Building Resilience following Trauma

Ferguson Florissant School District

Gary U. Behrman, PhD, MSW, M.Div., LCSW Family Support Program Mgr CHADS Coalition

George Washington Carver “How far you go in life depends on your being

tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”

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OBJECTIVES: !   Recognize a bio-psycho-social-spiritual

approach to resilience following a crisis !   Distinguish b/w stress & trauma !   Identify what it means to be resilient

following a crisis !   Develop strategies to be resilient

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RESILIENCE “The ability of a person to withstand a

significant amount of harm (change) in her/his life”

‘the capacity to exhibit resourcefulness by using available internal and external

resources in response to different contextual and developmental changes’

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RESILIENCE !   CAPACITY !   RESOURCEFULNESS !   RESOURCES !   CONTEXT !   DEVELOPMENTAL All lead to CARING

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Resilience as a Holistic Approach !   Biological: My physical health !   Psychological: My emotional health !   Social: My relationships !   Spiritual: My purpose & meaning in life

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Following a Crisis We can have stressful & traumatic reactions Dependent upon the level of: !   Unexpectedness !   Life threat (bio/psycho/social/spiritual) !   Internal & External Resources !   Threat to our safety !   Permanent change (we are forever

different) 7

Range of Reactions !   Change in body (bio)

"  (pain, headaches, stomachaches, sleep & diet

!   Change in emotions (psych) "  (anger, sadness, fear, anxious, etc.)

!   Change in relationships (social) "  (withdrawal, aggression, clinging, comfort)

!   Change in meaning of life (spiritual) "  (how has this changed me? what am I called

to?) 8

Trauma Symptoms !   Become easily upset, crying & anger outbursts; !   Revert to younger behavior such as bed wetting

and thumb sucking; !   Misbehavior in school, home, and community; !   Have symptoms of illness: headaches, vomiting

or fever; !   Loud, noisy & aggressive can change rapidly to

shy & afraid; !   Develop nighttime fears: developing nightmares; !   Unreasonable fear the event will reoccur.

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Stress Management & Triggers

Stress management techniques involve relaxing the mind & body through activities

Managing triggers involve debriefing the trigger and releasing the intensity

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TRIGGERS !   When one of the five senses are

triggered: "  We relive the event "  More than remembering "  Actually present to the trauma

again "  Significant bodily reactions

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Triggers Accompany Trauma Biological: !   What cues does your body give that you are not in your

zone? Psychological: !   What behaviors/events trigger uncomfortable emotions? Social: !   What relationships are creating conflict for you? Spiritual: !   What in your life today threatens your purpose &

meaning?

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Students Who Are Triggered: !   Are reacting to a previous traumatic event !   Are NOT reacting to the present moment !   They are RELIVING the trauma !   They are NOT remembering it !   Do not take triggers personally !   A sense was triggered

"  (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste)

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Why Distinguish Between the Two? !   Trauma:

"  requires a different set of skills

"  generally has accompanying triggers

"  can linger for a long time

"  can lead to self injury behaviors/substance abuse

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How to De-Escalate a Trigger !   Speak firmly but gently !   Do NOT scream, this intensifies the

trigger !   Keep eye contact at all times !   Bring the student back into the present !   Remind the student that he/she is safe

here !   You are in control and nothing is going to

harm them at this moment 15

STRATEGIES FOR RESILIENCE !   WHAT CAN I DO?

"  For my Students? "  For my Family? "  For my Community? "  For my Self?

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BIO-PSYCH-SOCIAL-SPIRITUAL !   How effective am I at managing CRISIS?

Be present with what is happening in our community

"  How does your body react when being present to this?

"  What emotions surface? "  How is this event affecting your relationships? "  How is this impacting the meaning of your life?

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Factors That Contribute to Resilience !   Condition of your body (bio) !   The span of your emotions (psych) !   The quality of your relationships (social) !   The meaning of your life (spiritual)

!   Who or What needs to change? Could be one or all four…

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BIOLOGICAL !   MOVE!

