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Healing Kids, Healing Families

The Healing Kids, Healing Families team at The Kids Research Institute Australia strives to improve child and family mental health and wellbeing, especially after experiencing trauma or adversity.

Adversity and trauma can impact a child in different ways – it can compromise their physical health, mental health and sense of wellbeing, or their education and learning.

Our research reflects what the community wants to see, with three major aims: 

  1. Promoting recovery pathways for children and families, such that those who are affected can enjoy optimal developmental pathways,
  2. Transforming our current healthcare services to be trauma-informed and culturally-responsive, which encourages healthy development, and
  3. Investigating effective and efficient treatment options and services to improve outcomes for children. 

We address these aims across different populations, such as children who have experienced serious health problems (e.g., cancer). Working with children and families from different backgrounds is important to understand how principles of trauma-informed practice can be applied across healthcare settings.

Our research approach embraces co-design principles, and we work with those involved (e.g., parents, health professionals) throughout the research process. We are leading the way with our research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities with respect to Indigenous governance, Aboriginal participatory action research (APAR) methods, and community engagement. Implementation and dissemination is embedded into all aspects of the research, as practical implications will ultimately realise the impact of the team’s efforts.

Our work is funded by the Embrace unit, as well as the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Medical Research Future Fund, and the Australian Research Council.

Team leader

Professor Jeneva Ohan
Professor Jeneva Ohan

Hon BSc, MA, PhD

Head, Healing Kids, Healing Families; Honorary Research Fellow

Professor Helen Milroy AM
Professor Helen Milroy AM

MBBS; FRANZCP; CATCAP

Honorary Research Fellow

Team members (19)

Alix Woolard
Alix Woolard

BPsych (Hons), PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Maryam Stead
Dr Maryam Stead

MPsyc, BA PhD

Honorary Research Associate

Karen Lombardi
Karen Lombardi

BHSc (Hons), PhD

Research Fellow

Nicole Wickens
Nicole Wickens

BHlthSc (Hons)

Rigel Paciente
Rigel Paciente

MPH (Applied Public Health and Public Health Methodology), BSc (Anatomy and Human Biology)

Research Assistant

Michael English
Michael English

BSc Honours (Psych.); PhD

Senior Research Officer

Ella Carton
Ella Carton

Bsc (Hons)

PhD Candidate

Sara Coombs
Sara Coombs

BPsych(Hons)

Research Assistant

Larissa Marion
Larissa Marion

BPsych(Hons)

Research Assistant & PhD Student

Lisa McGivern
Lisa McGivern

BA (Hons 1, Psych)

Research Assistant

Communications Specialist

Project Officer

Louise Delane
Louise Delane

MPsych(Clinical)/PhD

Senior Research Officer

Tamara Lipscombe
Tamara Lipscombe

BSc (Hons), PhD Candidate

Senior Research Officer

Kahli Regan
Kahli Regan

BPsych (Hons)

Nita Alexander
Nita Alexander

BA (Hons), PhD

Senior Research Officer

Aboriginal Project Officer

Project Officer