• 1997 Welcome to New Members
• News from Tasmania
• START Evaluation Manual
• Listen to the Children: The Southern Partnership Project
• Recent Books and Articles
• "Wallace's" Story
• Conferences and Events
• Literature Highlights*
• We'd like to hear from you

Welcome to the many recent members who have joined us for this new calendar year! The National Child Protection Clearing House continues to expand both in numbers and resources, with the mailing list nearly 6000 members and the Child Protection Programs Database a substantial 445 entries.

Community concern about child abuse prevention is reflected in the large amount of material being published on this topic - the Clearing House currently receives 29 journals or newsletters specifically concerned with this area. Members' suggestions for topics to be addressed in Issues Papers and for possible new services are much appreciated and will be taken up wherever possible. Your continued feedback is highly valued and the best way for us to ensure that we are on the right track.

National Child Protection Clearing House Newsletters have a whole new look for 1997 - in fact, not just a new look but a substantial new section! Literature Highlights lists significant additions over the past six months to the Clearing House. In this way we let you know of the latest publications available - books, reports, journal articles, or audio-visual materials - on the topic of child abuse prevention.

Under the Convention, families are seen as having primary responsibility for the care and protection of their children, with government having a responsibility to make resources and support services available to assist families to meet this responsibility. This represents a strong move away from a coercive interventionist approach to a more supportive family focused practice that recognises and reinforces the strengths of families.

The new Tasmanian Bill will give high priority to supporting and assisting families in the care and protection of children in preference to pursuing legal intervention leading to long-term orders. As with the Convention, the emphasis is on family-focused practices, and the introduction of Family Group Conferencing an option for collaborative case planning supports this approach.

Family Group Conferencing may be convened if the Secretary of the Department of Community and Health Services believes, after thorough assessment and investigation, that a child is at risk and arrangements should be made to secure the child's future care and protection.

These Conferences enable members of the immediate and extended family and the child/young person at risk (or their advocate) to have significant input into planning for the future after clear 'bottom lines' have been defined by the Department. The process ensures that all parties are fully informed about Department concerns and the supports and options available to them. Monitoring strategies and review timelines are agreed upon if the family's plan is accepted.

Implementation Strategy

Work has commenced on developing an implementation strategy in anticipation of the new Bill. The principles entrenched in the legislation are reflected in new intake and assessment guidelines, which follow developments in the recent Directions in Child Protection and Family Support from Western Australia.

While attempting to prevent unnecessary intrusive intervention into family life, the new classifications will identify more accurately cases of Child Harm or Child Maltreatment and enable a prompt and rigorous response.

Current Strategies

Currently, the Tasmanian Depart ment of Community and Health Services operates a number of child abuse prevention strategies that are family focused. An example of these is the Intensive Family Support Program, an initiative of the Southern Region. The Intensive Family Support Program addresses the needs of families with children who are at high risk of placement out of home due to protective issues.

The Department offers a number of other family-focused prevention strategies through its Family and Child Health Service. These include:

• Women's Wellbeing Projects
  
• Home Visiting Programs
  
• Parent Programs
  
• Fathering in the '90s
  
• Strategies for New Families Projects, such as 'Preparation for Parenting'
  
• Post-natal Depression Therapeutic Goups
  
• Community Liaison
  
• School Age Children Health Promotion Activies
  

Although child protection services and non-government organisations providing family support and alternate care frequently come into contact with these children, they often lack knowledge about mental illness and may be ill-equipped to deal with the challenges presented by the parent and the children. As no service has specific responsibility for providing services for children whose parents have a mental illness, their situation, while acknowledged, has received little direct response.

Effective interagency cooperation and collaboration can contribute both to early intervention and to the prevention of harm where these vulnerable children are concerned. Such cooperation is the key to providing better outcomes for the children, their parents and families, and to workers who may be involved from the range of health and welfare agencies.

Objectives

The Southern Partnership Project (SPP) aims to to facilitate a process of developing collaborative and cooperative links among service providers in their interactions with families in which a parent of dependent children is affected by mental illness. Project funding provides for a Coordinator's salary, oncosts and operational costs, including funds to reimburse consumers of mental health services who attend meetings in their own time. Funding is for a period of 14 months, commencing May 1996.

