4 – 10 September 2023

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Keeping Clients Safe in the Outdoor Therapies

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Join Margaret Asher for an engaging discussion about how risk mitigation strategies from other industries can inform outdoor therapy work and keep clients safe. While all adventures bring some risk, the strategies for critically analysing near misses and critical incidents can help practitioners and adventurers keep their outdoor programming safe, fun, and effective.   Margaret Asher, Director of Operations in Wilderness Therapy Margaret is currently the Director of Operations at Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness and based out of Asheville, NC. Prior to that she started her wilderness therapy journey in 2010 at Alaska Crossings as a Field Guide and moved to many roles as Field Mentor, Case Manager, Medical Officer, and Assistant Program Director and at Open Sky as a Medical Case Manager and Health Director. She also serves as a Blue Ridge representative on the Outdoor Behavioral Health Council. She has been a Wilderness EMT since 2013, trained through the San Juan Ambulance in Silverton, Colorado where she was also able to volunteer with their local SAR. Having attended an experiential high school on the Minnesota Zoo property her love of the wilderness and learning through experience began. She loves being a part of growing the industry and creating […]

Free

Activities in democracy and kindness in tertiary learning

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

This presentation provides examples of how the authors and people studying online have engaged in co-design. People studying online bring with them a lifetime of experiences and knowledges. That expertise and experience often comes from the sector relevant to their tertiary study; suiting it to incorporation into subject materials helping to keep subjects contemporary. This supports innovation and encourages us to be critically reflective within our practice. Inclusion in the learning environment builds belonging and connectivity, engendering reciprocal respect, and collegiality. This challenges the usual hierarchy of teacher/student. Informed by Indigenist theories, kindness in pedagogy,and approaches to democratising teaching and learning practices, this presentation provides examples of how the authors and people studying online have engaged in co-design. Presenters: Rohena Duncombe Rohena worked in community health and combined practice with teaching for many years. Her research interests are in health ineaquality, service access, group work approaches to anxiety management and inclusive tertiary learning strategies. Katrina Gersbach Katrina Gersbach teaches child welfare, counselling, group work and case management at Charles Sturt University. Katrina draws on her social work practice background working alongside children and their families, using strengths based and trauma informed approaches within her teaching and research. Katrina is an […]

Free

Help the helper: Adventure Therapy for Burnout Syndrome

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

This workshop examines a triangulation study on how adventure therapy can be used for helping professionals experiencing burnout. Unda Avota from Adventure Therapy Latvia created a 3-day test program, then refined it slightly and applied it to two study groups, using the Professional Quality of Life Scale in pre, post, follow-up tests. Qualitative data were collected 2 weeks after the intervention in individual interviews and 3 months later in focus group interviews. This workshop will examine the findings of our adventure therapy can be used to reduce burnout and improve mind-body connections. The results surpassed expectations, even in spite of the COVID-19 outbreak, even after 3 months, several participants admitted that they felt the positive impact and actively applied the learned skills for stress management. Presenters: Unda Avota, Adventure Therapy Latvia Will Dobud, Charles Sturt University

Free

Fish passage: Motivations and challenges in Southeast Asia

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Throughout Southeast Asia, particularly in the Mekong region, irrigation and hydropower structures are continually being introduced to waterways. These structures can hinder the migration and life cycles of key fish species, which local communities are dependent on for food security, livelihoods and culture. Fish passages, a type of “fish-friendly” infrastructure, have been added to these structures throughout the world as a way of allowing fish to pass. What motivates countries and funders to implement and/or fund fish passage? What are the challenges associated with the implementation of fish passages? This online session will present preliminary findings from Charles Sturt University’s FishTech team addressing these questions. The second part of the session will open the discussion up to the audience for feedback. Presenters are Dr John Conallin, Dr Nick Pawsey and Dr Jen Bond, Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University. Register now

Free

Individualising Care Approaches – Travel Projects in the NSW care system

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

PIC is a not-for-profit organisation providing individualised, relationship based settings for young people in the NSW out of home care (OOHC) system. Travel projects are a unique, providing an opportunity to meet the needs of young people in the OOHC system with a tailored travel experience. Hear more about how adventures can be used to provide new and exciting opportunities for kids in OOHC.

