About Today’s Guest Dr Stephen Spencer
Doctor of Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Nurse, Founder of Charity EquiEnergy Youth
A child and adolescent mental health nurse and has worked in the acute mental health inpatient unit and emergency departments providing care for young people and families for over a decade.
He is also the co-founder of a charity and not-for-profit organisation EquiEnergy Youth. He and his team have a goal to build the capacity of adults in the community to support young people through episodes of acute distress, and make an impact on mental health outcomes, inducing youth suicide.
EquiEnergy Youth’s Coach2Cope training programs for families and professionals are one of the ways Steve and his team are working towards this goal. In these programs they coach adults on the TAR3 psychological first aid framework, a method you can use in any situation, with any child to assist them in their time of distress.
Dr Spencer completed his PhD where his research focused on the best responses and interventions for supporting young people through episodes of psychological distress.
COACH2COPE – Psychological First Aid
Provides adults with a method they can follow at any time to recognise the earliest warning signs of escalating distress and support a young person through that episode.
Much like DR ABC for a physical health crisis, the TAR3 psychological first aid framework will provide adults with the understanding to help a child when they need it most.
