Hi, my name is Darby, and I am a Clinical Psychologist in the Community Recovery Services team at Royal Far West.
What does your role involve?
I deliver psychological therapy to children and provide support to parents and teachers who live in communities impacted by the 2022 floods in NSW and Southeast QLD. A lot of the children I see for teletherapy are referred for increased anxiety and post-traumatic stress responses following exposure to climate-related disasters.
Another part of my role involves travelling with my team to communities and schools in these areas. On these outreach visits with my team, I facilitate children’s groups (such as Seasons for Growth or Stormbirds) that focus on the topics of change, loss and grief that can come with disasters. I also support educators and parents through learning workshops and group programs.
How long have you been with Royal Far West?
Its been two years since I started at Royal Far West. I initially started working with bushfire-impacted communities and moved across to a new team that was formed to support the families that were impacted by the floods in 2022.
Have you seen any changes in the sorts of issues children have during your time at Royal Far West?
I have noticed a general increase in anxiety in children which often presents as children worrying about being away from their parents/carers and no longer wanting to go on sleepovers or school camps. This is not surprising given the combined impact of bushfires, COVID-19, and floods in the communities I work with which limited the children’s opportunities for socialising with peers and attending school regularly. Due to these events, families are also experiencing increased external stressors including economic stress, loss of jobs, and having to relocate their school and/or home.
What led you to work at Royal Far West?
I have always been passionate about working with children and families. While completing my Masters in Clinical Psychology I wanted to choose a final placement that was with an organisation I could see myself continuing on with. Having grown up on the Northern Beaches I was familiar with Royal Far West and their focus on supporting children in rural and remote areas. My placement experience more than exceeded my expectations and it didn’t take long to feel a part of the team. I love working within a multidisciplinary team and learning from clinicians with a wide range of experience. I also value the community-focused aspect of our program that prioritises going out to schools to build relationships in person and to better understand the needs of the communities we work with.
Can you describe your typical day?
My workdays can look very different depending on whether I am working from home, heading into the office, or visiting a school on outreach. A day on outreach might involve flying in a Little Wings aircraft to travel to the community I’m visiting with my team. Once at the school I’m often meeting with teachers and parents to understand the needs of the students and how we can support them. I then might spend the rest of the day facilitating children’s groups and running educational workshops for staff and parents. At the end of an outreach day, I enjoy unwinding by going for a walk and exploring some of the local sites. I find that getting more familiar with each community helps me to connect with the area where many of the children I work with have grown up.
Back at my home base, a typical day either working from home or at the Manly office consists of therapy sessions with children and helping them work towards their goals. I love finding fun, online resources and getting creative with different ways to engage children and practice their strategies over Zoom. My day might also involve consulting with teachers and parents, connecting with my team, planning for my next outreach, and continuing my learning and professional development. I enjoy the variety and flexibility in my role and that every day looks quite different!
What do you love about working with families from rural and remote Australia?
The resilience of the schools and families in rural and remote Australia always
stands out to me as well as the incredible acts of kindness shown to one another during difficult times. In conversations I’ve heard stories of families losing their businesses and parts of their homes following natural disasters and yet they focused on providing resources and shelter to neighbours who they felt were more impacted. It has been incredibly rewarding working alongside these families, many of whom have expressed that they had previously struggled to access services for their children either due to their location or the long local waitlists.
What do you think makes Royal Far West unique?
I find it impressive that Royal Far West is 100 years old this year, and that it is still leading the way in terms of digital health and technology to address service gaps for children in rural and remote areas of Australia. I think what also makes RFW unique is just how passionate the staff members are about what they do.
Can you give us an example of a family’s positive outcomes through working with Royal Far West?
One of the most rewarding parts of my role is getting to see children make progress and achieve their goals. An example that comes to mind was a girl who, at the start of therapy, felt too anxious to put her hand up in class to ask a question. Each week she would set herself a small challenge to build up her confidence talking in front of others and each session she would come back with a smile sharing what she achieved. By the time we were close to finishing our sessions she completed her biggest goal of singing a solo at the Christmas concert in front of the whole school. Her mother was overjoyed and shared the video with me which was very heart-warming.
Where’s your country? – Where do you feel most connected to?
Having grown up in Manly, the land of the Gayemagal people, I feel very connected to this area that I am lucky enough to live and work in. One of my favourite spots to go for a walk and reenergise is Manly Dam which was a great sanctuary to have during lockdown and where I have a few favourite sitting rocks.
Can you share some career highlights from your time at Royal Far West?
Recently I had the opportunity to speak on a panel discussion at the Canberra Parliament House hosted by MP Zali Steggall, UNICEF, and RFW. It was great to be able to share the positive impacts and research outcomes from all the excellent work that the Community Recovery Services team have done over the past few years. While speaking on a panel in Parliament was a little outside my comfort zone, it was an incredible experience to voice what I have seen first-hand to people who have the influence and power to create systemic change. During this panel discussion I was able to share the impact that climate-related disasters have on children as well as advocate for the importance of children needing a unique approach to support their recovery and that longer-term funding and access to tailored services are essential for these schools and families.