Sibworks Now Available At Centacare North Queensland

Centacare North Queensland is proud to announce the commencement of its latest short course, Sibworks, to support siblings of children with special care needs.

The program, which is the first of its kind in Townsville, supports those 8 to 12 year old children who have a sibling with a disability.

Purposely designed for children who do not have a diagnosis of their own, the program is based on research exploring the effects on children when having a brother or sister with special needs.

The course was created by an organisation called Sibworks Australia, which aims to support children who may feel overlooked in the chaos and stress of life in a family with a disabled child.

Education and Life Skills Program Manager Sharon Thorburn said the program will help bridge the gap in existing support services.

“We’re honoured to have the opportunity to bring this powerful course to Townsville as we have found in some cases, brothers and sisters can develop depression, anxiety and destructive behaviour as a response to their family situation,” Ms Thorburn said.

“By offering this course, we hope to show siblings that it’s OK to have those feelings, give them coping tools and also connect with other peers who are in a similar position, so they don’t feel so alone.”

The Sibworks program is a five week course that aims to help participants to learn new skills to boost resilience; enhance communication with family and friends; develop a deeper understanding of their sibling’s disability; identify and explore strengths in themselves and their siblings, and be part of an understanding and supportive group of peers.

Fees are based on the household income and may be discussed with Centacare NQ.

For further information, call us on 1300 NQ Care (1300 672 273) or contact us here.