I work with children in care aged 0-18 years. I apply psychological thinking through assessment, formulation, and intervention with children and the key support people around them.  Psychologists in Tusla support children, families and their support networks in the therapy room, in the classroom, through assessments, and during consultations, support meetings and trainings. The central mechanism of change is providing a reflective space to identify, understand and meet the needs of children and their support networks. This in turn supports a shared understanding of the needs of children and young people in care, and supports their social and emotional well-being, their sense of self, their feeling of belonging, and their hope for the future. 

The following is a “day in my life” as my role as a Psychologist within Tusla:

I start my day with a greeting to my office colleagues, a quick check of my emails, and a review of my “to-do” list. My first appointment is in relation to a 3-year-old boy who will soon be moving from a short-term foster placement to a long-term foster placement. With the support of the Speech and Language Therapist on the team, we are working with the social work team to develop a shared understanding of his social, emotional and developmental needs at this time of change. We discuss and formulate the needs of the different perspectives involved, including the child, the current carers, the new foster-carers, and the social work team. We discuss and collaboratively problem-solve about worries that the young boy may experience change as rejection, identifying supports and communication strategies for the network. With these shared understandings and reflections, the team plan to move forward with transition planning.

Following this, I am meeting a 16-year old boy in residential care to offer direct psychological intervention. I have worked together with this young man to create a “Therapeutic Plan” that identifies his needs. Today, we are using a narrative therapy approach to explore and understand his family relationships, and develop a narrative about why he is in care. We plan on using insights to inform residential staff’s understanding of his needs, in order to improve his experience of care.

In the afternoon, myself and the Occupational Therapist on the team are meeting with foster-carers. These foster-carers are concerned about the sleep-related behaviours of siblings, a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old, who have recently been placed with them. We discuss the behaviours through a trauma-informed lens, working together to explore how best to support both the children and the carers at night-time. It is a privilege to meet and work with foster carers, as their openness and willingness to support vulnerable children is inspiring.

At the end of my day, I update my notes and take time to respond to emails. I check where I am tomorrow – it’s a school visit in the morning to share trauma-informed approaches in the classroom and a meeting with foster-carers in the afternoon. Every day is different and rewarding. I finish my day with a sense of purpose, enormous gratitude for the team around me, and a respect for the families and young people that I’m privileged to work with.

Tusla Child and Family Agency