Free

Creating safety: Outdoor and Nature-Based Therapies in an Increasingly Stress-Full World

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Outdoor, adventure and nature-based therapies are gaining increasing attention across the globe. At the outset this presentation invites participants to consider a role for outdoor and nature-based health practices in our increasingly stress-full world. It will invite participants to think of outdoor experiences not through the lens of risk and danger, but instead as a context in which we can create a deep sense of safety and connection that in turn enables exploration and growth. This session introduces the concept of ‘safe-enough’ practice and shares one framework that brings together principles derived from attachment theory, neurodevelopmental theories, experiential learning, narrative therapy, outdoor and nature-based therapies towards an integrated framework for co-creating ‘safe enough’ outdoor therapy experiences. Presenters: Ben Knowles, Adventure Works Ben Knowles trained in education, outdoor education, experiential learning, and narrative therapy. Traversing these fields in various contexts over the last two decades has grounded and extended his life experiences and ideas about colonisation, racism, trauma, and importantly relating, reconciling, and healing. Ben was pivotal in establishing the Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT) and has taught Outdoor Education and Bush Adventure Therapy at a tertiary level. Alongside undertaking his PhD in public health, he works as a […]

Free

Critical Race and Whiteness Studies for the Professions

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

How can professional practice be more diverse and racially literate? In this webinar, I provide an overview of the key concepts in critical race and whiteness studies and outline some strategies for negotiating white privilege and white possession in professional training and education contexts. I situate myself in these teaching practices as a white and non-Indigenous academic and critically examine what facilitating anti-racist teaching means in the relational space of learning. I discuss how critical race and whiteness studies has been applied to a range of professions and the importance of capacitating and addressing workforce needs for racial literacy. Holly Randell-Moon is a non-Indigenous Senior Lecturer in the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at Charles Sturt University. Holly has contributed critical race theory curriculum to a number of health subjects at Charles Sturt University, including occupational therapy and allied health. Her research focuses on cultural competency in healthcare, institutional racism and healthcare, and community understandings of digital technologies.   Photo by Heiko Otto on Unsplash

Free

Impacting society for good: How the church can partner with community

Charles Sturt University

How can the church partner with other grassroots community organisations to make a lasting difference in 2022? Anglicare Australia, over the last two years, has released a series of reports outlining how Australians are struggling to meet their most basic needs. People are reporting to Anglicare workers that they are feeling stressed, isolated and a sense of hopelessness. They are sharing concerns about their lack of connections with others, unmet spiritual needs, deteriorating mental health, lack of stable accommodation and the increased cost of living. How can the church partner with other grassroots community organisations to make a lasting difference in 2022? What role do faith, hope, love, kindness, joy and connection have when working in partnership? These questions will be addressed by the presenters: Dr Monica Short - Senior lecturer in the School of Social Work and Arts at Charles Sturt University, Gulbali, and the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture Bishop Mark Short - Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Professor Anthony Maher – Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture The Reverend Sarah Plummer – Executive Manager Mission and Culture Anglicare, Anglicare Jeremy Halcrow - Anglicare CEO Ben Paton - Director of Synergy Youth This event is both in-person (Australian Centre […]

