Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Dr. Jerry Yager
In several past episodes of the Trauma-Informed Lens podcast, we’ve discussed the impact of chronic, unpredictable stressors (e.g., ACEs) on the nervous system. In particular, the Autonomic Nervous System, designed to be highly sensitive to input from our environment, can become sensitized and chronically upregulated in children and adults who experience chronic, unpredictable stress. In this episode, we’ll talk a little about two studies demonstrating differences in autonomic activity between various groups.
Discussion Questions:
- How do you see this research playing out in those you serve?
- How could this research better inform your interventions and programming?
- Is there a way you could communicate this information to those you serve in a way to help them understand their own behavior?
This week’s Article: Heart Rate Variability as a biomarker for ANS response differences between children with chronic pain vs healthy controls
Next week’s Article: Differences in HPA-axis and heart rate 2014
The first podcast in a series focused on the relationship between heart rate variability and trauma, we introduce the concept and provide some initial insights. In 2015, the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology published a unique special issue dedicated to the idea of implementing physiological measures into the assessment of Clinical Child & Adolescent behavioral health. The issue included several articles demonstrating how this can be done. We start a multi-episode show to share some literature, examples, and issues with using physiology in our assessment and understanding of some of the impacts of exposure to adverse childhood experiences.
Articles for next week’s podcast:
Differences in HPA-axis and heart rate 2014
Discussion Questions:
- How does our discussion on the connection between biology and behavior influence your thinking about your work?
- Do you see any way to help craft interventions and programming around this understand? What if technology improved dramatically?
Podcasters: Mary Donnelly-Crocker, Matt Bennett, Dr. Jerry Yager
Mary Donnelly-Crocker joins Matt and Jerry to discuss her effort to turn Pasadena into a trauma-informed community. Learn how Mary and her organization, Young and Healthy are working to get information about trauma spread throughout the community. Mary demonstrates the power one person has to change the world!
Discussion Questions:
- How could you and your organization spread the power of trauma research into your larger community?
- Who in our community could really benefit from your knowledge?
- How would getting the message about trauma into your community help those you serve?
Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
Memories and traumatic memories are in the news quite a bit lately. Memories are tricky things, being highly subjective and changing over time. Add trauma to the mix and the situation becomes even more complicated. In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry examine the science behind traumatic memory formation and recall and the role traumatic memories play in behavior and the healing process.
Discussion questions:
1. In your work, what experiences have you had with people recounting traumatic memories?
2. How can the discussion of the science of memories impact our work with clients struggling to heal from trauma?
3. How does this knowledge influence your thinking about current events and thinking about things like criminal justice reform?
Matt, Curt, and Jerry recorded this episode together after their keynote address and workshop at the 4th Annual Colorado Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Conference. IPS is an innovative best practice which positions employment as a component of a client’s recovery process and not something to consider at a later point when the client reaches some future state of wellness. After spending the day learning and teaching, we share our thoughts about our experience and recent thinking on the role of employment for those recovering from trauma.
Discussion questions:
- How do you see the role of employment in our client’s recovery?
- When do you know a client is ready for employment or, for younger clients, when to talk about future aspirations.
- Are there things you can do to support clients differently to provide self-confidence building experience like employment earlier in care/treatment?
Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry take on the question presented in Matt’s previous mini-episode, can you be trauma-informed without a robust staff supervision structure. Some disciplines like social work and mental health have such structures while the health care and education professions usually lack such supports. We know working with people with trauma puts professionals at risk for vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, and burnout. We will examine the role of supervision in trauma-informed organizations and characteristics that make it effective.
Discussion questions:
- How have you used supervision as part of your self-care plan?
- Are there ways for your programs/organization to integrate a more robust supervision structure as part of its trauma-informed journey?
- In your opinion what are the characteristics of effective supervision and what would you like from a supervisor?
Podcaster: Matthew Bennett
Due to technical difficulties, this is a mini episode where Matt makes his best argument supporting the importance of staff supervision in trauma-informed environments. Depending on the traditions/requirements of the profession, some staff get high levels of supervision while other get little if any. In this mini-episode, Matt lies out his best argument for why strategic reflective supervision is a crucial component to staff well-being and outcomes
Discussion questions:
- How has supervision shaped you as a professional?
- What are the strengths of your program/organization’s supervisory approach?
- Are there opportunities to provide better services by restructuring your supervisory structure?
Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
In Episode 56 we introduce to a new theme to our podcast, how the trauma-informed paradigm translates into how we view things outside our professional work. In this episode, three big football fans discuss how our understanding of trauma and neurobiology effects how we view the game we all love. As this episode demonstrates, like-minded people often come to different conclusions. The important thing, from a trauma-informed perspective, is to use our knowledge to examine how our actions impact the health and well-being of others and our community.
Discussion questions:
- How has your understanding of trauma impacted your thinking about things outside your professional life?
- What benefits do you see in taking the trauma-informed lens and placing it on larger societal topics?
- With so much trauma in the news, how can you use the trauma-informed lens to help others understand other’s actions in a deeper way?
Boston Globe Article on Stages of CTE
Podcasters: Jay Levy, Robin Johnson, Matthew Bennett, & Dr. Jerry Yager
Jay Levy and Robin Johnson join Matt, Curt, and Jerry to discuss their recent book Cross-Cultural Dialogues on Homelessness: From Pretreatment Strategies to Psychologically Informed Environments which was inspired by conversations surrounding homelessness between providers in the United States and the United Kingdom. In their book, Levy and Johnson present a range of best practices for those experiencing homelessness and trauma. In this episode, we explore the insights gained from their important dialogue and how innovation emerges from learning outside our normal focus areas.
Discussion questions:
- What lessons did you learn from the experience and conversations of Levy and Johnson?
- How could the concepts of pre-treatment or psychologically informed environment help you think about your work?
- Did you see any opportunities to step outside your normal focus areas to learn from those with different experiences and unique expertise?
http://pielink.net/cross-cultural-dialogues-on-homelessness/
http://pielink.net/questions/pre-treatment/
Matt’s Review of Cross-Cultural Dialogues on Homelessness
Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
Personal values speak to the core of who we are as people. Defining and focusing on values increases resiliency, moral courage, and helps us gain inspiration and strength to face life’s challenges. In this episode, Matt, Curt, & Jerry explore the power of personal values and their role they play in the post-traumatic growth process of overcoming the psychological impact of trauma.
Discussion questions:
- Have you identified your personal values?
- What role have values played in your life?
- How could you integrate values centered conversations into your work?
Start of Matt’s Blog Posts on Values
