Disaster Talks

Have you thought about how you would lead your school through a disaster? Disasters are becoming more frequent, so as educators we often have to consider what we would do if a disaster impacted our school community. Disaster Talks speaks with principals, teachers, students, and school mental health and education department leaders to hear what they have learnt from their experiences of disaster and what they wished they knew before the disaster hit. This series shares the learning from people who've experienced bushfires and floods first-hand and experts who provide advice about the best way to support your school community through these challenging experiences. From how to manage offers of support; to strategies for talking with students, Disaster Talks offers practical tips and evidence-based advice for school leaders, teachers and families. Disaster Talks is produced by the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network at the Australian National University in collaboration with UNICEF Australia. Our Host is Laura Gooyers-Bourke and Co-host is Michelle Roberts. Executive Producer and Editor is Liz Keen — from Headline Productions.

Contributors

Host

Laura Gooyers-Bourke

Laura Gooyers-Bourke is a Project Officer for the Australian National University’s Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network (ACATLGN) and has been with the network since 2017. She has worked in the context of disasters for a number of years, working with school communities in their recovery as well as participating in UNICEF Australia's NSW Youth Drought Summit as a facilitator. Laura was also a contributor to the development of the award-winning Community Trauma Toolkit, a suite of online resources to help communities support the mental health of children before, during and after disasters.

Co-host

Michelle Roberts

Michelle Roberts is a Psychologist, Churchill Fellow, and the Director at the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network at the Australian National University. She has worked in the field of psychology, emergency management, schools, disasters and trauma psychology for nearly 40 years. Michelle has experienced disasters as a survivor, a teacher, a psychologist working with schools, children and families, and as a manager of emergencies within the Victorian education department.