These links will:

• ensure vulnerable children are identified and receive appropriate support;
  
• enable parents to feel they are entitled to ask for help in caring for their children;
  
• lead to the development of prevention and early intervention programs for children whose parents suffer from mental illness.

• to establish local networks as a forum for ongoing exchange of information and professional development;
  
• to establish formal agreements concerning the exchange of information about both children and parents which will be sensitive to parent rights and child rights, and maintain confidentiality;
  
• to develop agency policies and guidelines which cover family assessment and recognise the need for flexible and ongoing support for children and parents;
  
• to increase professional knowledge and understanding of the effect of mental illness on parents and on parenting;
  
• to increase professional knowledge and understanding of the psychological and social effects of parental mental illness on children;
  
• to increase professional knowledge and understanding of the needs of, and responses to, children of parents with mental illness.

A Reference Group includes senior representatives from adult and child/adolescent mental health, government and non-government family support, education, child protection, psychosocial rehabilitation and a parent/mental health consumer representative. This group meets monthly and has the following Terms of Reference:

• to oversee the development of the project;
  
• to draw on policy and program knowledge and experience;
  
• to identify planning issues;
  
• to scrutinise and make suggestions about material emerging from local networks as the project develops;
  
• to advocate for and support agency participation in local network process;
  
• to disseminate information back to agencies and services, peak bodies and the Victorian Department of Human Services management.
  
  

Project Development

Two converging sources of information informed the project initiative. The first was an emerging overseas literature which pointed to the need for intersectoral links in providing services for families affected by mental illness. The second was a research project undertaken by the author at the Early Psychosis Research Centre at The University of Melbourne, which explored the needs and issues affecting children and their parents in families where a parent was suffering from a mental illness. From the research project it became evident that the organisational dimension of cross-sectoral links was basic to responding to this population.

With the conclusion of the research project a submission was prepared. Funding was granted under VicHealth community health programs; the project is auspiced by the School of Social Work at The University of Melbourne.

The Southern region of Melbourne was chosen as the pilot site for the project because of well-established links developed for the former study at the Early Psychosis Research Centre. Network groups were gradually phased in over a period from May to September 1996. Representatives from 77 services in the Southern region receive Minutes and/or attend meetings. Participation is in addition to other routine service responsibilities.

Four basic principles have guided the Project:

• that the problem is too complex and the solution too comprehensive for any one agency or organisation to address alone;
  
• that the most appropriate place for solving the problem is in the community where it occurs;
  
• that needs and resources already in place should be assessed;
  
• that local ownership should be promoted (Bogenschneider 1996).

Project progress and development of interagency partnerships can be measured, in part, by the following achievements at a regional and local level:

• Distribution of a Newsletter (two issues to date) containing news and information about the groups, and other related items.
  
• A Regional forum, Building Partnerships, held early in February 1997. The forum brought together Project participants and other interested parties. Speakers included the Victorian Minister for Health, and workers from two agencies in the region who described the programs they provide for parents with mental illness and their children. Case studies were used in two workshops to highlight the difference in perspective of each service sector, and to provide an opportunity to reflect on possibilities for collaboration and partnership.
  
• Half-day workshops around the theme of understanding the effects of mental illness on parents and on parenting were provided by two network groups for local co-workers. In both workshops parents with mental illness and adult offspring of parents with mental illness were included as speakers, thus acknowledging their experiences and enabling a valuable contribution to be made to community education about mental illness.
  
• A peer support program for children is planned by one network. This will involve substantial organisation and collaboration, and funds will need to be secured from an external source. A support group for parents with mental illness was established as a collaborative effort between the local adult mental health service, local government and family welfare services by the same network over 12 months ago. Due to the development of the Project, an agency in another area secured long-awaited funding to provide a similar program for parents.
  
• Representatives from another network met recently with the Victorian Minister for Youth and Community Services and the Minister for Health in order to table issues of concern in attempting to develop interagency partnerships.
  

