Treatment , Training and Program Development for
Children Youth and Family Services |
Postal address: 17 Reedy Creek Pl Wamboin NSW 2620 0415379653 ABN: 5216 7151 162 |
About TWI
Therapeutic
Welfare Interventions Pty Ltd (TWI) was established in 2014 to provide a
structure for the continuation of the specialized services for children, young
people, and family focused organisations and individuals that were
provided by the Thomas Wright Institute (also known as TWI) from
1999. The work of TWI has been dedicated to seeking out,
promoting, and if necessary developing options for children and young
people whose behaviours perplex,
challenge and threaten us – and to provide support
for organisations and practitioners who work with them (Howard
Bath, the first Director of TWI on the occasion of its opening in
1999). This continues to be our mission.
TWI
has three main enterprise areas:
· Assessment, treatment and consultancy
· Training and professional development
· Program development and support
We
provide these services through engaging the skills, knowledge and specialized
experience of our Director and Professional Associates, and through our close
collaboration with outside agencies. In particular, in the areas of
training and program development, we have worked closely with
the Bronfenbrenner Centre for Translational Research at Cornell
University.
TWI
is based in Canberra ACT with Professional Associates across
Australia. Training, consultancy and program development services
are provided for organisations in the child welfare, education,
disability, juvenile justice and mental health fields in any State or Territory
whereas direct treatment services are provided in the Australian Capital
Territory and surrounding areas of New South Wales.
Principal
Staff
Director
of TWI
Diana
Boswell, BA, MA, PhD, MAPS, MANZATSA
Registered
Psychologist AHPRA PSY0000949670
Dr Boswell
has a first degree from the Australian National University followed by graduate
clinical and research degrees in child and adolescent psychology from the
University of Toronto. In Canada she worked in a Head Start program (early
intervention), the Toronto school system, Thistletown Regional Centre
for Child and Adolescent Mental Health day program, and the Queens Street
Mental Health Centre’s secure forensic unit for adolescents.
On
returning to Australia she worked in a TEACCH program (early intervention for
children with autism or communication handicaps). She
joined Marymead Child and Family Centre in 1992 working as a
clinician, manager and CEO developing and providing out-of-home care, family
support and disability programs. In 2000 she moved to the Thomas Wright
Institute and has participated in the research, program development,
assessment, training, staff supervision and university teaching provided by the
Institute. With wide experience as an academic, practitioner,
program manager, and agency director, she has both a broad theoretical
framework and a 'hands-on' and program management perspective.
Translating
research to inform practice frameworks has always been an interest. Dr Boswell is co-author of Caring Crisis
Management, a crisis management course for disability service
practitioners, and of The Three Pillars of Transforming Care, a
course for front line workers and program managers seeking to deliver
sustainable trauma informed services.
Both these courses have been widely adopted by organisations and
programs across Australia over the past 20 years. She has also delivered training in
implementing trauma informed services in Sweden and in Canada. She has been an accredited Instructor with
the Cornell University Therapeutic Crisis Intervention project,
and the CARE model for organizational change in providing
therapeutic interventions in child and family services that improve outcomes
for children; an accredited trainer with the Life Space Crisis
Institute; and an accredited trainer with Reclaiming
Youth International.
Dr Boswell has been adjunct
academic staff at both the University of Canberra and the Australian Catholic
University, Institute of Child Protection Studies. She has convened and delivered graduate
education courses in managing challenging behaviours, special education, teaching children on the Autism Spectrum, and implemented
advanced therapeutic skill training for school executive staff across the
A.C.T.
She
has delivered ongoing professional development in the education, social welfare
and juvenile justice systems and presented at multiple conferences in the areas
of practice to support children with challenging behaviours and atypical
neurological development, problematic sexual behaviours, and special learning
needs.
Program
development has also been an interest throughout her professional life. Dr Boswell has designed and implemented therapeutic
foster and residential care programs and worked as part of the team developing
and implementing two residential treatment programs for young people with
problematic sexual behaviours. Over the past 10 years she has participated
in Cornell University led teams working to implement the CARE model for
therapeutic services in organisations across Australia.
TWI
contracts the services of other specially qualified professionals for specific
training or consultancy projects or to provide specialized assessment and
treatment.