Recovery Uncovered is a new webinar series that explores disaster recovery from a community perspective. Through a fusion of lived experience, expert research and practical advice, each webinar session offers the opportunity to explore disaster recovery through the eyes of those who have lived it and gain valuable insights, evidence and tools to enhance recovery practice.
Join AIDR and the Australian Red Cross as we listen, learn and engage with disaster recovery mentors and advisors.
Webinar two: Understanding Community Dynamics, Grief and Mental Health impacts of Disaster
In the second webinar of the Recovery Uncovered series, disaster recovery mentor, Kris Newton, will navigate the intricate dynamics of communities and provide personal experiences and professional insight into local leadership. Psychologists, Rose Glassock and Dr David Younger, will then explore the effects of grief and loss, and the impacts of mental health and well-being on children, families and relationships.
Guest Speakers:
Kris Newton
Manager, Mountains Community Resource Network
Kris has been the Manager at Mountains Community Resource Network (MCRN) since March 2012. In this role, Kris convenes and supports a range of cross-sectoral interagencies and networks. MCRN advocates strongly for the critical need for community voices, and for the central role of locally-based community sector organisations and groups, in recovery.
Kris’s previous experiences include management of national not for profit peaks in Canberra for 10 years. Prior to that, she ran her own consultancy firm (1990-2002); commonwealth public sector (in vocational education & training 1982-1990); secondary teaching for 8 years, and also volunteering roles (counsellor, professional supervision, management committee) with local community sector organisation (parent support service) for 14 years.
Following the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfires, Kris Chaired the Wellbeing (Psychosocial) Recovery sub-committee, and again after the 2019-20 Black Summer fires – followed by floods and COVID.
Since 2013 Kris has also convened the Resilience and Preparedness (R&P) Group – now merged with Wellbeing to form the Recovery, Resilience and Preparedness (RR&P) Group. She is also a permanent observer (representing the community sector) on the Blue Mountains Local Emergency Management Committee.
Rose Glassock
Registered Psychologist, NSW Department of Education
Rose a registered Psychologist and qualified primary school teacher working in the NSW Department of Education for 30 years across Southwest and Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. For the past 8 years Rose has held principal level positions working with interagency partners to support young people with complex needs.
In 2013 the Blue Mountains was impacted by bushfires and as the Senior Psychologist, Education, Rose coordinated the school's psychosocial recovery over the next 5 years. Rose contributed to the school and community recovery, achieving a Resilient NSW award in recognition of this work. Rose developed a model to foster post traumatic growth in disaster recovery, utilising a positive psychology framework, an outline is published in Practising Positive Psychology: A Guide to Improve Wellbeing by Paula Robinson. Rose has supported disaster recovery with direct counselling, leadership support and community responses and is a disaster recovery mentor with Australian Red Cross and provides psychological therapy in her private practice, Cocoon Counselling Service.
Dr David Younger
Clinical psychologist
David is a Melbourne based clinical psychologist as well as national disaster preparedness and recovery expert. In his late twenties, David set out with the aim of supporting rural communities and trained as a psychologist. In 2009, the Black Saturday fires came close to where he lives, and he found himself one of just two psychologists in the township of Whittlesea working with survivors.
David has almost twenty years’ experience as a psychologist and therapist. In his disaster preparedness and recovery role, David partners with communities, agencies, organisations, as well as local and state governments across Australia. He has been a trusted advisor after numerous events including bushfires, floods, droughts, cyclones, the 2017 Bourke Street tragedy, thunderstorm asthma and COVID-19. He is an Honorary Fellow (Clinical) at Melbourne University’s Children and Disasters Advisory Committee and is a panel member of the DFFH Psychosocial Reference Group. David is also a workshop facilitator, keynote speaker and mentor.
Erin Pelly (Facilitator)
National Recovery Manager, Australian Red Cross
Erin Pelly is the National Recovery Manager at Australian Red Cross. Erin previously worked as the Recovery and Resilience Lead in Western Australia with the Australian Red Cross. Erin has over 10-years experience in community development and has worked in emergency services and disaster recovery for the last six years. Over this time she has worked with over 65 local government areas impacted by disasters. This includes providing recovery programming support for communities impacted by the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires, 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire, Tropical Cyclone Seroja and communities impacted by flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. Erin has a particular interest in inclusion and leading for wellbeing and program improvement as well as demonstrating the impact of recovery efforts. Erin is passionate about community led recovery and ensuring all community voices are included in recovery activities.