A healthy intimate relationships program
by
Future-proof families and community safety
Service and content design
1. Congruence with clinical practice across
spectrum of service provision.
2. Alignment between how services are delivered
and practice.
2
“I like, like you: Healthy Intimate Relationships”
• Primary prevention work.
• Collaborating with universal services.
• Linking mental health promotion and violence
prevention.
• Knowledge, practical relationship skills and
critical reflection.
3
RAV context
Impact on family relationships of:
• Family violence
• Family law complexities
• Mental health difficulties.
4
Service models
• Continuity.
• Integration - maximising complexity.
• Congruence.
5
Staged-based model of service
6
Primary Prevention Services
For communities: in kindergartens, schools, child and maternal health centres
Preventative programs for relationship and emotional health
Early Intervention Services
For individuals and families
Programs to maintain good emotional health and relationships
Tertiary Services
For individuals and families
Programs with intensive
therapeutic & case
management
responses
Continuity, congruence and integration
• Co-occurring, historical and systemic issues.
• Both/And- explaining but not excusing.
• IPV- Intersectorial feminist perspective.
• Avoiding gender essentialism.
• The Self is political.
• Always safety first.
7
Whole school approach
National Health Promoting Schools Framework:
Interacting spheres of a school environment include:
• Curriculum, teaching and learning
• Environment, school’s values and ethics
• Partnerships and services.
Aims:
• Address social and wellbeing issues
• Forge strong partnerships between families, schools and
community agencies.
8
Levels of intervention
• Attuning to school culture.
• Curriculum.
• Attuned to social and wellbeing needs of
children in the groups.
• Referral source.
• Welfare and discipline policies.
• Collaborative continuum of care - joined up
services.
9
Program aims of I like, like you
• Provide a preventative program for young people that
integrates mental health promotion with violence
prevention, as historically these are areas of work in our
sector have been polarised.
• Offer a preventative response to the core tertiary work of
Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) that relates to the
impact of family violence, family breakdown and mental
health issues on individuals and families.
• Form stronger relationships between RAV and schools,
and to raise awareness of RAV's child, parent and family
work.
10
Curriculum aims – I like, like you
• Promote the connection between healthy relationships,
and emotional health and wellbeing.
• Provide students with an opportunity to consider the
kinds of relationships they want to experience in their
future.
• Provide practical skills for maintaining good mental
health and healthy relationships
• Promote attitudes and behaviours demonstrated by
equitable and respectful relationships.
11
Four sessions
1. KNOWLEDGE
2. SKILLS
3. ATTITUDES
4. INTEGRATION
12
Critical realism
13
Truths /
Evidenced-based
research Invitational
practice Influences /
Where do you
stand?
Relationship choices
“A major part of this program involves getting
you to think about where you stand with these
influences. We will focus on getting you to
think about the kinds of experiences you want
to have and build in your future relationships.”
“What kinds of experiences are you having
now with intimate relationships? How are you
going to know you are listening to yourself and
living out your relationship values? How are
you going to resist messages that don’t fit for
you? What are your rules for people getting
emotionally and physically close to you? How
can you integrate some of our material into
your daily life”.
14
Key messages
• Conceptualising intimacy as moments of connection.
• Strong connection between emotional health and healthy
relationships.
• Healthy and tricky/difficult moments in all relationships.
• There’s no one fixed identity that we are all working
towards. Identity is who we feel we are, as a person, in
one given time or moment.
15
Topics
• What is intimacy and what does a
safe and healthy relationship feel
like?
• Identifying when a relationship is
not safe for you.
• The connection between
emotional health and healthy
relationships.
• Healthy Minds: Practical skills for
emotional health.
• Styles of communicating that harm
relationships and what you can do
instead.
• Managing the negatives and
repairing after conflict.
• Boundaries: how to enjoy being
together and still be yourself.
• Explore the construct of identity
and what it means to young
people.
• Attitudes and influences that
support and harm relationships.
• Technology, safety and
relationships.
• How to help yourself after a
breakup.
• How to help a friend who is in an
unsafe relationship.
16
Mindsight
• Mindsight – connecting “me”, “you” and “we”
moving between myself, you and the
environment we occupy.
• Speaking for our feelings instead of our feelings
speaking for us.
17
Identity, attitudes and relationships
• Identity – gender and intimacy FSC
bullying and homophobia.
• Thinking about “Exceptence” are you
red or, green or, queen bee?
18
19

