Making Meaning

The main objective of our program is to provide teachers, school leaders, counsellors and allied health professionals with a non-pathologising approach to disengaged and distressed students.

At the core of our program is a model that seeks to explore the young person’s distress, with the aim of developing a narrative that explains their predicament. Watchful waiting is often required to help reach that explanation, and strategies are deployed to help the young person re-engage.

Underpinning our approach are the following assumptions:

• Many young people who present in distress do not require intensive or specialist interventions to address their needs.
• Suffering and adversity are normal experiences to be validated and understood.
• Teachers, counsellors and allied health professionals are well placed to provide optimal assessment and care to young people in distress, and a secure base for the young person to learn how to self-regulate and manage emotional states.

Training is tailored to the needs of the particular group, from the following elements:

1. didatic teaching
2. interactive skill development
3. reflective writing
4. use of iLab to develop interview and assessment skills
5. individual and/or group supervision

The best first step is a meeting between PMHTU staff and key members of the team seeking training.