19 September 2025 | 9am-3pm AEST | Online workshop | → Register Now!
Are you a frontline worker, educator, counsellor, caseworker, or service provider who supports children and young people from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds? Do you sometimes feel unsure how to respond to complex trauma, family challenges, and behavioural or emotional distress in culturally safe and developmentally appropriate ways?
The Core Concepts in Working with Children and Adolescents from Refugee Backgrounds workshop is a comprehensive, evidence-informed training that equips you with the essential knowledge and practical tools to understand, support and advocate for refugee-background children and their families. This workshop draws on trauma-informed, systemic, and culturally safe practice models — and no prior specialist training is required.
WHY THIS WORKSHOP MATTERS
Children and young people from refugee backgrounds have often endured multiple layers of trauma — from persecution, war, and displacement, to separation from family, deprivation, and resettlement challenges. These experiences can profoundly impact their development, relationships, identity and wellbeing.
Without the right support, their trauma may be misunderstood as “misbehaviour,” “withdrawal,” or “poor engagement.” This workshop helps you respond with insight, compassion, and confidence — while also safeguarding your own wellbeing through vicarious trauma awareness and self-care strategies.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
🧠 Understand Refugee Trauma and Development
Explore how refugee trauma impacts the developing brain, attachment, and emotional regulation — and how this shows up in behaviour, learning, and relationships.
🌍 Recognise the Systemic and Cultural Context
Learn about the systemic violence and forced displacement that shape refugee experiences, and how to embed cultural safety into your daily practice.
👪 Work with Families Systemically
Understand how trauma affects family systems and parenting, and develop strategies for engaging with families in culturally responsive, respectful ways.
🧒 Support Child and Adolescent Recovery
Gain skills to foster safety, trust, emotional regulation, and resilience in children and young people impacted by trauma and loss.
🎓 Engage Effectively in Education and Care Settings
Learn how schools, youth services, and other support systems can either support recovery — or unknowingly retraumatise — and how to respond constructively.
🤝 Collaborate and Refer Effectively
Explore how to develop meaningful partnerships, understand referral pathways (including STARTTS), and implement a shared-care approach.
🛡️ Prevent Burnout and Vicarious Trauma
Build awareness of the signs of vicarious trauma, and strengthen your personal and professional self-care practices to sustain this important work.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This workshop is ideal for:
- Youth workers and case managers
- Teachers, school wellbeing staff and IEC educators
- Allied health and medical professionals
- Refugee health and community workers
- Social workers and psychologists
- Volunteers and peer mentors
- Anyone supporting refugee-background children and families
Our Trainer – Holly Cutcher
Senior Child and Adolescent Counsellor, STARTTS
Holly is a Senior Child and Adolescent Counsellor who has been at STARTTS since 2022. Holly has worked therapeutically with children and families in the trauma field for many years. She trained as an Integrative Child Psychotherapist at the Institute for Arts in Psychotherapy and Education in London and has worked with children with complex presentations across mental health, social care, schools and private practice settings in Australia and the United Kingdom. Holly brings passion and reflectiveness to her training and clinical consultancy, supporting participants to digest often complex stories and ideas and apply them in practical and supportive ways in their own work with trauma survivors. Holly is registered with PACFA.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. It has reinforced my commitment and energy. I was particularly interested in the effects on the brain and interventions to assist.
FORMAT AND INCLUSIONS
Online and in-person delivery
Facilitated by an experienced trauma-informed practitioner
Includes interactive activities, real-life scenarios, and skill practice
Claim 6 CPD points
Receive a certificate of completion
Receive a PDF of the workshop slides
COST
Early Bird – $315 | $288 concession (5 tickets available, ends 2 months before event)
Standard – $350 | $320 concession
Note – there is a 5% late fee for registering after 8.30am the day before the event. Costs are in Australian dollars.
DON’T MISS OUT – LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE
Reserve you place today via secure online payment and empower yourself to provide safe, respectful and effective support to people from refugee backgrounds who need it most.
- 19 September 2025 | 9am-3pm AEST | Online workshop | → Register Now!
BRING THIS WORKSHOP TO YOUR TEAM
Would your team benefit from tailored, trauma-informed training? This workshop is available as an online and in-person in-house session (in-person available in Sydney only), customised to meet the specific needs of your staff, clients, or community. Visit our Request Training page for details on pricing, availability, and how to book.
Plan ahead: Due to high demand, we recommend submitting your request at least 6–8 weeks in advance to secure your preferred date. Empower your team with the confidence, skills, and cultural sensitivity to support refugee and asylum seeker communities effectively.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Payment of the registration fee is online by credit card and a receipt/confirmation will be automatically emailed to you. An administration fee of $30 applies to all cancellations made more than 14 days the day before the start of the event. Registration once paid cannot be cancelled 14 days or less the day before the start of the event, regardless of personal circumstances. Registration can be transferred to another delegate only if STARTTS is informed of the name change. Registration cannot be transferred to another workshop. The concession price is for full-time students, seniors and the unemployed. A photocopy or pdf of a valid concession card must be forwarded to the STARTTS training team upon registration. Registrations will not be confirmed until full payment is received. The deadlines for the early bird and standard prices cannot be extended. Sometimes STARTTS will need to change the trainer of a particular workshop. The STARTTS Training Team can be contacted at stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9646 6700.
CONTACT US
stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au
(02) 9646 6700 Ask for the Training Administration Officer