Free

The Walk of Life program: Australian Crime Prevention & Child Protection

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

The presentation will discuss ways programs can address multiple complex needs by incorporating strategies from multiple disciplines – (crime prevention, community policing, feedback informed treatment, social work, indigenous cultural interaction, vocational training, bush adventure therapy), using multiple institutions working collaboratively (Education, Police, Universities, Registered Training Organisations, traditional owners).   Senior Constable Mark Cartner Senior Constable Cartner has been a Queensland police officer for over 20 years, he has worked in the Child Protection and Investigation Unit since 2003. He spent almost 10 years leading a child abuse team responsible for child protection matters in remote aboriginal communities in the Cape York region. For most of his adult life he has worked for the protection of children in his professional, volunteer and personal life. Of German, Scottish, English and Indigenous descent (Imman and Bundalung), he has an interest in bringing cultures together as typified by his own heritage. Will Dobud Will Dobud has worked predominately with adolescents in the private and public sector. Coming to Australia from the United States in 2009, Will built True North Expeditions, a non-profit program in Adelaide, SA, providing adventure therapy experiences and social work services for adolescents from all over the country. In 2015, Will […]

Free

Human Rights in Adventure Therapy

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Human rights have become an important topic among the adventure therapy community. In this workshop, Grham Pringle and Dr Will Dobud will provide a look into how adventure therapy providers can achieve a minimum standard of practice, by aiming to treat each person with fierce dignity while preserving their right to experience. Attendees will explore concepts related to the dignity of risk, the treatment of complex trauma, and the rights of youth, people with disabilities, and Indigenous peoples. Attendees will also have the chance to discuss core concepts and implications for their own practice. Graham Pringle (PhD Candidate, MA (Outdoor Education), DipSocSci (Psych), CIV Adventure Based Youth Work) is the Program Director of YFO. He conducts the research behind their model and frequently trains adults and presents at conferences domestically and internationally. Will Dobud has worked predominately with adolescents in the private and public sector. Coming to Australia from the United States in 2009, Will built True North Expeditions, a non-profit program in Adelaide, SA, providing adventure therapy experiences and social work services for adolescents from all over the country. In 2015, Will was awarded the Australian Postgraduate Award for research promise and conducted his PhD focusing on client experiences in outdoor […]

Free

It’s Your Adventure, Not Mine: Shifting our Lens on Facilitated Adventure

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Closing this year's Outdoor Therapy Series for Social Sciences Week is an interactive presentation with Doug Moczynski from Gippsland Adventure Therapy and Dr Will Dobud from Charles Sturt University. Doug will present how he learned to reframe his adventure therapy practice to focus solely client experiences. His practice has just three rules: to make therapeutic services Fun, Safe, and Useful. To do this, he must focus on his client's adventures. Dr Dobud will close the week of international presentations. Doug Moczynski Hi I’m Doug, I started Gippsland Adventure Therapy because I have a burning passion for helping people access the outdoors and nature for increased mental health and wellbeing. I love sharing experiences with others, I’m at my best when I’m engaged in something outdoors and can see the joy in peoples faces when they feel safe to try something new and challenging. I’ve been working in the outdoor industry since 2003 where I’ve had many roles spanning everything from camp counsellor in the USA to English teaching in China to snow skiing instructor and commercial outdoor adventure guide. Over the past decade I’ve committed myself to working with youth in the out of home care sector where I’ve worked […]

Free

2MCE Radio Program: Community Value in Street Libraries

Virtual , Australia

Charles Sturt University

Street Libraries offer communities an alternative and sustainable venue for finding and reusing books, supporting literacy at the ground (or street) level. In SICS Radio's 3rd broadcast celebrating Social Sciences Week, we discuss how Social Science helps us understand humanity, society and the institutions which govern our daily lives through the lens of street libraries. This year, our speakers are researchers and representatives from organisations supporting this literary phenomenon active in communities across Australia. Dr Peter John Chen is a senior lecturer in Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His recent article in the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association dicusses the role of street libraries in building literacy and social capital in the community and the gift economy. Nic Lowe is the Chairman of the Board for Street Library, an initiative with citizens sharing and exchanging books in tiny libraries on the street or in their yards in an effort to build community and literacy. This program is brought to you by Charles Sturt University's School of Information and Communication Studies (SICS) on radio station 2MCE https://2mce.org/. Photo by Jon Callow on Unsplash.