‘Reframing’ support for young people in the youth justice system

2022-12-22

DHS Youth Justice Services has been selected as the inaugural Australian youth justice organisation to provide the Reframe Training program, an evidence-based program specifically designed to support young people in custody with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and other neurodisabilities.

A therapeutic approach designed for a custodial setting

Reframe Training, developed by Dr Hayley Passmore and researchers at the Telethon Kids Institute, is specifically targeted to the needs of young people and staff in custodial settings.

Young people at Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre are highly likely to experience neurodisability - which can include autism and FASD. The training upskills frontline staff to address the underlying needs which can drive dysregulated behaviour and enables them to reframe and respond to the behaviour in a therapeutic way.

Positive feedback from staff

To date, 37 Youth Justice staff as well as a number of staff from partner agencies have undertaken Reframe Training and the feedback has been incredibly positive.

“Through the trainer’s examples and discussion with operational staff, it was helpful to learn accessible strategies to encourage with unit staff,” said one participant.

Another workshop participant commented that it was a “great, concise workshop to raise awareness and guide practical strategies for supporting young people presenting with neurodevelopmental impairment”.

Reframe to become core training component for Youth Justice staff

Reframe Training will be made available through a collaborative partnership between the Youth Justice Assessment and Intervention Service and the Kurlana Tapa Enhanced Support and Training teams, with the aim of embedding the training as a core component for all Youth Justice staff in future.

Find out more about Reframe Training

Learn more about Reframe Training at the Telethon Kids Institute website.