Trauma Informed Care at Crossroads Rhode Island

1. Trauma Informed Care at Crossroads Rhode Island Embracing A Trauma Informed Care Approach with Adult Learners Presented by: Jennifer Bryant, John MacDonald, Sharon McMahon and Don Laliberte April 17, 2013 Rhode Island Adult Education Conference

2. Crossroads, Rhode Island • Who we are • What we do (who we serve) • How we do it (services provided) • Values based

3. Education and Employment Services • Weekly Program Information Sessions • Education, Training Programs, Job Developer • Served 385 in 2012 • Learning Center • One multi-level classroom • Students work at their own pace • Transition options • Individual driven

4. Trauma in the classroom:educational student trauma (past) • Students shared traumatic educational experiences -almost all negative • Learned negative behaviors • Lack of family support then and now • Not having successful educational experiences to pull from

5. Trauma in the classroom:educational student trauma -(present) • Believing EFL is higher that it truly is • Known and/or unknown Learning Disabilities • Learned negative behaviors carried over from the past • Scheduling/planning/organizing • Concentration • Anxiety • Prescription drugs • Glasses

6. What do we mean by Trauma? • Intense and overwhelming experiences that involve serious loss, threat or harm • May occur at any time in a person’s life • May be a single event or repeated over many years

7. Examples of Trauma • Physical, emotional abuse or neglect • Sexual abuse • Rape • War • Natural disasters • Witnessing or involvement in violent crimes/events

8. How does Trauma affect behavior? • Overwhelms the person’s coping resources • Leads to ways of coping that may work in the short run but may cause harm in the long run. • Common trauma reactions: • Depression • Flashbacks • Emotional numbing • Feeling unsafe, helpless • Nightmares or insomnia • Irritability – angry outbursts substance abuse • Learned helplessness • Boundary issues • Difficulty trusting • Emotional swings • Difficulty concentrating • Hyper-alert • Feeling detached from others • Psychosomatic symptoms

9. Why Crossroads needs to know about TIC • Based on Crossroads values • Clients interact with all agency staff • It informs our understanding of clients and how staff behave with them

10. Your response is key….. Greater chance for a …. Negative Outcome Non – Trauma Informed Response Trigger Greater chance for a …. Positive Outcome Trauma Informed Response Trigger

11. Trauma Informed Approach • Relies on basic values/principles to guide specific behaviors • Safety – Staff and clients feel physically and emotionally safe. • Collaboration – staff and clients recognize issues of power and partner on decision making- Respect • Empowerment and Choice – Recognizing and validating each individual’s strengths and role in the healing process • Learning is on-going – TIC is a continuous process where we strive to constantly improve- Effectiveness

12. Trauma Informed Care • Demonstrates an understanding of the biological, psychological and social effects of trauma • Promotes trust, dependability and predictability • Respectfully gathers client information through empathetic listening and observation • Understands the prevalence of trauma in persons experiencing homelessness Know each client, respect fears and DO NO HARM!

13. So, what is Trauma Informed? Not a Mystery! • A trauma-informed system is one in which all components of a given service system have been reconsidered and evaluated in light of a basic understanding of the role that trauma plays in lives of people seeking services. • Safety, Respect, and Effectiveness - listen, observe and ask

14. Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Carl Bard

15. What do we see, what do we hear? • Observation of the whole person • Conversations: direct and shared with others • Behaviors • Attitudes • Doodles/notes on worksheets

16. How we do what do we do • Provide a safe, (physical and emotional), respectful environment (trust, responsibility/accountability) • Anticipate and watch for anxiety, stressors, clues… • Emphasize minimal barriers • Offer transition time to build confidence/belief that this can be done • Classroom modeling (instructional and role interactions) • Social interactions (open/individual/group discussions become teachable moments)

17. Specific strategies/examples • Scrap paper (spacing for focus) • Colored transparent overlays • Headphones • Fidgets (stress balls, smooth stones, etc.) • Magnifier • Model different approaches to a learning challenge and allow student to choose what works best for them • Review textbook table of contents

18. Strategies/examples, cont. • Have student picture themselves in the story • Break down the challenge into manageable chunks • Model “bad day” strategies • Teach ‘sense of time’ with weekly work log • Test preparation (before and during)

19. What are the results? • New positive educational experiences to pull from (solid foundation) • Students stay with us longer, (but not too long!) • Self-empowerment/self care • Students transform their beliefs from negative to positive • Learn how to learn/learn how to study

20. Next Steps • Confidence and belief in ones self increases • Knowledge built about how educational systems work and what resources are available (self advocacy) • Options are opened • Transitions are made • Anything becomes possible

21. Crossroads, Rhode Island • Thank you for attending our panel discussion presentation! • Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us! • Crossroads Main Number: 401-521-2255 • Please don’t forget to fill out the evaluations provided! • Enjoy the rest of the conference! 