FAABI – Families Affected by ABI Mikayla Ramm – FAABI Graduate Karen Ramm – FAABI Parent Jacqui Pierce – FAABI Founder

The Voice of the Child

“Head injuries do not happen to individuals, they happen to whole families.”

Tony Moore – Rehab. specialist & author of Cry of the Damaged Man & Echoes of the Early Tides

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

The children in a family are often the hidden and voiceless

casualties when a parent or sibling acquires a brain injury.

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

•  These two statements sum up the issues relating to children in a Family Affected by ABI. These were identified during the research for a report titled: “In a moment everything can change…” which was launched in Victoria in 2006.

•  A recommendation from this report was: “To ensure all family members have access to a range of formal and informal support networks.”

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

FAABI was borne from this report.

Unfortunately FAABI’s creation is based on anecdotal evidence only because…We actually don’t know the true extent of this issue.

How many school aged children have a parent or sibling with an Acquired Brain Injury? We do not have these statistics readily available!

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

What we do know is:

These kids need support.

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

Why do these children need support?

Following a brain injury to a family member, children may experience some or all of the following:

• A sense of abandonment - dad in hospital so mum is with dad or sibling in hospital so mum & dad are with the injured sibling

• Trauma – if directly involved in or a witness to the event that caused the injury

• Grief & Loss

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

• Confusion

• Anger

• Jealousy

• Embarrassment

• Isolation/loneliness – “Am I the only one with a parent/sibling with an ABI?”

History & Context

The Voice of the Child

• Helplessness and Hopelessness

• Anxiety and/or Depression

• Loss of childhood – becoming a young carer.

• The very real possibility that they may be visiting mum/dad or sibling in a nursing home.

History & Context

The Voice of the Child •  Find some funding – Karingal board

•  Find a partner organisation that specializes in facilitated group support for children – Glastonbury chosen after “interviewing” three local agencies.

•  Pilot the program - 2009

•  Seek further funding to continue running the program – philanthropic trusts – spasmodic success leading to intermittent running of program

•  Seek ongoing funding – ONGOING!!!!!!!

FAABI from Idea to Reality

The Voice of the Child How does FAABI work?

•  Children are grouped according to age and activities are designed to suit the age group.

•  One weekly session after school during school term at Glastonbury generally for 6 – 8 weeks

•  Group size up to a maximum of 8-10 children

•  Afternoon tea is provided

•  Assistance with transport if required

•  Lots of fun activities, e.g. painting, drawing, creative movement

FAABI from Idea to Reality

The Voice of the Children & Families A grandmother made the commitment to transport her grandchildren 7 weeks running from Cranbourne to Geelong to enable them to access the facilitated peer support in relation to having a parent with ABI. This resulted in her driving approximately 7 hours each week to ensure her grandchildren could access the support they desperately needed.

The father of a 9 year old reported that sleeping patterns for the children had settled, the children appeared happier and his 9 year old was no longer bed wetting. (The bed wetting had only begun after the mum’s brain injury)

FAABI – is it needed and does it work?

The Voice of the Children & Families Quotes from Kids: •  "The group should be longer - it should be six months". •  "Coming to the group makes my week better". •  "I really like this group". •  "This is like Youth Group except you guys care, really care about us". •  "An ongoing drop-in group would be good; fortnightly would be good".

• Quotes from Parents: •  "I think (……...) will be sad the group is finishing". •  "It's time out for my kids, time when they do not have to help out so much". •  "There are not a lot of places that do what you guys do".

FAABI – is it needed and does it work?

Promoting FAABI – National Launch Brain Injury Awareness Week 2013

Mikayla & Harrison with Jenny Macklin then Federal Minister for FaHCSIA and Darren Cheeseman then Federal Member for Corangamite

Future of FAABI

Continue the Geelong Program

THE DREAM-

SECURE GOVERNMENT FUNDING

TO TAKE FAABI STATE–WIDE

LIKE FAPMI

Panel

The panel are now undertaking a Q & A session

Then over to you :