Family Violence Programs Book
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This book captures work of the Royal Children’s Hospital Integrated Mental Health Program’s AFVP over ten years (1996-2006) and in particular our groupwork programs:
- PARKAS
- Just for Kids
- The Peek-a-Boo Club™.
It takes the reader through the theory, principles and practice of the AFVP work as well as our endeavours to measure its effectiveness. It is 166 pages packed full of articles, stories from the children themselves and a variety of interventions we have utilised in our addressing family violence work.
Download an order form: AFVP Book Order Form or see AFVP Book sample
For US buyers please use this AFVP Book & Games Manual Order Form: AFVP Book & Games Manual Order Form $US.
Manuals
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Feeling is Thinking (FisT) Manual
Feeling is Thinking (FisT) is a group work program designed for children (aged between 8 to 11 years) who have difficulty managing strong emotions (either by over internalising or over externalising emotions), and who struggle to successfully resolve conflict.
Download an order form: FisT Manual Order Form (PDF, 90KB) or view a sample here: CGP FisT Contents (PDF 115KB).
The Therapeutic Use of Games in Groupwork Manual
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The RCH Mental Health Program has also produced a manual titled "The Therapeutic Use of Games in Groupwork - When to use them, Why to use then and How to use them." This terrific manual includes a special chapter on 'Training Games for Professionals.'
Download an order form: Games Manual Order Form (PDF 60KB) or view a sample here: CGP Sample_of_Games_Manual
For US buyers please use this AFVP Book & Games Manual Order Form: AFVP Book & Games Manual Order Form $US.
Note: Any monies raised by the sale of this book are immediately fed back into the service delivery programs of Addressing Family Violence Programs and The Royal Children's Hospital Integrated Mental Health Program.
Posters
Children Do Mind Family Violence
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Children Do Mind Family Violence is a black and white A2 poster, which is straightforward in its message. The soulful faces (five in all) of a child from infancy to primary age captures the deeper impact and consequences of being exposed to and/or a direct victim of family violence. Program Manager Wendy Bunston comments this is a picture that speaks louder than words and has a profound impact on all who view it.
Copies of the poster can be purchased for $5 (per poster plus postage & handling) by contacting the AFVP on (03) 9312 7204. All monies raised from the proceeds of this poster are fed back into the service delivery programs of Addressing Family Violence Programs and The Royal Children's Hospital Integrated Mental Health Program.
BuBs (Building Up Bonds) On Board
BuBs (Building up Bonds) On Board was a pilot mother/infant group work intervention trialed in five Tasmanian women's shelters in the first half of 2008. The intervention was aimed at building up the mother/infant bond where it had been affected by family violence, whilst 'skilling up' shelter workers in both the delivery of the model and an appreciation of the potential mental health needs of infants. The report of this pilot gives an overview of the participants, the intervention and the outcomes. It also includes an example of the process notes written up after one particular session as well as the feedback from co-facilitating shelter staff and materials given to participants. Data collected during the intervention found there were an alarming number of mother/infant relationships in severe distress, with the majority of infants observed to be suffering from significant developmental delays. This report concludes that shelters are in an ideal position to do important and urgent work with infants affected by family violence and enhance mother/infant bonds. It also suggests that it is important for specialist children's services and child and adolescent mental health services support this work.
To read the full report of the BuBs On Board program, see BuBs On Board Report (PDF 3.8 MB).
Publications
Bunston, 2011. Let’s Start at the Very Beginning: The Sound of Infants, Mental Health, Homelessness and You, Parity, Vol 24:2, pp 37-39.
An article by Wendy Bunston, published in Parity, Volume 24, Issue 2: pp 37-39, March 2011. (PDF 1MB)
Jordan & Sketchley, 2009. A stitch in time saves nine: Preventing and responding to the abuse and neglect of infants, National Child Protection Clearinghouse Issues.
A publication released from the Clearinghouse written by Brigid Jordan and our very own Robyn Sketchley. Issues paper No.30 is titled: A stitch in time saves nine: Preventing and responding to the abuse and neglect of infants. In this paper, Brigid Jordan and Robyn Sketchley draw on research and their own extensive experience as practitioners in infant mental health to explore whether a public health approach together with a human rights perspective can provide a framework for service provision that better protects infants from experiencing the damaging effects of abuse and neglect. It is available at www.aifs.gov.au.
Bunston, 2008. Baby lead the way: Mental health group work for infants, children and mothers affected by family violence, Journal of Family Studies, Vol 14: 2-3,pp 334-341.
An article by Wendy Bunston, published in the Journal of Family Studies, Volume 14, Issue 2-3: pp 334-341, October 2008. (PDF 105 KB)
Nader, 2008. Family violence program treats babies, The Age.
An article on Family Violence Programs by Carol Nader in The Age - 19th June, 2008.
Bunston, 2006. The Peek-A-Boo Club: Group Work for Infants and Mothers Affected by Family Violence, DVIRC Quarterly.
Bunston & Dileo, 2005. Feeling is Thinking: (FisT)ful Thinking or A Proven, Children’s Mental Health Group Work Intervention, RCH, MHS.
In 2005 a comprehensive evaluation was undertaken into the effectiveness of the Feeling is Thinking (FisT) Program.
Abstract: ‘Feeling is Thinking’ (FisT) is a mental health group work intervention for children 8 to 12 years of age and run over eight weeks. Developed by the Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health Service (RCH MHS) Community Group Program (and which included the AFVP) in Melbourne, Australia, it is run predominantly in school settings. It utilises a ‘train the trainer’ model, collaboratively running the program alongside school based welfare staff. The huge popularity of the program led to the development of a training package and a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention using clinically standardised measures over a 12 month period. The evaluation found several important symptomatic and behavioural improvements in children referred to the FisT program, and offers impetus for the development of a randomised controlled trial. (PDF 314 KB).
Training and Professional Development
The Royal Children's Hospital Addressing Family Violence Programs (AFVP) provides professional development and training events periodically. These include:
Infant Mental Health and Family Violence Training
The Infant Mental Health and Family Violence (for mothers and infants affected by family violence) 2-day Experiental Training looks at the Peek-a-Boo ClubTM model, the impact of Family Violence on Infant Mental Health and Infant led work. It provides participants with an introduction to groupwork with infants and mothers affected by family violence.
PARKAS 2-day Experiential Training
The PARKAS (Parents Accepting Responsibility Kids Are Safe) 2-day Experiential Training explores the dynamics of violence, the neurological impact of violence and theoretical perspectives useful in understanding this are of work (PARKAS groups are for children and parents affected by family violence).
Information on training dates, relevant registration forms and contact details.
Dads on BoardTM
Dads on Board™ is an infant led group work intervention for infants and their fathers, where the father has been identified as a perpetrator of violence and has successfully participated in a men’s behaviour change program.
The aim of the intervention is to engage the infant and father in a therapeutic and experientially based positive and supported relational encounter. The objective of the intervention is to enable these fathers to develop healthy, safe and developmentally appropriate relational skills when interacting with their infants.
Contact Us
For further information or enquiries regarding the Addressing Family Violence Programs please contact:
PO Box 5103, Sunshine VIC 3020
Telephone: (03) 9312 7204
Fax: (03) 9312 7147
Email: afvp.rchmhs@rch.org.au
