Dr Aino Suomi is a clinically trained psychologist and has been conducting research with vulnerable populations, with a family-specific focus, since 2006. Dr Suomi completed her PhD in 2012, which examined clinical family assessments at the Children’s Court Clinic of Victoria, with a focus on
parents’ mental health problems, violence and addiction.
Within the ACU Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS), Dr Suomi manages the kContact Project, an ARC-funded study to develop and trial an enhanced model of managing and supporting contact between children in care and their birth parents. The aim of the kContact project is to reduce current and future distress related to contact, improve children’s relationships with their birth parents, and increase successful reunifications in the long term. As part of this research, Dr Suomi works directly with foster care service providers to support them to implement the intervention with families they are working with.
This portal is aimed at people working in youth-serving organizations to help them better prevent and respond to harm to children.
If you would like to talk to a trained professional about what you’ve seen on the Portal, or need help, please call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you believe a child or young person is in immediate danger, call Police on 000.
Emergency and safety
For further information on crisis responses and reporting child abuse and neglect, see: Australian Institue of Family Studies website.