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Home > Share your knowledge > Resources > INSPIRE > May 2006 > Conferences, courses and events

Conferences, courses and events

Lighthouse Resources Professional Training Opportunities 2006, Brisbane

Lighthouse Resources is an initiative of Kyabra Community Association Inc. having grown out of Kyabra's commitment to supporting the development of learning cultures in human service organisations. Lighthouse Resources is committed to promote the development of these cultures through provision of training, professional supervision and consultancy services, drawing on strengths-based practice, and solution-focussed and narrative approaches.

Based on the St Luke's format for strengths-based training, workshops are designed to be highly experiential and to value the knowledge and stories participants bring from their own practice.  It aims to clearly define and demonstrate skills and practice maps by sharing stories. It is established with a creative learning environment so that participants can “try out” these skills in exercises and explore applications to their own varied work contexts.

Many Professional training opportunities are held throughout 2006.

The list and further information: http://www.lighthouseresources.com.au/training_sessions.asp

Strengthening Practice: The First National Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners Professional Development Conference, Sydney, NSW, 21 – 23 May 2006

The conference is open to all workers in the child and family protection system, both Statutory and non-government roles.

Keynote Speakers include Gordon Gregory, Executive Director of the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA); and Dr Sohail Inayatulla, Fellow of the World Futures Studies Federation and the World Academy of Art and Science.

Download a registration brochure (PDF 263 KB)

Further information can be found at: www.croccs.org.au

5th International Conference on Drugs & Young People, Randwick, NSW, 24 – 26 May 2006

The Australian Drug Foundation and its Centre for Youth Drug Studies, in partnership with the Ted Noffs Foundation, are pleased to invite you to attend the 5th International Conference on Drugs & Young People.

The theme for the 5th International Conference on Drugs & Young People is the culture and context of young peoples’ drug use across various settings. Some of these settings include – bars and clubs - workplaces and schools – public spaces – juvenile justice settings - the web – sports settings.  A special aspect of this conference will be an exploration of drug use and its implications in the Asia-Pacific region.

Further information:http://www.adf.org.au/browse.asp?ContainerID=5dyp

Court drug diversion initiatives conference, Carlton Crest Hotel, Brisbane, Qld, 25-26 May 2006

The Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General in cooperation with the Magistrates Court of Queensland, the Australian Institute of Criminology, and the Griffith University Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, is pleased to present a conference on Court Diversion Initiatives for drug offenders.

Many indicators demonstrate a proliferation of illicit drug use in the Australian community over recent years. The response of various governments and justice administrations has included the development of additional means to divert offenders, in possession of personal amounts of illicit drugs or motivated to commit crime by their drug dependency, away from prison into treatment options. Historically restricted to "probation" and "community service" orders, new court sentencing options have emerged; such as Court Diversion (for minor possession), MERIT (a mid range intervention response) and Drug Court (intensive intervention). These initiatives have been energised by a belief, at least for non-violent offenders, that the drug use of these offenders can be successfully addressed by community based therapeutic intervention rather than by punitive responses. A theme of Therapeutic Jurisprudence has emerged within some new court initiatives. Often introduced as "pilot" initiatives, many court drug diversion programs are being independently monitored and evaluated. These evaluations are contributing to identification of "best practice" intervention models and defining tangible outcomes for the ongoing funding consideration of executive government. Evaluations can reflect not only on justice administrations but also on judicial officers, creating new tensions in preserving the independence of the court. In many locations across Australia the role of justice administration is being extended to broker robust and effective operational relationships with therapeutic treatment providers, in both the government and non-government sector, to achieve the effective implementation of court orders.

Further information: http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/2006-drugDiversion

Learning Choices Expo, Maroochydore Qld 24–25 May 2006

This national event will bring together people from across the country who are passionate about diverse ways to engage young people in meaningful learning – particularly young people whose needs are not able to be met in a traditional classroom setting. The Expo is for teachers, principals, program coordinators, youth workers, policy folk and researchers. The Expo will feature twenty student showcase teams from around Australia and overseas (TBC) and a range of workshops, ‘fierce' conversations and professional development sessions across three themes: Indigenous education, Practice and Programs, and Research and Policy.

Keynote presentations include Laudan Aron, The Urban Institute Washington DC, and Dr Chris Sarra, Institute for Indigenous Leadership in Education and Development.

Further information: http://www.dsf.org.au/learningchoices/expo_2006.php

Creating Synergy Between Drug & Alcohol & Mental Health Services Conference, Wollongong, NSW 15-16 June 2006

'Synergy' is an interaction or cooperation of two or more individuals or organisations working in partnership to produce a new and enhanced outcome

For two days key health professionals, academics and service providers will present evidence based interventions that increase the effectiveness of treatment, prevention and harm minimisation programs in the field of alcohol and other drugs.

Research consistently demonstrates the need for services to develop more effective working partnerships to address alcohol & other drug misuse within the community.

The conference will continue to demonstrate and explore methods of best practice and provide a forum for services to connect and initiate working partnerships.

The conference will also provide the opportunity to explore emerging and innovative ways of thinking about, and dealing with alcohol and other drug issues.

Further information and registration details:http://www.uow.edu.au/conferences/synergy3/

Australia’s Health 2006 Conference, Canberra ACT, 21 June 2006

This one day conference, held in Canberra, provides insights into key issues facing Australia's health services and resources, chronic diseases, and highlights trends and concerns in population health. It commences with the launch of Australia's health 2006 publication by the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, Minister for Health and Ageing.

