Tweddle’s role as early parenting and infant mental health educators enables us to share valuable research, insights and training with health professionals, academics and families.
Beverley Allen, Tweddle’s new General Manager of Professional Development, Education and Research (GM PDER) recently attended the Maternal and Child Health Nurse Biannual Conference in Melbourne.
Representing Tweddle, Beverly moderated a workshop called “Sleep, Baby Sleep” which was attended by 70 early childhood professionals. The panel of experts included Julian Grant from Flinders University, Kim Johnson from NGALA, Sally Lee from Karitane, Cindy Davenport from Safe Sleep Space, and Harriet Hiscock from the Royal Children’s Hospital. The workshop presented three hypothetical cases and provided the opportunity for discussion and questions.
In her role as GM, PDER, Beverly will be steering new research partnerships and the provision of new Professional Development courses at Tweddle. This new position will ensure the latest early parenting and infant mental health evidence underpins all Tweddle policies and programs.
In August, Tweddle CEO Jacquie O’Brien will join Early Parenting Centre (EPC) colleagues from Queen Elizabeth Centre and Mercy O’Connell Family Centre to present at an Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMHI) conference presenting ‘Supporting the Infant and Their Family, Day and Night’.
Jacquie O Brien will speak about the long history of Tweddle in supporting Victorian families and the vision for the future. Historically known as ‘sleep schools’, this forum will provide a platform to talk about the comprehensive and holistic programs available to vulnerable families and the changing nature of EPCs over previous decades.
Jacquie will also discuss the crucial window of development known as the first thousand days, infant mental health, resilience and why Early Parenting Centres are a critical component in DHHS Early Years frameworks.
In October, Tweddle look forward to presenting an abstract at the Australasian Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health 2017 Conference in Brisbane from the 26 to 28 October. Tweddle’s Manager Community Programs LeAnn Williams will present Tweddle’s Working Out Dads program – Engaging and Connecting.
Tweddle also recently presented an Academic poster at the Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth ‘Parent Engagement Conference’ presenting Tweddle’s ‘Working Out Dads’ program. The poster detailed the program’s goals, objectives, model, evidence, delivery, evaluation, conclusion and the future.
Beverley Allen can be contacted on (03) 9689 1577 or by email. Visit the AAIMHI website for more information on the 2017 AAIMHI National Conference to be held in Victoria in November 2017.
