Support for Young People: pathway to recovery

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Recovery from a trauma such as the bushfires can take time. Some, but not all, young people will need practical, social or emotional help. Although some will ask for help, many others might need encouragement to use the supports available to them. 

Helping young people engage with support services is an important role for workers assisting with bushfire recovery. It will be assisted by a good working relationship, an understanding of the individual’s personal experiences, and a service that is responsive and needs-based.

A successful working relationship is based on trust, open communication and clarity about the worker’s role and professional boundaries. A genuine, compassionate, non-judgemental approach is essential. Building a positive, consistent and helpful relationship with an unknown adult can be a challenge for young people. They and their families might have not needed any help in the past, so linking into support services can be quite a daunting process.

The level and type of support you offer will depend on the individual’s circumstances and experiences (see Factsheet: How the bushfires affected young people). Factors influencing the need for help include the level of social support already available to them, the type of exposure to the fires and subsequent coping, their health status, and the worker’s capacity and role in the community.  

Your contribution might range from regular support sessions to simply providing information and linkage to other programs. If the young person has not engaged in the process, perhaps you will just monitor them from a distance. Using a variety of communication, like text messages and email, can help keep in touch with those who are reluctant to have a lot of personal contact.

There are some key components of services that will help promote recovery. In essence, they must be client-centred, and deliver information and services at a pace that matches the young person’s needs. 

Some options for support are described below.

Return to ‘normal’ activities

Encourage engagement in ‘normal’ daily activities and social activities. If the person appears to have few interests, work with them to identify some activities and goals that appeal to them, and help them link with appropriate services and groups.

Build an effective support system

Explore the supports available to the young person. Sketching them in a diagram can help to define who is currently offering support, and what other people or agencies could also be of assistance.  

Supports can include family, friends, school and sports clubs. The pattern of supports will vary depending on the person’s age and developmental stage. The family will usually be central, but its role will vary a little depending on family functioning and dynamics. You might be in a position to spend time with the young person and the family to help strengthen their mutual support systems.

Young people are sometimes worried about burdening their families with their worries. In these situations, you can remind them that family members often want to know how they can do things differently so that they can be more supportive. Specialist family workers may be needed when the family situation is unusually difficult.

Provide information

Provide information about the types of supports available, including written contact information where possible. The young person can then investigate the service and make contact when they feel comfortable. Community rebuilding activities are often a good place to start.

Encourage self-expression

Encourage self-expression, for example by encouraging the young person to talk about how they feel. If this is too challenging, then encourage other forms of expression like a diary, journal, artwork, or writing their story for Your Bushfire Space.

Their means of self-expression needs to be respected, but if it appears to be placing them or others at risk or causing undue distress, you may need to intervene and suggest other ways of sharing their experience.  

Create a supportive environment

Provide a safe, confidential space, for example an office or a place where the person likes to spend time. Let the person know that, even if they are not ready to talk yet, you will still be available in the future.
Explain your obligations about confidentiality, and find out how much they want their parents to know. In general, their conversations with you will remain strictly private unless you are worried about their safety or the safety of others. Discussing risk is an important step, and opens up the possibility of talking about things like self-harm and suicide. If you have concerns about their safety, consult your supervisor or local mental health service to help manage the situation. Make sure the person knows about the availability of, and the phone numbers for, 24-hour crisis services.

Encourage young people to make their own decisions in their recovery journey. You can help them to explore the available options, but also allow them to retain a sense of control. Their lives have been changed by factors out of their control, so restoring a sense of control and confidence in their lives is likely to be very important.

Monitor for change

Be alert for changes in how the young person presents to you. If they are struggling with their experiences, then their friends and family are likely to notice changes in their behaviour, physical health, thinking or emotional state.

Enhance problem solving skills

Help young people develop their problem solving skills. For example, encourage them to:

• Identify the problem
• Brainstorm possible solutions, using their experience with solving problems in the past
• Choose an solution that is realistic and achievable
• Try it out and review how it went
• Try another solution if the first one was not a success.

Provide practical help

Stresses can often be overcome if people use the extra resources that are available to them. For example, a number of agencies have grants available to fund practical needs such as clothes or school books.

Normalise grief

Many young people have not previously experienced a significant loss, and may not understand that their feelings of grief are normal. Information about grief can help them better understand what is happening. Commemorating their loss is sometimes important and helpful (see Factsheet – Marking the day).

Develop coping skills

Work with young people on their coping skills. For example, get them to write down their fears or concerns, and explore rational statements or actions that can combat these feelings. Ask them to think about how they have coped in the past, and whether they could use those strategies again.

Relaxation techniques can be helpful for people who are willing to try them. Techniques such as controlled breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are simple and can be done any time without anyone else noticing. You can practise these skills with them, or provide them with instructions and a relaxation CD.

Adapt to recovery

The needs of the young person will change over time. Regularly review their needs and the supports that are available to them.

When to consider specialised help

Each person recovers in a different way and at a different pace. Signs that suggest there might be serious problems include significant changes in behaviour, emotional state, ability to concentrate and think clearly, appetite or sleep.

A mental health professional can assess the type of symptoms, their duration, and how they are affecting the person’s normal activities. If you think there is any risk of harm to the person or others, then urgent referral to a mental health professional is mandatory.

Young people might be reluctant to see anyone about mental health problems. You can help the process by introducing the concept, what it will involve, and the likely benefits.

Looking after yourself

Sharing traumatic experiences and the recovery journey with young people can be an exhausting process. The effects on support workers will depend on the stories that they share, their own experience of the bushfires and other trauma, and their personal and professional experiences.

To maintain your health, it is important to:

• Maintain professional boundaries. Always be clear about your role, where it starts and stops, and what can be provided if further assistance is required
• Have regular supervision and training. This will allow you to talk about your responses to your work, while also enhancing your skills
• Be aware of your own stress levels and how they can be relieved, so you can leave your work behind at the end of the day
• Become familiar with the supports available in the local community, including mental health services, so that you share the load and refer your clients when needed.