The Southern Partnership Project was an idea taken to agencies in the Southern region, rather than an initiative from the region. With the evolution of the Project further initiatives have been participant-driven, emanating from those who have become involved through their belief in the need for active, cross-sectoral collaboration.

For enquiries about the Southern Partnership Project please contact Vicki Cowling, Project Coordinator, School of Social Work, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052. Fax (03) 9347 4375; Phone (03) 9344 9417.

Reference

Bogenschneider, K. (1996), 'Family related prevention programs: an ecological risk/protective theory for building prevention programs' policies and community capacity to support youth', Family Relations, vol.45, pp.127-38.

CAPS is a non-government, non-political and non-sectarian organisation aimed at alleviating child abuse in all its forms and preventing morbidity through the support of people who are abusing or are at risk of abusing children. The Service provides counselling and ongoing support for victims, families and perpetrators, while contributing to the understanding of child abuse and to the process of changing the community's attitude towards it.

The author discusses the dilemma of prevention versus cure through analogy with the American poem by Joseph Malins, 'The Ambulance in the Valley,' which compares the merits of having a fence on the cliff with an ambulance in the valley. Ginn believes that in the child abuse area we have treated the symptom rather than the cause and have thereby relied too heavily on the 'ambulance' rather than the 'fence' scenario.

CAPS objectives have remained constant over the years: to prevent or alleviate all forms of abuse of children; to support parents and families to minimise stress and provide a positive environment for children; to train selected community counsellors and case workers; to work with government and non-government agencies, professionals and community groups to further a positive environment for children; and to contribute to the community's understanding of this problem through broad education.

While the CAPS philosophy is that concern must always be shown for the welfare of parents and society, and that little can be achieved for the child except through the parent, the primary objective is safeguarding and maintaining what is in the best interests of the child. The book includes several papers presented by Ginn to international and local audiences, which represent her growth and development in the area of child abuse and neglect.

The Fence on the Cliff is available for $16.95 (incl. postage and handling) from The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation Inc., 13 Norton Street, Ashfield, NSW 2131 Phone (02) 9716 8000.

As David Hill (National Patron, AAYPIC) notes in the Foreword, this book is the first to document the care experience through the voices of the consumers themselves, 'providing us with first hand accounts as to what happens for children who cannot live with their families'.

Reading the life stories is often a harrowing and depressing task, particularly given the frequent failure of the state to adequately protect and nurture these young people who were entrusted to its care. Most of the authors report experiencing sexual assault and other maltreatment at the hands of foster parents, institutional staff and/or other children in care.

A persistent theme throughout the stories is the failure of child protection and other care staff to adequately supervise and support children in care. Visits to check on a child's welfare appeared to have been infrequent. When a visit did occur workers often failed to spend time with the child away from the carers in order to allow her/him the chance to discuss problems with the placement, or to disclose any maltreatment. Concomitantly, workers are reported to have failed to act, or to have ignored a situation, where maltreatment was known to be occurring.

The stories also highlight the lack of continuity in the lives of these children and young people, with most authors describing a series of multiple placements, often made with little or no warning and without any consultation with the child. The authors frequently describe a life without constancy, with multiple placements adversely affecting their ability to develop social relations - particularly in terms of developing attachments to carers and friends - and to achieve stability in care and education.

Despite many authors' self-reported 'acting out' at school (for example, truancy, disruptive behaviour), and difficulties attributed to the negative perceptions of some educational staff and students towards young people in care, most of the young people were aware of the importance of maintaining a place in the education system. Sadly, the same perception did not appear to be shared by the education system. As Owen (1996, p.116) notes:

many young people in care battle to stay within the education system. School becomes one of the substantive anchors in their otherwise turbulent lives. Yet the very system which could provide some of the continuity so desperately needed seems oblivious to its critical role in the lives of young people in care, many of whom realise that an education may be their only chance at any kind of a future.'

Survival appeared to depend, in part, upon having access to one or two significant people who could provide ongoing social support. The availability of such supports appeared to make a substantial impact in the lives of children and adolescents in care. As 'Michael' notes, 'what people need is somebody constant in their life' (Owen 1996, p.30).

