Foundations to attachment

Understanding and working with issues pertaining to attachment is central to all child and family work. Evolve Therapeutic Services (ETS) have spent considerable time developing an on-line training package that outlines foundations to attachment and the 7 key attachment principles. ETS are sharing this information free to all in government and non-government organisations due to its relevance to all practitioners working in the child and family support sector.

Evolve Therapeutic Services (ETS) provides specialist intensive trauma-informed tertiary level mental health services for children and young people aged 0 to 18 years who have involvement with the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women.  The key focus of ETS is to provide planned and coordinated therapeutic and behaviour supports to children and young people in Out of Home Care (OOHC), aimed at improving their emotional wellbeing and skills to enhance participation in school and in the community. To achieve this, ETS’s model of service delivery is intensive, trauma-informed and grounded in well-established theoretical perspectives that include: child development, systemic theory, trauma, attachment, psychodynamic theory, grief and loss, and culture.  It encapsulates a collaborative ‘wrap-around’ model of service. Provision of service is achieved through a flexible use of appropriate evidence-informed individual and systemic therapeutic interventions and a coordinated and sustainable partnership with key government and non-government and private sector agencies. Referrals to ETS can only be made by Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women.

In addition to direct (individual and systemic) mental health service provision, ETS also provides professional development and training opportunities to a range of key stakeholders such as Foster and Kinship Carers, Teachers and partner government agencies such as Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women and the Department of Education as well as non-government organisations (NGOs) and private practitioners who work with infants, children and young people in OOHC.

The objective of ETS training is to provide current research and information, promote shared language, increase knowledge, understanding, and skill development in professionals and individuals to enhance the mental health, developmental and behavioural support to all children and young people in OOHC. These professional development opportunities occur at the local level and in the form of face-to-face sessions. During 2018 ETS ventured into on-line training via iLearn, a Queensland Health Leaning Management System.  Foundations to Attachment is ETS’s first on-line training package.

The 7 principles of attachment explore both children developing in ‘everyday’ circumstances and children developing in circumstances of adversity. The course provides foundational knowledge pertaining to the key principles of attachment as well as establishing a framework in which professionals and individuals can work through to better understand and meet the needs of infants, children and young people in OOHC.

This online training provides a platform for enhanced skill development to support infants, children and young people who have experienced trauma. Warren Bergh, Evolve Therapeutic Services State-wide Program Manager and Advanced Psychologist, Division of Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) is pleased this resource is so far reaching.  He notes that this was originally a resource for all practitioners across Queensland Health – including all ETS staff and mental health clinicians. Once the usefulness and practicality of this resource for all practitioners who work with children and young people within a child protection context was recognised, it was decided to open up the opportunity for all in the sector to engage with this training.

“Once the package was developed internally, it was a somewhat simple process to open up the learning to our external partners. A number of the Professional Development Coordinators across the state assisted in the development of the original package. A few others came on board to assist its conversion to an on-line package. Once registered, access is a simple process,” noted Warren.

Providing consistent information to work towards a common language and knowledge of professionals regarding attachment from a mental health and trauma perspective is one of the benefits of this training. The package has been developed to encourage critical thinking, reflection and on-going professional development. It is also a framework for supporting the integration of theory in clinical practice.

“The package offers additional reading and resources for care givers and professionals. We tried to cater for different needs as much as we can. There is so much information out there regarding attachment, we wanted to focus on what we thought would be most helpful as a starting point and aimed to capture a good cross section of information,” said Warren. “The focus is assisting the practical application of theory and embedding it into practice. There is much more that needs to go on in the background with training to expand staff skills.” As such, Warren stresses the importance of those engaging with the training to complete the questions for each module, reflect on what they learn and to speak with others at each stage as an essential aspect of their learning.

It is intended that by the completion of the course, individuals will have: an understanding of attachment theory and the underlying principles; an appreciation of the centrality of attachment to the provision of quality care; and a framework that supports the integration of theory into clinical practice.

The training has been developed in a sequential nature to enhance and consolidate learning. As such, it is necessary to complete each module before moving onto the next. A Certificate of Completion will be provided to all who complete this free online training package.

Given that this is ETS’s first attempt at an on-line training package, all feedback is welcome: “We would really appreciate feedback about the training as it is our first on-line training package. We’re particularly interested in whether the content makes sense and whether it is useful and meets a need.”

The next training package is going to be Foundations to Understanding Complex Trauma. This will be worked on throughout 2019.

For further information or to provide feedback, please contact Warren Bergh.

To Register for iLearn:

1. Click here or copy and paste this link into your web-browser: https://ilearn.health.qld.gov.au/d2l/tools/selfregistration/external/index.asp?ou=6606&urlLink=%2f
2. Click on “I do not have an iLearn@QHealth username and password”
3. Click the ‘Submit’ icon – located at bottom right hand corner.
4. Click “Non-Queensland Health learner (e.g. student, trades, contractor, volunteer)”
5. Click the ‘Register’ icon – located at bottom right hand corner.
6. Complete registration form (required fields are marked with a *).
7. Click the ‘Submit’ icon – located at bottom right hand corner.
8. A username and password will be emailed to you.

Accessing once registered for iLearn:

1. Click here or copy and paste this link into your web-browser: https://ilearn.health.qld.gov.au/d2l/login
2. You can either: a. Click on the “click here for the course catalogue’ words located under “welcome [your name]”; type “Evolve” into the search space and then enter; Click on the “(CHQ-C) ETS Foundation: Attachment”
3. Click here or copy and paste this link into your web-browser: https://ilearnexternal.health.qld.gov.au/course/209/chq-c-ets-foundation-attachment
4. Tick that that you agree to the terms of service and privacy policy (once you have read and if you do agree)
5. Click the ‘Enrol’ icon – located right hand side.
6. Once you have read the course overview click the ‘launch course’ icon – located right hand side.
7. Once you have read the welcome content click the ‘content’ icon – located top left-hand side.