In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, community service organisation Social Futures is on hand to support disaster recovery throughout the Northern Rivers region with the Resilient Kids program, which has reached 17,797 young people since its inception in 2023.

Experts in providing support for flood-affected schools, young people and their families, Social Futures’ Resilient Kids team play an important role in disaster preparation, recovery and resilience for those aged 8 – 18 years throughout the Ballina, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Shires.

Social Futures General Manager Mental Health and Wellbeing, Simone Silberberg (psychologist) confirms a range of professional mental health, social and emotional wellbeing activities are available to help build the resilience of young people as they transition through this latest weather event.

“We know that extreme weather events like Cyclone Alfred can bring up past trauma, especially for those who have experienced previous floods, and here in the Northern Rivers, that remains a struggle for many people whose experiences in the 2022 flood events continue to affect their daily lives,” said Ms Silberberg.

“Everyone’s recovery journey is different, and some people have complex needs. We are here to provide free evidence-based, trauma-informed, person-centred support to help young people and families navigate this challenging time.”

Resilient Kids Program Manager Shoshannah Oks said, “Last week, in the lead-up to the weather event, young people were connecting with their counsellors and program workers right up until Friday afternoon.

“One young person said that seeking support and remembering their strategies they had worked on made them feel ‘a lot calmer and more prepared’.”

The team is now actively checking in with all young participants and Ms Oks shared, “We are seeing a lot of young people in crisis and experiencing escalated mental health needs so we’re providing individual tailored support which we know is critical during this time.

“I encourage young people and families to reach out for support if they are struggling. The team are ready to support via telehealth and in person sessions.”

Resilient Kids wellbeing hubs are located in Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Kyogle, with outreach services provided to smaller communities including Woodburn, Wardell, Nimbin, Evans Head, Coraki, Brunswick Heads,Broadwater and the Clarence Valley.

For location details and more information visit https://socialfutures.org.au/resilient-kids/ or contact Social Futures on 1800 719 625.

The Resilient Kids program is funded by Healthy North Coast through a grant provided by the Australian Government.

A wide range of support is also available for over 18’s through the Recovery Connect program. Available to anyone who has experienced loss and/or trauma due to extreme weather events such as Cyclone Alfred, assistance can be provided across areas including specialist counselling, financial assistance, legal advice, identifying grants, business and employment supports, accessing mental health services and much more. Call Social Futures on 1800 719 625 or email recoveryconnect@socialfutures.org.au.

Those experiencing homelessness and needing emergency accommodation can contact Link2home 24 hours a day on 1800 152 152