As schools are generally a consistent presence in the lives of most Australian children, teachers are typically key people in provisioning for their education, safety, care, and wellbeing. This week’s guest Dr. Wendy Goff believes educators play a crucial role in the development of health prevention strategies that target the support of children who are impacted on by familial illicit drug misuse.
Wendy's experience and qualifications span Education and Psychology and provide a good basis for understanding the complexities of adult behaviour and how adults come together; including how these behaviours and actions shape the experiences, health and development of children. Her research is situated in schools and is focused on engaging teachers in the collaborative sense-making of health and education-based issues.
Wendy's research explores adult relationships/partnerships and their impact on children's learning, wellbeing, and development. She holds membership to NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, the Victorian Early Childhood Research Consortium, and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).
Stay tuned as Wendy takes us through how teachers can be better prepared and supported to assist with intervention and prevention, as well as a number of sustainable school-based secondary health prevention strategies.
Sources: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (AIHW), 2020