"  Studies have shown over & over again, health & resilience depend upon bodily movement !   How much movement do you get each day? !   Stretching? Exercise? Biking? !   Walking? Dancing? Climbing a tree? All it takes is owning a pair of tennis shoes

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PSYCHOLOGICAL !   What is the 1st emotion you felt this morning? !   Do you time how long your emotions last? !   Don’t strive to be happy, impossible! !   Strive to have a purpose in life!

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SOCIAL !   How are my relationships?

"  Who needs my attention? Who’s on my mind?

"  How do I create community? Where are the conflicts?

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SPIRITUAL Strive for purpose & meaning in life

"  What brings joy to my life? "  Why am I still here on this planet? "  What is most meaningful to me today?

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Knowing the 4 C’S !   What does resilience

have to do with: "  CAPACITY? "  CONTEXT? "  CONNECTIONS? "  CARE?

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!  Strengths-based Approach

Looking for Capacities !   Strengths-based definition:

"  “All people must be seen in light of their capacities, talents, competencies, possibilities, vision, values and hope, however dashed and distorted these may have become through circumstance, oppression or trauma” (Saleebey, 1996)

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Definition of Health !   “The overall optimal functioning of an

organism according to that organism’s capacity at a particular moment in time”

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Strengths Based Approach !   Surface and optimize your strengths !   Define strengths to mobilize resources !   Frame “possibilities versus problems” !   Emphasizes empowerment and capacity

building !   Identify religious/cultural/family strengths !   What’s working for you today?

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WISDOM !   the ability to understand life, common

sense or judgment; or knowing what to overlook

!   Name a person who you experience as wise !   What characteristics make him/her wise

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4 C’s !   Capacity

"  Focusing & building on strengths in self, students, family & community

!   Connections "  Framing partnering as collaborating among many

sources of strength !   Context

"  Don’t assume anything !   Caring

"  Creating “US & We” 29

Creating an “US & WE” !   Have students draw a circle !   Who belongs in his/her circle as an US? !   Who is outside of the circle? Why? !   What are the reasons that this group or

individual is a THEM? !   What are the fears & disconnections? !   How do you practice the 4 C’s w/

students? 30

Partnering in Care !   Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual approach:

"  Eating well: fresh fruits and vegetables "  Engaging in regular physical movement "  Challenging tasks to help focus emotions "  Enhancing capacity to feel safe "  Building social & spiritual connections "  Other?

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TAKE HOME MESSAGES

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Remember: !   Healing after a crisis is complex—one

size does not fit all students & families !   Build relationships & resources! !   Ongoing strengths-based assessment !   Re-frame healing as a partnering

“opportunity” to enhance health

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REMEMBER !   Managing all the change and stress

requires a "  Holistic Approach "  Pay attention to the students’ and your

!   Body !   Emotions !   Relationships !   Spirit

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Remember the 4 C’s Capacity Context Connections Care !   Focus upon:

"  Identifying your & others capacity !  Bio-psych-social-spiritual

"  Supporting these capacities "  Knowing the student’s context "  Practicing creating connections "  Learning how to care

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REMEMBER !   To recognize when a student is being

TRIGGERED & respond effectively not harshly

!   See the students in their capacities "  Body, Emotions, Relationships, Spirit

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REMEMBER !   Utilize your School Social Workers, Counselors, and

Nurses "  They are trained Youth Mental Health First Aid "  Refer Students to them for assessment & resources

!   In emergencies call: Youth Emergencies Services 314-469-6644 800-811-4760

Resources Manual for Managing Triggers !   http://park.org/Guests/Stream/trauma_manual.htm

Trauma Experts in St. Louis !   http://www.therapytribe.com/Therapists/Missouri-MO/St-

Louis/Trauma-and-PTSD

Models for Treating Trauma !   http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/14228_Chapter3.pdf

Communities Healing Adolescent Depression & Suicide !   www.chadscoalition.org

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Bishop Desmond Tutu Forgiveness Challenge

!   http://forgivenesschallenge.com/

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Thank you! For more information:

Gary U. Behrman, PhD, LCSW www.CHADSCoalition.org gary@chadscoalition.org

314 952 8274

Produced by:

www.mimh.edu