Trauma Aware Schools Village (TASV)

We are excited to announce our involvement in the Trauma Aware Schools Village (TASV), a program aimed at helping students, education staff and parents to more effectively attend to the effects of trauma in- and out of the classroom.

Purpose of the Study and Expected Outcomes

The TASV project aims to assist children to develop healthy regulation behaviours in schools and is funded by the federal Medical Research Future Fund. In delivering the Adventure to Thrive, Trauma Responsive Training and Parent Workshops, we will be working in partnership with Flinders University, Charles Sturt University, Swinburne University of Technology and University of Tasmania for data collection and research publication.

Trauma Aware School Village (TASV)

By applying trauma-informed practices, the project will:

  1. Provide strategies to safely identify and respond to trauma and enact early intervention.
  2. Equip children with increased emotional regulation and connectedness.
  3. Drive best practices in schools.

This project will be evaluated through a multi-method approach to understand its impact on the school environment and the experiences of participants.

We believe this initiative will greatly benefit children, education staff and school communities taking part in the program and look forward to the publication of research and implementation reports

If you would like to stay connected regarding updates to this project, please write to info@connectedself.com.au

Polyvagal Practices

Polyvagal practices aim to enhance physiological regulation, restore a sense of safety, and promote engagement through autonomic nervous system regulation.

This enhances social and emotional learning, including recognising and regulating emotions (from a physiological lens) and developing empathy for others.

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PACE

Developed as part of attachment-focused family therapy, PACE is a trauma-informed approach aiming to create safe, trusting, emotionally connected relationships with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma or attachment difficulties. PACE stands for:

Playfulness

  • Approaching with an open, ready, calm, relaxed and engaged attitude.
  • Not taking yourself/situations too seriously.
  • Diffusing difficult/tense situations.

Acceptance

  • Unconditionally accepting the current state/mood/behaviour.
  • Accepting that there are things unseen that lie below behaviour.
  • Acceptance supports feeling secure, safe and loved

Curiosity

  • Understanding the child gently and without judgement.
  • Supporting child to bring awareness to their inner life.
  • Wondering statements.

Empathy

  • A sense of compassion and understanding for young person’s feelings and thoughts.

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Expression of experience when words are not enough

Art Therapy does not rely on verbal language. It is a therapeutic approach that provides many different mediums for communication. It is a useful mechanism when clients may not yet have the language to express their experiences.

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Contain difficult feelings and build tolerance

Art making holds or contains the difficult feelings allowing them to be felt and experienced gradually – building tolerance to discomfort.

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