Adequate social support is often cited in the research literature as helping to ameliorate the effects of child maltreatment. Ensuring the availability of potential support people (for example, caseworker, teacher, foster care provider) and maximising a young person's opportunity for regular contact with an identified support person should be prerequisite for the adequate provision of care by the various State and Territory child protection departments.

In conclusion, Owen notes that no one knows the extent to which the state is succeeding or failing to protect children in its care. Based on her own experience of working with hundreds of children and young people in care around Australia, she estimates that as many as seven out of ten children and young people may be failed by the system.

'Unfortunately, no person, or welfare department, or non-government agency has disputed this estimate ... No one has said, "We have in place rigorous and independent systems which tells us how children and young people in our care are fairing".' (Owen 1996, p.xiv)

These personal accounts are a valuable resource for the community and professionals, highlighting the human face of child welfare and giving voice to children. The stories may also inform the development of more effective ways of supporting families in the rearing of children and of more humane methods of providing quality care for children whose parents, for whatever reason, are unable to care for them adequately.

Readers are invited to submit to AAYPIC their own accounts of time spent in alternative care. Any material received can be published and/or stored with full author anonymity, or according to personal preference.

Australian Association of Young People In Care, Box 82, 44 Roma St PO, Brisbane QLD 4003; Phone (07) 3367 0250; Fax (07) 3367 0490; AAYPIC homepage: http://www.acwa.asn.au; Email: aaypic @world.net

A survivor from the care system of the 1930s-1950s recently contacted the Australian Insititute of Family Studies to present her life story in the hope that it would be published and could, in some way, prevent future 'institutional and professional abuse'. The following is "Wallace's" story.

I was born in Melbourne in May 1935. I am an Australian of Scottish descent. A fact I discovered in the 1980s.

My family were very poor - my father (age 59) was on 'sustenance' and we lived in a stable. The history I have of my mother (age 21) is very sketchy, but she was pregnant and destitute when she married my father. We lived in North Melbourne - it was the Depression.

On 19 December 1936 three police came to the stable at 9 p.m. After searching they found me hidden in a box in the loft of the stable.
Despite appeals by my father for me to stay with him, I was removed and made a State Ward. The justification for this action was that 'she was dirty and had sores on her face'.

I was 19 months old.

For the next 15 months I was in an institution, despite my father stating that he would 'find a proper home and look after me'. My father had previously been married, his first wife was deceased, but he had five adult children.

After the 15 months in the institution I was placed in a foster home. Here I was physically and sexually abused. One of the ways I was abused was being placed in a very hot bath. Suffice it to say that though I am now 62, I have great psychological difficulty in having a bath.

Despite the Department receiving a report from a neighbour that abuse was occurring, I remained in the foster home for about two years. I was finally removed when the foster father's mother confronted them. Previously the Department had recorded that 'I must have been a child with a temper'.

By now a traumatised four-and-a-half year old, I was placed in another foster home where the parents were 54 and 47. They had three children, the eldest boy (late teens) was mentally unstable. Fear, continual criticism and sexual abuse were frequent experiences. My only safety net was running away until it was safe to come home.

Later rape led to a miscarriage when I was 14 years old.

Just before my 18th birthday the Department, at the request of my foster parents, arranged for my adoption. This occurred without my consent or knowledge. The Department acted in collusion with my foster parents to deny me my most basic rights - the effect of an adoption is to ensure that you have no rights to your family or history, it strips you of everything. I had lost my own name when I was five; now there was nothing left.

The Department had visited annually, recording that 'everything is satisfactory - a happy child!'. At 14, I had visited the Department and asked them for knowledge of my parents. The information they gave me was as follows: 'Your mother was a prostitute and your father (not your biological father) was an alcoholic and a gaol bird.' As a teenager I found this very difficult to cope with, as an older adult I found it to be blatantly untrue.

When I was 18, I went into nursing. I had a very understanding Matron while training. Nursing provided shelter, safety, work and salary. However, alcohol was a very real problem, and binges were frequent. The anger and tension I felt about my foster parents and the 'illegal' adoption climaxed with a serious attempt at suicide.