The conference will assess current health statistics and demonstrate the relevance of these figures to existing and future health practices and reforms. Delegates will have the chance to listen to expert speakers representing a variety of academics, government officials and AIHW professionals.

The program contains a broad spectrum of health arenas including socioeconomic inequalities, workforce planning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, changing face of primary healthcare, chronic diseases, health as an economic growth sector, and r ural health

Further information:http://www.aihw.gov.au/eventsdiary/ah06/index.cfm

Road to where? The politics and practice of implementing welfare-to-work, Brisbane Qld, 17–18 July 2006

The aim of the two day forum is to critically examine the politics and practice of ‘welfare reform’ and in particular the new welfare-to-work policies that will take effect in Australia from July 1, 2006. The new sets of polices will bring sole parents and people with disabilities into the ‘activation and participation’ policy regime. The implementation of this controversial policy package raises important questions about the individual costs and benefits of welfare-to-work policies, the impact on organisations implementing the policies and more broadly what these reforms mean for social citizenship and the welfare state in the 21 st Century.

The two day forum provides a unique opportunity for bringing together university researchers, service providers, policy makers, commentators, and activists to have a focused discussion about the practical and ethical issues associated with the Australian Government’s welfare-to-work package. The format for the conference will consist of a mix of plenary sessions and themed workshops. The forum organisers intend to publish select proceedings from the forum in either complete book form or as a special issue of a relevant policy journal.

Further information:http://www.uq.edu.au/swahs/index.html?page=44305

Government Policy Evolution 2006 - Entrenching the Culture of Better Delivery, Canberra, ACT, 25 – 27 July 2006

One of the most prestigious public sector events in Australia , Government Policy Evolution 2006 will bring together leading minds in the Australian Public Service and beyond to discuss and enable the better development and delivery of government policy. It is designed for policy professionals committed to ensuring the development of win-win policies that are deliverable.

Topics included are: Establishing a Policy Framework to Maintain the Policy Balance – The Ageing Population & Workforce Participation Challenge; Driving Delivery of Top Public Service Priorities; Industry - Reducing the Regulatory Burden; Key Governance Issues in Public and Private Sector - Making Public Private Partnerships Work

Further information:http://www.governmentpractice.com.au/cgi-bin/templates/singlecell.html?topic=592&event=10169

Regional Development: Growing Regions Conference, Brisbane, Qld, 25 – 27 July 2006

The Australian Government will host the international Growing Regions Conference in July 2006. The Conference will draw together leading contemporary regional policy experiences and research from across the globe to present on key themes, including:

Delegates will benefit from the wisdom and experience of eminent speakers in the field of regional development. This will be a unique opportunity to discover how different approaches to similar problems across the world are working.

Further information:http://www.dotars.gov.au/regional/growingregions/

2006 ACWA Conference incorporating the 7th International Looking after Children Conference, SYD NSW, 14-16 August 2006

The 2006 ACWA ( Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies) Conference agenda includes keynotes from Jaap Doek, Chairperson, United Nations Committee for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Al Aynsley-Green, England’s first Children’s Commissioner and Professor Rick Barth, leading international child welfare researcher from the US.

The 7th International Looking After Children Conference (LAC) is incorporated within the conference this year, providing an exciting opportunity to broaden the regular out-of home care stream.

ACWA is pleased to have the opportunity for collaboration with Professor Harriet Ward and staff from the Centre for Child and Family Research at Loughborough University, and other international colleagues.

This is only the second LAC conference to be held outside the UK, providing a great opportunity for conference delegates to attend international workshops and papers.

This line-up of international guests reinforces the excellent Australian keynotes and presenters who will both challenge and affirm professional practice, research and policy in the human services. We also have the important participation of young people, promoting stimulating and informative sessions for all.

The conference includes streamed sessions on early intervention, prevention & protection; out-of-home care; supporting Indigenous children and families; meeting special needs; and effective child & family service organisations.

Further information and registration: http://www.acwa06.com/

Conference Governments and communities in partnership: from theory to practice, Melbourne, VIC, 25-27 Sept 2006

Centre for Public Policy presents, with the support of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), asdft his conference that will bring together key policy makers, community leaders and researchers from around Australia, together with leading experts from the UK, Ireland, Austria, Canada, the United States and New Zealand. The aim of the program is to deepen the academic and policy debate about the impact and value

Professor Mark Considine has prepared a background paper for this conference titled ‘Partnerships and Collaborative Advantage: Some Reflections on new forms of Network Governance’ which is now downloadable from the conference website.

Professor Considine’s paper and conference information can be found at: http://www.public-policy.unimelb.edu.au/conference06/

"Weaving The Threads” - The 2006 Strengths-Based Practice Conference, Brisbane, Qld, 16 - 18 October 2006

There are a variety of human service approaches that share the emphasis of strengths-based practice on the development of respectful, strengths-focused, just and client-directed relationships. This conference "weaves the threads" of ideas from strengths-based, narrative and solution-focussed practice, as well as the stories and experiences of community members.

Building on themes of strengths-based gatherings in both New Zealand and Australia, this conference will:

  1. enable community members to share their stories and experiences of strengths based practice
  2. further develop the application of strengths-based values and principles in an organisational context
  3. provide opportunities for workers to explore the relevance of strengths-based practice in work with individuals, families and communities

Further Information: http://www.strengths2006.com.au

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Last updated 4 May 2006