On August 3rd and 4th PeakCare, QATSICPP and the Queensland Government will bring you ‘Just Ice?’, a symposium focusing on the impact of crystal methamphetamine (ice) on Queensland’s children, families and communities.
Throughout these two days we’ll hear from academics, practitioners, family members and policy makers as they highlight key facts about ice, dispel some myths and examine the impact this drug is having on families and communities. Day 1 will focus on the dilemmas and complexities ice poses for those who use, those affected by the user and those working to provide services and responses to all impacted. The panel discussion will focus on decision making and the safety and well-being of children and families. Day 2 will provide solutions and strategies whilst forging a way forward through the many inherent complexities. The panel discussion will focus on overcoming and finding solutions amongst the conundrums. What key stakeholders need to affect change and healing and recovery.
Keynote speaker, Professor Sharon Dawe has significant expertise in working with children and families experiencing substance misuse. Sharon Dawe is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at Griffith University. She has been working as a researcher and clinician in the field of substance misuse and mental health for over 20 years. Beginning her clinical career at Odyssey House, Auckland, NZ, she then moved to the UK where she worked at the Maudsley Hospital, London, as a clinical psychologist in the drug dependence unit. Her PhD, completed at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, investigated the neural mechanisms involved in drug reward. Sharon’s research interests include the evaluation of treatments for people with substance misuse problems, in particular, the neuropsychology of addictive behaviours. Professor Dawe will speak on assessing the impact of ice on families using the integrated theoretical framework.
Professor Dawe will be joined by colleagues in academia as well as practitioners, organisations responding to the drug in local communities, those with experience of the impacts of ice, policy makers and managers. Below are a few of the many sharing their wisdom throughout this symposium:
Stephanie Jordan – Therapist/Program Coordinator, Act for Kids
Stephanie is a clinical Social Worker and Family Therapist. She has been working for Act for Kids providing child and family therapy and case management services to children affected by abuse and neglect since 2010. In 2016 Stephanie supported the roll out of the Flourish Education program which provides trauma therapy, and whole school psycho-education and support within some of the more vulnerable schools in north Brisbane and recently acted as Program Coordinator for Act for Kids therapeutic services, Wooloowin. Stephanie also has further experience working with homeless and marginalised people, and children and families with cancer experience through community and volunteer work.
Leanne Richardson – Regional Practice Leader, South West Region
Leanne has been working in Child Safety since 2000, predominantly in the Greater Ipswich area but also Toowoomba, Roma and Logan. She has held a range of roles including Family Services Officer, Court Officer, Team Leader, Senior Practitioner and Manager. Leanne also spent two years managing the Adoption Services Unit and is now one of South West’s Regional Practice Leaders, supporting the embedding of the Department’s practice framework and empowering staff to engage in collaborative quality practice to support outcomes for children, young people, families, carers and communities.
Danielle Campbell – Senior Team Leader, Ipswich Intake and Assessment Service Connect, South West Region
Danielle has worked in child protection since 2008 in both New South Wales and Queensland. In New South Wales she worked as a case worker in Western Sydney with children subject to long term orders and then in conducting investigations and applying for child protection orders, and was part of a Joint Investigation and Response Team with the NSW Police. She also worked for a period in regional New South Wales where she was involved in all streams of child protection. In 2011, Danielle moved to Queensland and the Goodna Child Safety Service Centre where she worked across all streams of child protection and is now a Senior Team Leader for the Ipswich Intake and Assessment Service Connect. Danielle enjoys the complexity, creativity and adaptability of investigation work and believes that meeting clients, collaborating with stakeholders and clients, helping staff with their development and formulating solutions are some of the key reasons she continues to remain intrigued and interested in her work.
Nigel Miller – Director of Child Protection Litigation
Nigel A. Miller is Queensland’s first Director of Child Protection Litigation. Nigel has experience across a range of fields dealing with the complex area of child protection and public family law.
Nigel was called to the Queensland Bar in 2004 and admitted as a barrister of the High Court in 2005. His legal practice has specialised in child protection and related areas of law, involving best interests and direct instructions advocacy for children and young people. Nigel has also specialised in acting for parents in the child protection jurisdiction.
Nigel has practised public family law in the United Kingdom with a London-based local authority and as an Independent Children’s Lawyer in the family law jurisdiction. Nigel also has experience in criminal law services, including representing young people in the youth justice jurisdiction.
Prior to his current appointment, Nigel held the position of Assistant Director of Legal Aid Queensland’s Family Law Services, and before that, the position of principal lawyer of LAQ’s Children and Young People team for five years.
Nigel is a founding board member of the Child Protection Practitioners Association of Queensland and in 2014 was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore the establishment of a child protection law specialist accreditation program in Queensland.
His other memberships have included the Queensland Law Society’s Children’s Law Committee, representing the QLS on the Children’s Court of Queensland Case Management Committee. Nigel has also been a Member of the Forde Foundation Board of Advice.
To attend: The symposium is now accepting online expressions of interest to attend! There is also still time to become a sponsor. Enquiries may be directed to Lorraine Dupree by phone on 07 3368 1050 or by email. In the meantime, don’t forget to download and distribute a copy of the ‘Just Ice?’ symposium flyer