About TAHELN
Members of Trauma Aware Higher Education Leaders Network (TAHELN) share a commitment to embedding trauma-aware thinking, leadership, and practice within their institutions.
TAHELN was established in recognition of a growing and urgent need: the higher-education sector, like all educational settings, is shaped by the realities of trauma. Students and staff across all institutions are affected by complex trauma histories, and universities have a unique opportunity and responsibility to respond in ways that are evidence-informed, compassionate, and systemic.
Why TAHELN Exists
The network was created to address a gap in the higher education landscape: while trauma-aware practice is increasingly recognised in schools and early childhood settings, it has received comparatively little attention at the tertiary level. TAHELN exists to change that by building a critical mass of leaders and practitioners committed to a paradigmatic shift in how universities understand and support students and staff affected by trauma.
The network is also committed to preparing graduate teachers for a trauma-aware profession. A central goal is to collaborate with initial teacher education providers to embed trauma-informed units of study across teacher education programs in Australia
Our objectives
- Equip university stakeholders with trauma-informed teaching and learning approaches
- Grow leaders in trauma-sensitive tertiary settings
- Partner with government and non-government stakeholders to develop national guidelines for trauma-aware education in higher education
- Provide networking opportunities for members
- Equip university stakeholders with trauma-informed teaching and learning approaches
- Grow leaders in trauma-sensitive tertiary settings
- Partner with government and non-government stakeholders to develop national guidelines for trauma-aware education in higher education
- Provide networking opportunities for members
Leadership & contributors
TAHELN is co-led by Professor Marcelle Cacciattolo (Victoria University), Professor Judith Howard (QUT) and Dr Lyra L’Estrange. The network brings together contributors from across Australia's higher education institutions, including researchers, teacher educators, executive leaders, and practitioners.