I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. With their help and support I changed my name and went out to forge my own identity, and commenced the journey towards becoming myself.

I did fairly well in my profession. I made up for the deficit in my early education by completing my adult matriculation when in my thirties. Later I obtained teaching qualifications and a degree in Health Science. I accepted positions of responsibility and authority. However, I related superficially to others as a method of survival. I had no history that I wished to talk about and no answers.

The Adoption Act was changed in the 1980s. When I first received my file I could not cope. I read for the first time the deception of the Department, the love of my father and the abuse of the first home.

It was about five years later, when my long-term partner left, that I was finally catapulted into facing my early years. I made the decision to try and find out what was left of my family, who they were and where had they come from. I found from the files that I had numerous relatives, but nearly all had died. The ones that were still alive knew very little. Then very recently I found a brother, then a sister, and apparently there are three more siblings.

We have met and maintain contact, but for me, even though I have craved for family all my life, it will take some time to believe it really is true - and integrate it into my psyche. When I chose my name and forged my own identity as a young adult, I had a certain self image - a lot of adjustments have to be made.

'I have found the graves of my father, grandparents and great grandparents. I am still searching for my mother.'

• a deep unrelenting anger that I found I could only control with alcohol;
  
• an indelible feeling that I was no good;
  
• I could love others - but had/have extreme difficulty in believing that they could love me;
  
• an abhorrence of lies;
  
• a loss of my childhood - with its creativity;
  
• loss of my identity - I've been living in a void and vacuum;
  
• years of loneliness, being outside looking in - the loneliness of alienation;
  
• loss of education/opportunity - most of my energy was spent in trying to make myself safe.

Hosted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, this conference aims to explore various interpretations of paedophilia; provide a forum for professionals from relevant disciplines to inform their practice; and generate ideas that could inform policy.

Contact: Australian Institute of Criminology, GPO Box 2944, Canberra ACT 2601. Phone (06) 260 9200. Fax (06) 260 9201.
Email: conference@aic.gov.au
Web: http://www.aic.gov.au

25-27 April 1997
Torquay, Qld
"Mental Health and Life Skills Conference"

Organised by Wide Bay Young People At Risk Program, Central Zone Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, this conference aims to empower young people aged 18-24 with the relevant information, skills and resources to support their peers in accessing the various options that will assist them to reach their full potential in life.

Contact: Mental Health and Life Skills Conference Coordinator, Ellen Panaretos, Young People at Risk Program, PO Box 200, Torquay Queensland 4655. Phone: (071) 25 6279. Fax: (071) 25 6284.

28-30 April 1997
Sydney, NSW
"Uniting Our Voices": National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers' Conference

This conference aims to provide a venue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers from throughout Australia to share and exchange information. Delegates will identify ways in which the health status of Indigenous Australians may be improved, including better coordination of resources and services and an improvement in the recognition of the role of indigenous health workers. Final recommendations of the conference will be sent to the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services within the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services.

Contact: Margaret Reid Pty Ltd, PO Box 341, Neutral Bay NSW 2089. Phone (02) 9909 2005. Mobile (0412) 09 2005. Fax (02) 9909 2555.

3-6 June 1997
Toronto, Canada
"Breaking Down the Barriers: Redrawing the Boundaries": 5th International Child and Youth Care Conference

Sponsored by National Organization of Child Care Workers Association, this conference will bring together child, youth and family practitioners, supervisors, managers, educators, researchers, as well as youth in care.

Contact: The School of Child/Youth Care, Ryerson Polytechnical University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto Ontario Canada M5B 2K3. Email: intercyc@acs.ryerson.ca

3-7 June 1997
San Francisco, USA
Second World Congress on Family Law and the Rights of Children and Youth

The Second World Congress will provide over 100 sessions featuring experts from around the world who will address a variety of critical issues facing children and families, including: children in a violent world; family law, family forms and family functions; the effects of poverty; health issues for families and children; the impact of culture and education. The Congress will have a particular focus on families and children in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. A trust will be established from the Congress proceeds to fund the implementation of projects designed to benefit families and the children of the Americas.

