First Impressions –
Melbourne is definitely not the stereotypical image of Australia. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect upon arrival to Southern Victoria – maybe something along the lines of shaking hands with a kangaroo fresh off the plane. However, as we made our way to our extended stay hotel in Preston, it became apparent that we underestimated the industrialized city. Instead of dry lands and ‘roos, we found ourselves in awe of the urban art on every wall and an amazing collection of Asian markets and cuisine. Though Melbourne is lacking in those typical Australian outback stereotypes, it is quite abundant in culture. This is obvious through the diverse peoples and multicultural areas. One moment we were walking through China Town and the next we were under English Victorian style arch ways. We then had an Indonesian dinner followed by amazing gelato. After gelato, we watched a clock tower open up and play a tribute song to Australia. Our day was almost as unpredictable as the weather…We weren’t sure what we would see next! And speaking of weather, it is wise to always have an umbrella handy because Mother Nature likes to randomly start spitting on Melbourne. Sometimes the rain only lasts for a few short minutes and then the sun shows its face again. It’s a fun game trying to keep up!
VACCA Visit –
When one thinks of Australia, the general stereotype is the “Steve Irwin type outback lifestyle”, or a society still consisting of convicts from England. We also expected lots of desert and anticipated occasionally dodging some kind of poisonous animal during our stay here. What we did not expect to learn, is that there was a whole population of indigenous peoples living here already. The Aboriginal people have a history not unlike the Native Americans in the United States. Even as recently as the late 1900’s, Australians have been marginalizing and stigmatizing the Aboriginals. It wasn’t until 2008 that the government finally issued a public apology and began to try to make reparations for the Aboriginal people…
Kathryn – “I had this idea in my head that Australia was vacant until England decided to drop off their murderous convicts. I couldn’t of been more wrong. First of all the “convicts” were more or less people being arrested for population control in England. These men and women were arrested for a range of misdemeanors from stealing a book to impersonating an Egyptian. Furthermore, the land was less than vacant. The fact is the longest surviving culture in the world inhabited the dangerous planes of Australia before England came and did what England does, colonize. The Aboriginal people were an intelligent and thriving society. However, because England didn’t recognize the practices the land was considered fair game. Families were torn apart and the Aboriginals were forced to thrive in frameworks that weren’t built for them.”
While we learned a lot about the traumatic history of the Aboriginal people, we also learned about their resilience and how they have been able to stick together as a community and support one another through it all. There are many efforts being made, like at VACCA- Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, to restore pride in being Aboriginal and to start owning their culture and past traditions that have been lost over time.
Chloe – “My major take away from this visit is the quote ‘from victim to survivor to achiever’. I am interning with the Salvation Army right now for my placement on the anti-human trafficking committee. This idea of having victims instead see themselves as survivors is a crucial part of their healing. It is also important for them to then see themselves as achievers so that they can truly begin to move forward with their lives. Everyone’s journey is different, but it is good to know that we can all be connected through this concept of helping each other become achievers in our own way. It was very inspiring to learn about how supportive Aboriginal people are for one another in their communities. They work to build each other up and constantly look out for one another. I think that without this supportive network, the concept of victim, to survivor, to achiever would be much harder to attain.”
Royal Children’s Hospital Visit –
Our group visited the Royal Children’s Hospital on two different days. The staff there had individualized itineraries planned for each of us before we arrived, which was amazing. They catered to each of our interests and ensured that we got to fully experience different aspects of what a social worker does in different departments of the hospital. For example, Chloe is interning with the Salvation Army back in Delaware, OH doing anti-human trafficking education, awareness and prevention. Part of her schedule involved a meeting with the social workers practicing in the Gatehouse, which is the program where they counsel children who are victims of sexual assault…
Chloe – “I really appreciated the emphasis on family systems approaches to counseling children in the Gatehouse. They take a very holistic approach to the rehabilitation process and attempt to address all aspects of the child’s environment. I also appreciated the way social workers take responsibility for their patients in the emergency department. They follow up with patients even after they have left the hospital to make sure they are receiving necessary services after referrals are made from the hospital.”
Kathryn’s schedule included shadowing adolescent psychiatrist Andrew Court and neonatal social worker Dani Gold. This was great because Kathryn works with children with disabilities back in OH. This a lot of the time means working with families for the best educational outcome for the child.
Kathryn – “Royal Children’s Hospital really had a great emphasis on supporting the family in order to support the child. I found this incredibly helpful to learn how it is they provide these supports because often, when working with children who have special needs, it can be easy to forget that the parents are experiencing a range of emotions like, grief and frustration. In order for my students to succeed, I need to make sure my families have the correct supports to create a positive cycle of learning in all environments.This is exactly what RCH does with their patients. I really appreciated this approach as it not only creates a swifter recovery, but also encourages healthy generalization and maintenance.”
-Kathryn & Chloe