The Lighthouse Institute

The Lighthouse Institute was developed to expand the work of the Lighthouse Foundation, increasing the availability of the Therapeutic Family Model of Care™ to homeless children and young people throughout Australia. The Institute also focuses on the promotion and development of attachment and trauma-informed practice in work with children and young people, and ending youth homelessness through community debate, education, training, consultancy and research.

The Lighthouse Institute is an Australian attachment and trauma-informed ‘Knowledge Centre’ that draws on 21 years of practice at Lighthouse Foundation as well as applied research in the fields of child and adolescent psychology/psychiatry, community psychology, trauma neurobiology studies and clinical practice from around the world. The Institute has been developed to expand the work of the Lighthouse Foundation to increase the availability of the innovative Therapeutic Family Model of Care™ to vulnerable children and young people throughout Australia and internationally. The Institute is also responsible for licensing the Therapeutic Family Model of Care™ to appropriate community organisations throughout Australia thereby significantly increasing the availability of the Model.

A recently commissioned independent report by Social Ventures Australia estimated that the work of Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Institute returns to the wider community approximately $12 in social value for every $1 invested making the Lighthouse Therapeutic Family Model of Care™ one of the most cost effective therapeutic programs in Australia.   

Our Vision

Ending youth homelessness together

Our Mission

• To develop, promote and administer the Lighthouse Model of Care across Australia and Internationally;

• To promote attachment and trauma informed practice in child, youth and homelessness sectors; and

• To end youth homelessness in partnership with community through debate, best-practice research and evaluation, training and consultancy.

Our Values

Respect
Courage
Kindness
Learning
Innovation

Our Team

Rudy Gonzalez, Director of Culture and Practice Development
BA(Community Dev), BA Hons.(Social and Cultural), BPsych(Hons.), MAppPsych, MAPS
Rudy is a psychologist with extensive experience working as a practitioner in diverse settings. His career spans work in Family Services, work in a therapeutic community for violent offenders, and working with individuals and groups. Rudy is the Director of the Lighthouse Institute and in addition, provides training and consultancy to organisations around developing attachment and trauma informed systems, he is also a lecturer in the School of Psychology at Victoria University, and has co-authored the book Therapeutic Residential for Children and Young People: An Attachment and Trauma Informed Model for Practice.

Luci Klendo, Learning and Development Coordinator
BA Hons.(Psychology)
Luci Klendo has extensive experience working as a Therapeutic Youth Worker at the Lighthouse Foundation, and is completing her postgraduate qualifications in psychology and Level 1 training in Psychodrama from the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne. Her interests include child and adolescent mental health, psychodrama, social pedagogy, attachment and trauma informed practice. In her role as Learning and Development Coordinator Luci leads the Lighthouse Institute Learning and Development Program. 

Patrick Tomlinson, International Practice Development
BSc, MA, PgDip
Patrick Tomlinson is a consultant advisor and interim leader to organisations providing programs/services for children and others in the human services/social care sector.  Patrick specialises in program design and development for children and young people who have been traumatised by abuse and neglect, and who require specialist therapeutic residential or foster care programs.  His experience spans from 1985, working as a strategic director, operational manager, clinician and author. He has written a number of books on working with children and adolescents who have experienced complex trauma, recently co-authoring Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Young People: An Attachment and Trauma Informed Model for Practice.

To learn about our training, consultancy and supervision packages or to find out how to get involved in The Institute, contact Luci Klendo, Learning and Development Coordinator on 03 9093 7533 or lucik@lighthousefoundation.org.au