Contact: Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, 329 W. Wilson Street, Madison WI 53703 USA. Phone (608) 251 4001. Fax (608) 251 2231. Email: afcc@igc.apc.org

9-12 June 1997
Trondheim, Norway
"Urban Childhood"

Organised by Norwegian Centre for Child Research, this conference will explore various aspects of children's living conditions in cities through a mixture of sessions, specialised workshops, discussion groups and plenary sessions. The main sections of the conference will cover: physical environment and health; child labour; urban life quality from children's perspectives; children in urban war zones and violent environments; street children.

Contact: Urban Childhood Conference Secretariat, Norwegian Centre for Child Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7055 Dragvoll, Norway. Phone (+47) 73 59 62 40. Telefax (+47) 73 59 62 39.
Email: Noseb@avh.unit.no
8-11 July 1997
Edinburgh, Scotland
"Approaching the Millennium: The Future Shape of Child Protection"

Hosted by British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN), this Third National Congress is open to professionals from any discipline involved in child welfare. Papers are invited from all relevant areas including: social work, education, medicine, voluntary agencies, international perspectives and law.

Contact: BASPCAN Congress Office, PO Box 5517, Inverness IV1 2ZL, Scotland UK.

18-20 August 1997
Canberra, ACT
"Linking Families and Building Neighbourhoods": First National Home Visiting Conference

Home visiting by professional workers or trained volunteers is increasingly being recognised as a valuable service for families with young children, especially those experiencing isolation or increased levels of stress or health problems. This conference will address the following areas: building partnerships/interagency links; building new models of service delivery; building neighbourhoods - community development; and building family strengths - unleashing family resources.

Contact: First National Home Visiting Conference, PO Box 746, Turramurra NSW 2074. Phone (02) 9449 1525. Fax (02) 9488 7496.

20-22 August 1997
Sydney, NSW
"Tapestry: Weaving The Threads Together": 7th Annual Mental Health Services Conference (THEMHS)

This international conference will bring together a diversity of people and services with the aim of improving mental health services in Australia and New Zealand.

Contact: THEMHS Conference, PO Box 192, Balmain NSW 2041. Sadie Robertson: Phone (02) 9660 4645 (AH). Fax (02) 9810 5073. Viv. Miller: Phone (02) 9413 1647. Fax (02) 9415 1246.

3-5 September 1997
Adelaide, SA
"Delve into Diversity": 4th National Conference for Supplementary Children's Services Workers

Supplementary Children's Services Workers (SUPS) are funded by the Department of Health and Family Services. SUPS work with child care services to support children with additional needs. The national conference brings together SUPS and other workers.

Contact: SUPS Conference Secretariat, Festival City Conventions, PO Box 949, Kent Town, SA 5071. Phone (08) 8363 1307. Fax (08) 8363 1604.
Email: fcceaton@ozemail.com.au

20-23 September 1997
Melbourne, Vic.
"Children in the Balance": Australian Early Childhood Association National Conference

A major aim of this conference is to develop a national framework within which Australian children of the 21st Century can thrive. The conference also aims to examine and challenge current early childhood practices; to evaluate the divergent needs of children and families and advocate on behalf of the rights of children; and to explore the responsibilities of parents, professionals, government and the community in delivering children's services.

Contact: Waldron Smith Management, 93 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park Vic. 3206. Phone (03) 9690 6744. Fax (03) 9690 7155. Email: asaa@latrobe.edu.au

21-24 September 1997
Canberra, ACT
"Social Work Influencing Outcomes": 25th Australian Association of Social Workers' National Conference

Restructuring, deregulation and globalisation herald a changing context for social work practice in Australia. What is the role of social work in this environment? How does the diverse social work profession influence outcomes? This conference provides a forum for sharing knowledge, examining approaches and clarifying objectives.

Contact: 25th AASW National Conference Secretariat, PO Box 505, Curtin ACT 2605. Phone (06) 281 6624. Fax (06) 285 1336.

