This paper reports qualitative data from a multidisciplinary, multimethod Craniopharyngioma Child and Family Impact Study conducted at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. The study aimed to assess the psychosocial impact on children and their families of a childhood craniopharyngioma, a congenital non-hereditary brain tumour that is 'benign' by histology, but often locally invasive. The condition may result in significant morbidity and mortality due to location in the brain, which tends to precipitate multisystemic abnormalities either at the time of presentation, or in conjunction with treatment. The condition has a high survival rate with approximately 90 percent of children alive ten years after diagnosis and although the diagnosis and treatment of craniopharyngioma may result in severe physical and emotional burden for the child and family, there have been few studies to date on the psychosocial impact of this multifaceted condition. Interviews incorporating a purpose-designed Craniopharyngioma Symptom and Treatment Impact Scale were held with 13 families. Impacts on both the family and the children were identified as well as information about the child's coping capacity; parents' fear, uncertainty and trust; family managing and mastery; the experience of hospital; service use and illness specific support. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Owing to a shift in alcohol and other drug practice towards a more ecological understanding of the impact of problematic parental substance use, children who were previously forgotten by practitioners are increasingly being included in alcohol and other drug service provision. Occurring concurrently with these changes has been a boom in interest in non-talk-based therapies to enhance child well-being. Examples of such therapeutic interventions include adventure-based activities, theatre, yoga, music, and purposeful interaction with animals. The latter approach, increasingly delivered by social workers, is known as animal-assisted therapy and involves the inclusion of animals in a goal-directed intervention. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is a specialised branch of animal-assisted therapy in which horses are used to cofacilitate therapeutic interventions. Although EAT practitioners argue horses are uniquely effective therapeutic animals, a strong evidence base has not yet developed. The present study utilised qualitative methods to explore children's individual experiences of an EAT program. Thematic analysis of interview data found that EAT is beneficial to children experiencing problematic parental substance use as it offers an environment in which children can feel safe and secure and are supported to grow, personally and socially, by mastering fears, making new friends, and improving their interpersonal behaviours. KEYWORDS child therapy, groupwork, research with children, substance misuse (parental misuse and effects on children)

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Data from this article are derived from responses to questionnaires provided by 232 frontline workers and team leaders from a range of organizations across four Australian states who participated in The Invisible Practices Project: Engaging With Fathers Who Use Violence. This project was designed to explore the practices of workers who see perpetrators of domestic violence outside the relative safety of group-work programs. Thematic analysis was employed to examine the research question: What is the organizational context that contributes to, or constrains, the practices of frontline workers intervening with fathers who use violence? This article reports the ways that agencies increase the visibility of, and practices with, fathers who use violence. Increasing the visibility of fathers who use violence is posited as a crucial driver of policy and practice reform aligned with feminist goals of eliminating sexist institutional practices. It is argued that such practices render fathers who use violence invisible, reinforce patriarchal views of family roles and responsibilities, intensify the scrutiny on the mothering of women survivors, and compound the impact of domestic violence. This article documents emerging practices that seek to redress practices that support patriarchal views of family roles and responsibilities and has implications for understanding the capacity of social workers and other professionals to intervene with fathers who use violence.

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