I like, like you: A healthy intimate relationships program for schools

  • 1.
    A healthy intimaterelationships program by
  • 2.
    Future-proof families andcommunity safety Service and content design 1. Congruence with clinical practice across spectrum of service provision. 2. Alignment between how services are delivered and practice. 2
  • 3.
    “I like, likeyou: Healthy Intimate Relationships” • Primary prevention work. • Collaborating with universal services. • Linking mental health promotion and violence prevention. • Knowledge, practical relationship skills and critical reflection. 3
  • 4.
    RAV context Impact onfamily relationships of: • Family violence • Family law complexities • Mental health difficulties. 4
  • 5.
    Service models • Continuity. •Integration - maximising complexity. • Congruence. 5
  • 6.
    Staged-based model ofservice 6 Primary Prevention Services For communities: in kindergartens, schools, child and maternal health centres Preventative programs for relationship and emotional health Early Intervention Services For individuals and families Programs to maintain good emotional health and relationships Tertiary Services For individuals and families Programs with intensive therapeutic & case management responses
  • 7.
    Continuity, congruence andintegration • Co-occurring, historical and systemic issues. • Both/And- explaining but not excusing. • IPV- Intersectorial feminist perspective. • Avoiding gender essentialism. • The Self is political. • Always safety first. 7
  • 8.
    Whole school approach NationalHealth Promoting Schools Framework: Interacting spheres of a school environment include: • Curriculum, teaching and learning • Environment, school’s values and ethics • Partnerships and services. Aims: • Address social and wellbeing issues • Forge strong partnerships between families, schools and community agencies. 8
  • 9.
    Levels of intervention •Attuning to school culture. • Curriculum. • Attuned to social and wellbeing needs of children in the groups. • Referral source. • Welfare and discipline policies. • Collaborative continuum of care - joined up services. 9
  • 10.
    Program aims ofI like, like you • Provide a preventative program for young people that integrates mental health promotion with violence prevention, as historically these are areas of work in our sector have been polarised. • Offer a preventative response to the core tertiary work of Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) that relates to the impact of family violence, family breakdown and mental health issues on individuals and families. • Form stronger relationships between RAV and schools, and to raise awareness of RAV's child, parent and family work. 10
  • 11.
    Curriculum aims –I like, like you • Promote the connection between healthy relationships, and emotional health and wellbeing. • Provide students with an opportunity to consider the kinds of relationships they want to experience in their future. • Provide practical skills for maintaining good mental health and healthy relationships • Promote attitudes and behaviours demonstrated by equitable and respectful relationships. 11
  • 12.
    Four sessions 1. KNOWLEDGE 2.SKILLS 3. ATTITUDES 4. INTEGRATION 12
  • 13.
    Critical realism 13 Truths / Evidenced-based researchInvitational practice Influences / Where do you stand?
  • 14.
    Relationship choices “A majorpart of this program involves getting you to think about where you stand with these influences. We will focus on getting you to think about the kinds of experiences you want to have and build in your future relationships.” “What kinds of experiences are you having now with intimate relationships? How are you going to know you are listening to yourself and living out your relationship values? How are you going to resist messages that don’t fit for you? What are your rules for people getting emotionally and physically close to you? How can you integrate some of our material into your daily life”. 14
  • 15.
    Key messages • Conceptualisingintimacy as moments of connection. • Strong connection between emotional health and healthy relationships. • Healthy and tricky/difficult moments in all relationships. • There’s no one fixed identity that we are all working towards. Identity is who we feel we are, as a person, in one given time or moment. 15
  • 16.
    Topics • What isintimacy and what does a safe and healthy relationship feel like? • Identifying when a relationship is not safe for you. • The connection between emotional health and healthy relationships. • Healthy Minds: Practical skills for emotional health. • Styles of communicating that harm relationships and what you can do instead. • Managing the negatives and repairing after conflict. • Boundaries: how to enjoy being together and still be yourself. • Explore the construct of identity and what it means to young people. • Attitudes and influences that support and harm relationships. • Technology, safety and relationships. • How to help yourself after a breakup. • How to help a friend who is in an unsafe relationship. 16
  • 17.
    Mindsight • Mindsight –connecting “me”, “you” and “we” moving between myself, you and the environment we occupy. • Speaking for our feelings instead of our feelings speaking for us. 17
  • 18.
    Identity, attitudes andrelationships • Identity – gender and intimacy FSC bullying and homophobia. • Thinking about “Exceptence” are you red or, green or, queen bee? 18
  • 19.

Editor's Notes

  • #3 Where illy fits Alignment between service and practice particularly across the spectrum
  • #18 The mind as a buffer