Connecting Conversations: A resource for youth workers (Online) - Feb 2026

Bringing to life the Connecting Conversations resource for youth workers, this one-day workshop is an opportunity to explore the resource through a trauma informed lens and build skills and confidence in facilitating conversations about healthy relationships with the young people you engage with. 

As an extension of the current knowledge and expertise that youth workers bring to this content, this training and accompanying resource will equip you to explore respectful relationships concepts in your work with young people as a method of violence prevention. 

The training will provide knowledge that will primarily explore the key concepts through your case management with individual young people, requiring a gender-informed approach to case work. With this in mind, the training has been developed with a particular focus on understanding how experiencing trauma and disrupted attachment impacts on a young person’s ability to develop and maintain safe, positive relationships.  

The Connecting Conversations resource for youth workers highlights trauma-informed information and strategies that you can utilise in responding to the needs of the young people you are supporting. The resource is underpinned by research that a safe environment, warmth, sensitivity, and acceptance of young people’s needs are cores features associated with positive outcomes for young people.  
 

The 2 x half-day workshops will unpack the Connecting Conversations resource and explore: 

• Self-reflection, relationship development and facilitation skills 

• Navigating the complex needs of young people (working with complex trauma and shallow intimacy barriers) 

• Tailoring conversations to individual needs 

• Practicing the facilitation of group sessions and casual conversations 

Learning Objectives

Participants will:  

• Learn trauma-informed approaches to exploring respectful relationships concepts in their work with young people. 

• Understand how experiencing trauma and disrupted attachment impacts on a young person’s ability to develop and maintain safe, positive relationships.  

• Gain access to a suite of resources to aid their facilitation in group work and casual settings. 

  • Build confidence in talking about: 

  • Consent 

  • How to say no 

  • Abuse in relationships 

  • Technology-facilitated abuse 

  • Sexual assault 

  • Where to go for advice or support 

  • Culturally safe and relevant information and referrals for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. 

  • Information on the impact of children's exposure to pornography and its harmful messages and about the potential impacts of non-consensual sharing of intimate images. 

Event Details

Session One: Thursday, 26th February 2026
Session Two: Friday, 27th February 2026
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm AEST Qld time (both days)

Location: Online

Please note this is a two part series. Participants should attend both sessions.

Who should attend

• Workers from youth support and YHARS services funded by the Department of Child Safety. 

• Other workers from youth support and access services, youth justice and family support services or domestic and family violence, sexual violence and women's health and wellbeing services. 

As this event is catered and carefully planned, knowing in advance who will attend is important for both logistical reasons and to reduce waste. Additionally, there is usually a waitlist of individuals eager to participate. If for whatever reason you are unable to make the event, please call or email Kirstie on 0428103841 or kirstie.williamson@healingfoundation.org.au.