The MND and Me Foundation understands that the entire family unit needs support once a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease is made.
A regular question we field is – “What support is available to my kids to cope with the diagnosis?”
The MND Association in the UK has prepared an online resource that is extremely useful for children aged between 4 – 10 years old. You can access it HERE.
The MND and Me Foundation works closely with Child’s Play Qld (CPQ) and has developed a state-wide reaching children’s counselling service – via face-to-face sessions and video conferencing facilities.
The Service
To ensure there is quick and easy access to this critical service, MND and Me Foundation will fund an introductory package which includes:
- Parent Intake Session to discuss the current situation and the needs of the child/children
- A maximum of five sessions (following decision to progress).
Video conferencing sessions are designed specifically for teenagers and adults. Psychologists rely heavily on using other resources with younger children. Therefore regional clients will only be able to access video conferencing session for ages 13 above.
Parenting sessions take the place of video conferencing for younger children – with the therapist working closely with the parent utilising psycho-education and other techniques.
Transport
If financial assistance to attend is required (transport or provision of care) please let us know, and MND and Me Foundation will assist where possible.
Child’s Play Qld provides professional psychological services to children and young people experiencing a range of psychological issues. CPQ will endeavour to provide counselling services across the lifespan of the child’s early development to ensure that they are fully supported throughout their journey. Their psychologists are highly trained and experienced therapists, who have a genuine interest in children, and are fully equipped to support the child throughout the counselling process.
As CPQ is a not-for-profit, if at any stage it generates a profit, CPQ will retain those profits and reinvest the money to improve its services and facilities.
Eliza Vassallo established “Child’s Play Qld” in 2012. Eliza is a registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. Eliza’s role as Managing Director of CPQ is to manage and support the psychologists within the clinic to ensure that CPQ’s mission is always maintained. In addition, Eliza spends the majority of her time coordinating and planning fundraising events to raise the much needed funds to help the clinic continue to offer affordable sessions to children and families.
Clients include children and adolescents for many issues including, anxiety, depression, trauma, phobias, gender identity issues, substance abuse, family violence, grief and loss – as well as for social skills building programs with a focus on confidence, resilience, and how to make friends.
CPQ offers the ability for children and young people to connect and to be heard.
Child’s Play Qld’s vision is that the stigma associated with mental health is removed from society and that instead of shying away from the issues of mental health support, we embrace it and become more vocal and honest as a society, about the struggles that we all face and deal with every day.
Watch Child’s Play Video in action:
Contact MND and Me Foundation to register and/or to learn more about Child’s Play Qld’s counselling sessions [email protected] or call 07 3394 5333.