About Us

Jessica Brown

Jess is the co-founder of Calm at the Forefront.

An educator, mother of two, and learner, she brings a sense of calm to the classroom and beyond.

After working in the classroom and as a Wellbeing Leader for over 15years, Jess will share her experience working with children to help to meet the needs of young people and their care teams. She prides herself on building strong relationships, being an advocate and trouble shooting complex situations.

This skillset, along with a drive to bring about  genuine, positive and long standing change, has seen those she works alongside thrive.  

A word from Jess

My interest in human behaviour started early and straight out of highschool I studied Behavioural Neuroscience, majoring in Psychology at Latrobe University. Whilst studying I soon discovered that my passion in psychology lies in the everyday, rather than a purely clinical setting.

As a result I studied further, gaining my Diploma of Education. Over the last 15years I have worked in Primary schools and have taught students at every level.

My role has seen me share my time between being a classroom teacher and the School Wellbeing Leader. In this role I look after whole school Wellbeing priorities; supporting teachers, students, and liaising with allied health professionals to ensure that all students are seen, valued and supported. As an educator and a mother myself, I have seen first hand the incredible responsibility and privilege that sits in the role of helping young people navigate this ever changing world.

It is my firm belief that through a calm, committed, and often creative approach, all children can flourish. Through strong relationships and time invested in working with hundreds of children and families I have utilised a comprehensive toolkit of strategies to help deescalate challenging behaviours and help children settle into the beautiful and best expression of themselves.

Kirsty Edwards

Kirsty is the co-founder of Calm at the Forefront.

An Education Support guru, mother of four, and lover of the ocean. Kirsty brings a pragmatic, kind and reassuring voice of reason, ensuring all childrens’ needs are met.

Her commonsense approach to parenting and support have always been met with ease from both children and their families alike. There are few people who can de escalate behaviours better than Kirsty and that is because children know that she is unwaveringly on their side.

A word from Kirsty

Hello I am Kirsty, a mother of 4 children, two boys and two girls. We love as a family to experience anything within the outdoors; the beach is one of my favourite places. 

I have worked within schools for 8 years and volunteered within many organisations. My strength as an educator is to work with different students with a vast variety of needs, including trauma background, ASD, anxiety and defiance disorders.

My number one rule is to ensure a child firstly feels safe in their environment, build strategies for each individual to really understand triggers and a good tool box to enable that child to remain in the classroom and learn alongside their peers as an equal. School staff must provide inclusive classroom spaces.

Recent Professional Learning

  • CUST - community understanding and safety training

  • Managing disclosures

  • LOOKOUT centre- boosting capability to improve educational outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care

  • Information sharing and family violence reforms

  • Trauma informed teaching

  • Zones of Regulation-enabling children the ability to understand their emotions

  • Pathological Demand Avoidance

  • Counselling skills for teachers program (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors)

Team Memberships

  • Respectful Relationship (RR) lead school - leading termly Community of Practice meetings and supporting tranche 3 schools

  • Member of monthly CYMHS secondary consultation meetings

  • Member of Care Team alongside Child Protection, Avenues and Eastern Health practitioners

  • Crisis team meetings for vulnerable and at risk students and families

  • SSG meetings

Extra Responsibilities

  • Education support leader

  • Wellbeing leader

  • Respectful Relationships lead school leader

Seminar attendance:

  • The Resilience Project

  • Cyber Safety Project

  • Michael Carr-Gregg - Raising Resilient Children

  • Andrew Fuller - “The Resilient Mindset”, “Tricky Students and How to Engage Them”, “Tricky People, Tricky Behaviour”, “From Stress to Strong” and “Resilience for Staff”

  • Stephen Biddulph - “The Secret of Happy Children”, “Raising Boys” and “Raising Girls”

  • The Resilient Kids Conference

Self Developed and Facilitated sessions

  • Fortnightly Wellbeing assemblies and follow up sessions

  • Positive behaviour management techniques session

  • Staff wellbeing - empathy, connection, sleep, diet and exercise

  • Trauma in children - what to look for

  • Child Safety audit preperation

  • Lunchtime social skills sessions (Lego Masters) in conjunction wtih The Speech Tree Speech Pathologists

  • Wellbeing support resource sharing and development

  • Community Wellbeing comms -newsletters and information sessions

The sole purpose of what we do at Calm at the Forefront is to help create inclusive environments upon which all people can thrive. Our advice is general in nature and comes from years of experience working with neurodiverse and neurotypical children alongside their care teams. Calm at the Forefront have the utmost respect for the Allied health profession and our service is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any actions taken upon the advice of our team needs to be in accordance with Department of Education policy and inline with existing allied health assessments and recommendations. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other allied health providers with any specific concerns you may have. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it.