Healing Kids, Healing Families

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. Promote recovery pathways for children and families, such that those who are affected can enjoy optimal developmental trajectories  
2. Transform our current healthcare services to be trauma-informed and culturally responsive, which encourages healthy recovery  
3. Investigate 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.

Research Priority Areas

• Strengthening wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
• Addressing challenges and trauma in the perinatal period
• Improving trauma-related outcomes
• Supporting wellbeing after disease or medical trauma
• Trauma-informed tertiary healthcare in Western Australia  

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.