24-26 September 1997
University of Adelaide, SA
"Journeying Together: Out From Closed Doors": 1997 Australian Family Therapy Conference

This conference aims to provide a forum through which individuals, community groups, agencies and therapists are able to share their work, achievements and concerns, with an emphasis on opening doors on aspects of our society which affect the wellbeing of families, individuals and communities. Presentations which reflect these aims are invited on: justice; survival/resilience; sexuality and gender; challenging racism; community connection; spirituality; diversity; therapy; healing; fighting oppression; immigrant experiences; indigenous issues; education; the economy/welfare; urban/rural experience.

Contact: Festival City Conventions, PO Box 949, Kent Town, SA 5071. Phone (08) 8363 1307. Fax (08) 8363 1604.

2-6 October 1997
Cairns, Qld
"Psychology: Exploring Links": Australian Psychological Society Conference

The conference theme encompasses links between the discipline and the practice of psychology, and links among psychology's many subdisciplines and between the profession of psychology and other fields. The diversity of the discipline of psychology, its latest developments and benefits to the community at large, as well as its many influences, will be highlighted.

Contact: The Australian Psychological Society, PO Box 126, Carlton South, Vic. 3053. Phone (03) 9663 6166. Fax (03) 9663 6177. Email: confer@apsho.mhs.compuserv.com

9-10 October 1997
Westmead, NSW
"Getting Better Together": 5th National Conference of the Association for the Welfare of Child Health

This conference explores the theory, complexities, implementation and impact of 'Partnership in Care' in Australian paediatric health care. 'Partnership in Care' focuses on the active inclusion of families as part of the health care team caring for their children. The Association for the Welfare of Child Health invites the submission of papers related to Partnership in Care, by 1 April 1997.

Contact: Conference Registration, AWCH National Office, PO Box 113, Westmead, NSW 2145. Phone (02) 9633 1988. Fax (02) 9633 1180.

20-23 October 1997
Adelaide, SA
"Dialogue, Dreaming, Decisions": Sixth Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

Advance notice is given for this conference, which is to be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Contact: Festival City Conventions, PO Box 949, Kent Town, SA 5071. Phone (08) 8363 1307. Fax (08) 8363 1604. Email: ceaton@ozemail.com.au

25-26 October 1997
Brisbane, Qld
"Living, Risking and Loving It!": Protective Behaviours National Conference

The conference objectives are: to provide information on resources available in the teaching of the Protective Behaviours Program; to discuss challenges in the implementation of the Program; to network with people who have similar visions of the Program; to challenge the community to take action with or on behalf of persons who are the victims of abuse and violence within the community; and to be innovative in the use of non violent interventions in the prevention, detection and intervention of violence or abusive situations.

Contact: Protective Behaviours Consultancy Group (Qld), PO Box 606, Brisbane Roma Street, Qld 4003. Phone (07) 3278 2214.

24-26 November 1997
Melbourne, Vic.
"The Cutting Edge: Exploring Futures for Families and Young People": CWAV/CAFWWA National Conference

Where is the cutting edge in practice, management and policy? Hosted by Children's Welfare Association of Victoria (CWAV) in association with the Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia (CAFWWA), this National Conference will showcase contemporary thinking, activities and debates regarding the wellbeing of families, children and young people. It aims to provide an opportunity for cross-sector perspectives on what should constitute 'well-being' in contemporary Australia, and what works in supporting marginalised families and young people.

Contact: CWAV/CAFWWA National Conference Secretariat, Conference Plus, Level 5, 406 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3000. Phone (03) 9602 3073. Fax (03) 9642 5152.

6-10 September 1998
Auckland, NZ
"Innovation and Inspiration": ISPCAN Twelfth International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect

The conference theme, 'Innovation and Inspiration', seeks to emphasise the new directions that child abuse prevention is taking and must take to deal with what has been termed a crisis in the care of children.

Contact: The Secretariat, ISPCAN Twelfth International Congress 1998, Building 43, Auckland Hospital, Private Bag 92024, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone (+64) 9 379 7440.
Fax (+64) 9 307 0599.

© Australian Institute of Family Studies - Commonwealth of Australia 1997.

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