PPIS President, Associated Professor Razwana Begum
PPIS Board Members and CEO Mdm Aidaroyani Adam
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
1 A very good morning to everyone.
2 Today, we are joined by various professionals, including practitioners, academicians, social workers, social work students.
3 I would like to thank PPIS, or the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association, for organising this important forum. We will be discussing the significance of trauma-informed interventions, as well as the crucial role of culturally responsive practices. Our common goal is to deliver compassionate, holistic and effective care for the diverse communities we serve.
Embracing Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care in Service Delivery
4 Strong and stable families form the cornerstone of our society. Stable family environments foster the healthy growth of an individual. When the quality of family life is good, families thrive, communities thrive, societies flourish.
5 We must, therefore, ensure that our policies, our support systems and practices are designed to uplift and empower families. Just last week, the MSF (Ministry of Social and Family Development), had organised the Asian Family Conference. We had many guests from Brunei, from Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and many more. And the conference participants came together and agreed that when we work with families, we must look at their strengths and not form the perspective of deficits. Every family, including vulnerable ones, have the strengths in them in order for them to thrive and flourish, and it is up to us to work with them effectively. Just now we heard from Associate Professor Razwana Begum where she shared that we must treat our families with dignity, with compassion, and with respect. I’m also reminded of a quote I came across which says, “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” So for every family, every individual, they can find the strength to flourish if we are there to work with them and help them.
6 Recognising and understanding the intersection of trauma with cultural factors will help practitioners to provide the effective care and intervention. Cultural factors, such as one’s race, economic status or gender, shapes the worldviews, their perspectives, their life experiences of both practitioners and clients alike. So, we have to be sensitive to the importance of cultural backgrounds and perspectives.
7 When trauma-informed care is seamlessly integrated with culturally responsive approaches, interventions are better tailored to the experiences of our clients. This holistic approach will foster improved communication and trust, ultimately leading to enhanced outcomes for clients and families.
Stakeholder Collaboration, Exchange of Practice Knowledge/Wisdom and Continuing Education
8 One of the values I deeply admire in the Malay community is the spirit of gotong-royong, where interconnectedness and mutual support lie at the heart of everything. It speaks about how communities can come together to support one another. It underscores the importance of social cohesion and collective responsibility, reflecting strong community bonds and our traditional values.
9 Hence, when stakeholders, such as community organisations and social service agencies, collaborate to share valuable insights and resources, exchange our practice knowledge and wisdom, we see initiatives like trauma-informed care being strengthened. And these efforts create widespread impact on the entire community and improved outcomes for our clients.
10 Since 2023, PPIS Oasis has been partnering with Melrose Care to provide foster children with specialised trauma therapy to address their emotional and psychological needs through art therapy and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Foster children are given a non-verbal, creative outlet to externalise their trauma in a safe and symbolic manner, Hence, they are able to process their emotions and gain a sense of control over them. And the children are also taught how to identify and challenge negative thought patterns. PPIS Vista Sakinah and INSPIRASI PPIS also work closely with the Kadi/Naib Kadi, who are Muslim marriage solemnisers, to encourage couples to attend the marriage preparation programmes. Through these programmes, couples can learn relevant skills and knowledge that they can apply to their marriage.
Leveraging opportunities to strengthen competencies and cultivate new skillsets
11 At an individual level, I hope everyone of us can continue to look at how we can upskill ourselves in order to deliver effective services for our clients. The Social Service Institute offers a wide range of courses for us in terms of continuous learning and professional development. Some of these courses focus on more generic themes, such as the Inclusivity Training Series, that aims to equip practitioners with the knowledge and skillsets needed to serve diverse groups in Singapore. Other courses focusing on trauma impact and recovery, which may be relevant to your professional practices.
PPIS: Addressing Clients’ Diverse Needs
12 Coming back to PPIS, PPIS offers a diverse suite of services to address the diverse needs of clients across the island. Your services include two Family Service Centres, a Remarriage and Stepfamily Centre, a Divorce Support Specialist Centre, a Young Marriage Hub, and a Foster Care Agency. Services such as Family Service Centres, a Remarriage and Stepfamily Centre and a Foster Care agency employ a trauma-informed approach to ensure that clients are treated with empathy, respect and care.
13 When vulnerable families are served according to the principles of trauma-informed care that includes safety, choice, trustworthiness, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity, their experiences are transformed. Kindly allow me to share an episode that was shared with me. This is of Mdm Rina, a client from one of PPIS’s centres, Sym Academy, where shared how safe and understood she felt when she was with her therapist. She expressed, and these are her words, “When there is safety, there is trust, and this enhances the therapeutic relationship. It allows me to be vulnerable, and my therapist holds that space for me to talk about what needs to be talked about. When I sit on the floor, my therapist joins me, she makes me feel more grounded and safe.”
14 I think this account is a beautiful reminder of the work that PPIS does, and that genuine, compassionate care that clients feel when they are in an environment where there is trust and support can be nurtured, and this is instrumental in their healing journey.
Announcing PPIS as the Next FAM@FSC: A New Chapter in Supporting Families
15 Today, I am thrilled to announce an exciting new chapter for PPIS. The As-Salaam Family Support Centre, which currently serves as a Divorce Support Specialist Agency, will become a Strengthening Families Programme@Family Service Centre, or FAM@FSC for short, from the 1st of April 2025. Together with the existing 10 FAM@FSCs, PPIS will provide marriage support, divorce support and family counselling. This development is part of PPIS’s efforts to deepen its engagements with communities.
Conclusion
16 By committing ourselves to holistic, compassionate support, I am sure we have the power to help our communities in Singapore heal and flourish.
17 I thank you everyone for being here today and let us look forward to meaningful conversations and connections. Thank you very much.