Victorian Government shuns children’s mental health
I’ve found my calling. I zigzagged through careers like property management, advertising and social work. Finally I’ve found my resting place working with children and families as a Play Therapist.
For Melbourne’s Lockdown 4.0 I closed my private practice for two weeks. But now my blood is boiling. The Victorian Government has excluded Play Therapists from businesses eligible to access the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two (BCAPR2).
Now, I’m a positive and responsible person. I follow the rules and hate getting in trouble. But today I feel compelled to share my disappointment and outrage! The pandemic has seriously impacted children’s mental health and the practitioners providing those services. Someone needs to say something. May as well be little ol’ me.
WTF #1: Expectations around children and telehealth
Play Therapists often work with children who are frightened and confused. Kids who’ve experienced family violence, abuse, neglect and life-threatening illnesses. Does it seem realistic to expect a child to explore and process these scary experiences through a screen? Heck no! Parents, teachers and allied health workers can attest to the struggles of engaging with a child through a screen. Yet the government says private practitioners in mental health services can offer sessions online, or face-to-face sessions for “urgent care”. But what defines urgent care?
Kudos to counsellors who can engage children through a screen, but ‘Child-Centred Play Therapy’ (CCPT) is child-led, which means the child leads the therapeutic process. So online is problematic. In CCPT children move at their own pace and develop self-esteem and self-control through making decisions. Child-led therapists need to be with the child to reflect and help make sense of feelings. And the feels are what play therapy is all about!
Parent sessions are possible online but with schools closed and children at home, many parents are UTC (Unable To Can). They might be juggling remote learning with working from home or have reduced options for respite and self-care. And on top of all that, families might be in emotional Struggle-Town!
WTF #2: Businesses supporting vulnerable populations have been overlooked
Life feels stagnant in the lockdowns. Play Therapists see kids progress and discover self-confidence and a positive view of self. It’s a tear-jerker for me. So stopping the momentum is sad and frustrating. And little to no income makes finances toight! The business support package of $2500-$5000 was going to keep my head above water. It's tricky paying rent, subscription fees and household costs with no mula coming in.
When I discovered the businesses eligible for financial assistance, I was shocked. Services like aromatherapy, acupuncture and transcendental meditation were covered. But services like social work, counselling and youth welfare services were not covered. Huh? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge the businesses that can access funding. But Play Therapists are passionate social workers, counsellors and educators who support vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. Why have we missed out? City of Melbourne, we have FOMO!
WTF #3: Limited understanding around children’s developmental needs
Children’s mental health needs during lockdown might be supported better if the government understood child development. So I’mma help them out...
Children under the age of 11 have limited cognitive and linguistic skills due to how the brain develops. Basically the right, emotional brain develops before the left, logical brain. Also, the ‘upstairs brain’, which helps us think before we act, does not finish developing until our mid-twenties! What this means is children communicate their needs through their emotions and behaviour, rather than through verbalisation. We’d love for kids to just tell us when they’re tired, frustrated or nervous. Instead they cry, lash out or withdraw. Communication through emotions and behaviour, right?
So instead of talk-therapy, Play Therapists use play, children’s natural form of communication. We enter their world. CCPT is like having a D&M with a child. Play Therapists say,
“Toys are their words and play is their language.”
So yes, lockdowns need to happen. But looking after children’s mental health needs in a developmentally-appropriate way needs to happen too. So to the Victorian government, I offer two solutions during lockdown:
1. Allow counsellors and therapists in private practice to continue working with children in person. OR
2. Include child counsellors and therapists in BCAPR2 so we can keep operating children’s mental health services.
My dear reader, if children’s mental health is important to you, let’s make some noise! Comment and share this post with your friends, family, parents, educators - anyone who cares about kids. Let’s inspire the government to nurture our vision of a society where all children are safe, healthy and thriving.