R.I.S.E.

Resilience, Intervention & Support for Every Family

Family Empowerment:
Collaborative Care for Resilient Futures

What RISE Offers

"A valuable resource designed to assist both children and their primary caregivers in acquiring the necessary skills and strategies to promote healthy childhood development and resilient families."

R esilient

Intervention &

Support for

Every family

What is RISE?

At RISE, we understand that every child and family is unique. We are here to provide support to families by building secure attachment, developing regulation skills and focusing on brain development through a combination of Social Work and Occupational Therapy support. Our mission is to offer essential assistance to families in need, fostering resilience and a brighter future for children. RISE consists of: - Comprehensive fortnightly six-month intervention program - Occupational Therapy and Social Work support to empower children and their primary caregivers through direct therapy and parent/caregiver coaching. - Sessions run concurrently, the child works with the OT and the parent meets with the Social Worker - Our program caters to families with children ages 3-12 years, living with a range of diagnoses - We will work together to create unique goals for your child and family

How will RISE support my family?

The RISE program provides support in several critical areas, all of which contribute to a child's overall development and well-being. These areas are: - Behavioural Concerns - Tuning in to Your Child - Sensory Processing - Building Resilience - Play Skills - Social Interaction

Our Focus

Behavioural Concerns

We believe that all kids do well if they can. RISE equips you as parents and caregivers with tools and strategies to become a behavioural detective, to recognise and attune to your child's cues and needs. We also work directly with your child to build their skills in understanding and handling their emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.

Tuning in to Your Child

Building strong connections with your child and understanding their emotional cues are cornerstones of effective parenting. RISE provides guidance on attunement and co-regulation, fostering deeper emotional bonds and nurturing a sense of security. Children need to feel safe before they can regulate and engage.

Sensory Processing

Understanding how your child processes sensory information is vital. RISE helps parents and caregivers gain insights into sensory processing, aiding in the creation of environments that support your child's unique sensory needs.

Building Resiliance

Life is filled with challenges, and resilience is a valuable trait that can help children bounce back from setbacks. RISE assists parents and caregivers in fostering resilience in their children, preparing them for the ups and downs of life. We will support the child to develop their sense of self.

Play Skills

Play is a fundamental aspect of a child's development, enhancing their creativity, problem-solving abilities, and social interactions.

Social Interactions

Social interaction is a key element of a child's growth. The RISE program offers valuable insights into understanding your child's social preferences so you can nurture their play and social interactions leading to a more enriched and fulfilling childhood. We help you develop an understanding of masking and how it might be affecting your child.

What will my RISE sessions look like?

First session

Our initial session is a parent meeting with our Occupational Therapist.

This session aims to:

Learn about your child and family
Understand your child's current skills and challenges
Set goals for your child and family
Develop a plan to support your child

Subsequent sessions

The parent will meet with our Social Worker while your child participates in their Occupational Therapy session.

Our Occupational Therapist and Social Worker will consistently coordinate their efforts to ensure a seamless and comprehensive service tailored to the goals and needs of your family.

Support for parents and caregivers could include:

Understanding and addressing the stress that parents may experience.
Helping parents cope with the emotional challenges related to their child's behavioural concerns and diagnosis.
Supporting healthy relationships within the family.
Shaping a positive perspective on your child.
Identifying your family's strengths and values.
Gauging the level of burden you might be experiencing as a parent or caregiver and putting supports in place.

Our ultimate goal is to work with you to set family-oriented objectives, focusing on what will noticeably improve your family life.

This program will run on Mondays in 2024, and there are limited places available.

Our ultimate goal is to work with you to set family-oriented objectives, focusing on what will noticeably improve your family life.

Our occupational therapist and social worker will consistently coordinate their efforts to ensure a seamless and comprehensive service tailored to the needs of your family.

The RISE Team

Julie graduated from the University of Sydney in 1997. Julie has worked in public and private hospitals in the areas of neurology, brain injury rehabilitation and general rehabilitation, in private paediatric practice and as a tutor of undergraduate students. Julie also homeschooled and provided learning support to her children for several years. She has raised four children and has navigated parenting children and young adults throughout their schooling, homeschooling and workplace experiences. Julie is excited to be teaming up with Jenny to support the needs of families in our community. Julie strives to ensure she is providing neuro-affirming evidence-based practices for her clients and engages in numerous professional development programs and training throughout each year.

Julie Mackay

Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Jenny has been supporting families as a Counsellor and Social Worker in the Nepean / Blue Mountains area for the past 30 years through her roles at Gateway Family Services, Lapstone Early Childhood Advisory Service, Paediatric Chronic Illness through Nepean Hospital and is currently working for NSW Health supporting children, adolescents and adults through the impact of trauma. Jenny lives and has raised her 3 young adult children in the Blue Mountains. She has a passion for supporting parents to thrive in their parenting role. Jenny is excited to join Julie in this program to support the needs of the community.

Jenny Hardimon

Social Worker/Cousellor