If our podcast is all about a “trauma-informed” lens, maybe we should talk about what experiences qualify as traumatic.  In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry talk about various issues leading to the categorization of experiences as traumatic. This week’s Bright Shiny Objects segment includes our casters’ top attention-getting topics or experiences since the last episode.  Matt presents the perspective of chronic vs acute stressors, leading to a discussion of some of the implications of differential categorization of experiences.

Jerry’s Question of the Week: How do we understand someone’s behavior that seems maladaptive as adaptive? Add your thoughts to the comment section below!

Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Jerry Yager

Matt, Curt, and Jerry introduce themselves and talk about their journey to the trauma-informed paradigm. They discuss how this knowledge has influenced their thinking and careers as service providers and leaders.

Jerry’s question of the week. What do we know that helps children, families, and adults heal and grow. How does your organizational environment support it? Please put your thoughts in the comment section!

Dr. Jerry Yager is a Clinical Psychologist, currently in private practice, with more than 30 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of traumatized children and adolescents. He specializes in working with children and adolescents who exhibit self-destructive behavior and have severe mental illness such as clinical depression, bipolar mood disorder, post-traumatic distress disorder and psychosis. Before moving to private practice, Dr. Jerry served as Director of Training & Community Education at Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, and was the Executive Director of the Denver Children’s Home, which shares a mission with Denver Children’s Advocacy Center to provide high quality mental health care for low-income children whose problems would otherwise go undiagnosed and untreated.

Dr. Jerry received his Doctorate in Psychology from Nova University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a ChildTrauma fellow with the ChildTrauma Academy, under the leadership of Dr Bruce Perry, and conducts professional training in Colorado, nationally and internationally. Dr. Jerry has served as the president of the Colorado Association for Family and Children Agencies. He is a clinical consultant for Devereux Cleo Wallace Behavioral Health Services, Lutheran Family Services, Tennyson Center and Denver Children’s Advocacy Center. Dr. Jerry currently is a member of the Colorado Court Improvement Project and Colorado’s Systems of Care steering committee. He chairs a Trauma-Informed Schools consultation team for the State of Colorado. Dr. Jerry has testified in court as an expert witness on the developmental impact of abuse and neglect on children and adolescents and has testified at the Colorado State Legislature for bills related to children and adolescents’ crime victims’ rights. Dr Jerry was honored at the 2016 National Crime Victim Law conference as the Child Advocate Victims’ Rights Partner of the Year.

Matt Bennett, MBA, MA, has a master’s degree in community psychology and executive development (nonprofit management), as well as a master’s in business administration in health care. Mr. Bennett specializes in the delivery of trauma-informed care, quality improvement, results-based leadership, and Motivational Interviewing. Mr. Bennett has successfully combined his academic pursuits as a researcher, blogger, and author of Connecting Paradigms: A trauma-informed & neurobiological approach to Motivational Interviewing implement with his practical experience in leading nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to develop research-based solutions to improve the health of individuals, organizations, and systems.

As a sought-after trainer, Mr. Bennett utilizes a participant-centered approach, which includes interactions and adult learning activities to maximize learning, retention, and application. These approaches, combined with a strong mastery of the topical research, allow delivery of in-depth subject matter in a practical manner, targeted to the audience. Mr. Bennett’s presentations are a dynamic dance of innovative research, practical applications, and a passion for the art and science of helping others.

Curt Mower is a Behavior Analyst who works with teachers, clinicians, and organizational leaders to create positive workplace cultures and effective treatment programs for adults, children, and their families. Curt knows the importance of bringing a scientific, systematic approach to behavioral health program design; and understands the demands integrating various approaches and theoretical backgrounds of diverse groups of professionals.

Curt has worked in inpatient, outpatient, educational, and residential settings as a direct care staff, supervisor, manager, and director.  He has been fortunate to have opportunities to present his work with data-driven decision making, quality improvement, and trauma-informed applied behavior analysis at conferences and workshops. Curt earned a Master of Science degree in Psychology from Auburn University in 2004.  He developed the Internship Program at Devereux Colorado that won a 2016 Community Partner of the Year Award from the University of Denver Counseling Psychology Department & College of Education.