About

LINKS Trauma Healing Service (LINKS) delivers trauma focused, evidence-based support to children in out-of-home care. Provided by the Department of Communities and Justice, the service seeks to decrease trauma symptoms, increase psychological wellbeing and improve behavioural and emotional functioning.

There are four LINKS teams operating in Penrith, Newcastle, Western (Orange hub), and the Illawarra.

The LINKS difference

LINKS isn't just about psychology - it's about supporting children in a holistic way. Multidisciplinary teams include speech pathologists, occupational therapists, Aboriginal mental health clinicians and psychiatrists. The evidence-based interventions used by LINKS include:

• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Tuning into Kids/Tuning into Teens (TIK/T)

LINKS clinicians are committed to placing children and their carers at the centre of treatment, and ensuring that their voices are heard.

LINKS evaluation

In 2020, the Parenting Research Centre completed a comprehensive evaluation of LINKS. The evaluation concluded that LINKS:

• helps children overcome behavioural problems, emotional symptoms and post-traumatic stress
• supports social skills, school engagement and the personal wellbeing of carers
• has a positive impact on placement stability for some of the most vulnerable children in New South Wales

LINKS flyers

• LINKS Flyer - Newcastle and Penrith (PDF, 997.2 KB)
• LINKS Flyer - Western and Illawarra (PDF, 867.1 KB)