30 June 2026 | 9am-3pm AEST | Online workshop | → Register Now!
PROMOTING RACIAL RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY: ADDRESSING DEHUMANISATION, RACISM, AND REFUGEE TRAUMA IN CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND FAMILIES
Do you work with children, families, or communities from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds? Are you committed to providing safe, respectful, and inclusive support — but sometimes feel unsure how to address the impacts of racism, discrimination, or racialised trauma?
The Racism, Refugee Trauma and Promoting Racial Resilience workshop is a powerful and practical training that will deepen your understanding of how racism intersects with refugee trauma — and equip you with the tools to foster safety, dignity, and racial resilience in your work. Grounded in neuroscience, trauma theory, and lived experience, this workshop provides a safe, structured space to learn, reflect and grow — no matter your background.
WHY THIS WORKSHOP MATTERS
Refugee children, young people and families often carry not only the trauma of forced displacement and war, but also the cumulative burden of racism — from dehumanising policies in their countries of origin to discrimination in resettlement. Racial trauma can deeply affect mental health, identity, belonging, and development. And yet, race and racism are too often overlooked in service delivery.
This workshop offers an essential foundation in racial literacy and racial resilience. It explores how racism manifests structurally and interpersonally, how it harms refugee communities, and how frontline workers can respond effectively, compassionately, and safely.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
🧠 Understand Racism and Refugee Trauma
Learn how race-based discrimination, dehumanisation, and systemic injustice intersect with refugee trauma and displacement — and how this shapes health, mental health, and belonging.
📚 Recognise Historical and Structural Racism
Gain insight into how colonialism, empire, and racial hierarchies continue to influence institutions, social norms, and refugee settlement experiences today.
👁️ Identify Racial Trauma in Children and Young People
Understand how racial traumatic stress can affect development, mental health, behaviour, and identity — and how to support racialised youth safely and effectively.
💬 Talk About Race with Confidence
Build the language and awareness to talk about race, racism, bias, and belonging — even in uncomfortable moments — with cultural humility, emotional intelligence and professional boundaries.
🛡️ Address Implicit Bias Without Shame
Explore the neuroscience of unconscious bias, how social environments shape racial perception, and what it means to engage with bias in a culturally safe and structurally aware way.
🌱 Foster Racial Resilience in Refugee Communities
Learn practical strategies to affirm identity, counter internalised racism, build belonging, and support racial literacy in children and families exposed to racism.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This workshop is ideal for:
- Counsellors, caseworkers and social workers
- Educators and school wellbeing staff
- Youth and community workers
- Healthcare and mental health professionals
- Settlement and housing support staff
- Anyone working with culturally diverse or refugee communities
No prior experience in racial literacy or anti-racism is required. Just bring a willingness to reflect, learn, and contribute to safer, more inclusive services for all.
Our Trainer – Rafik Tanious
Counsellor/Trainer, STARTTS
Rafik Tanious has worked across the social ecologies of education, mental health and social services with children and young people for the past 30 years both locally and internationally. He has extensive field work experience working with children and adolescents with refugee backgrounds in case work, education and counselling. Rafik has a continuing interest in trauma recovery, anti-racism, and youth identity formation and has developed racial literacy, and racial resilience programs for young people with refugee experiences and produced anti-racism films on Cabramatta for the NSW Premiers department. Rafik has also been employed as a consultant and trainer with universities in supporting the mental health of international students, developing orientation programs and inter-cultural learning frameworks and facilitating cross cultural parenting programs. Read more….
This workshop provided me with practical tools and a deeper understanding of the impact of racism on young refugees. I feel more equipped to make a real difference.
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.
- New date for 2026 coming soon!!!
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