What is trauma-informed care?

Summed up simply it is approaching services through the lens of “what happened to you?” rather than “what’s wrong with you?”

Asking what has happened to someone when they come into services is encompassing, less victimizing and seeks to understand. The main purpose of approaching services with a trauma-informed lens is to, at minimum, prevent more harm and re-traumatization.  An example of re-traumatization is taking away a patient’s decision-making process. When trauma-exposed patients feel forced into a decision it can trigger a feeling of powerlessness again. A more overt example of re-traumatization is using restraints.

 

Core principles of trauma informed care are:

 

• Safety

Staff and the people they serve should feel safe physically and psychologically

 

• Trustworthiness and Transparency

Conduct operations with goal of building and maintaining trust

 

• Peer Support

Utilize live experience to promote recovery and healing

 

• Collaboration and Mutuality

Importance is place on leveling power differences between staff and clients to create meaningful sharing of power and decision making

 

• Empowerment, Voice and Choice

Recognize and build on identified strengths

 

• Cultural, Historical and Gender Issues

The organization actively moves past stereotypes and biases offering responsive services to meet the individual’s needs and addresses historical trauma

 

Examples of trauma-informed care being implemented are having a support person present at gynecological exams, explaining procedures before performing them, and giving the patient power in decision making.

By adopting a trauma informed care, we can avoid trauma survivors feeling abused by the system, distrustful of service providers, misdiagnosing and misunderstanding people and situations.

The goals of trauma informed care is decreased emotional reactions from program participants, decreased crisis in programs, enhanced sense of safety and greater collaboration among providers.

The intention of Trauma-Informed Care is not to treat symptoms or issues related to sexual, physical or emotional abuse or any other form of trauma but rather to provide support services in a way that is accessible and appropriate to those who may have experienced trauma. Therefore, a trauma informed approach can be adopted by any and all types of organizations and care providers.

 

Sources and More Reading:

What is Trauma Informed Care?

SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma

Trauma Informed Care: An Ecological Response. Journal of Child and Youth Care Work. DeCandia, Carmela and Guarino, Kathleen. 2015.

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City, a tipping point for the Gay Rights Movement in the United States. The movement began under the leadership of Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P Johnson and Storme DeLarverie. Today, celebrations attract millions of participants around the world, recognizing the significant impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning individuals have had on history. Memorials are held in June for those who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS and, in the time of COVID-19, it is also a moment to remember LGBTQ individuals who have perished as a result of this global pandemic.

It may not be generally known, but LGBTQ youth are over represented in the foster care system. An article published in the journal Pediatrics (March 2019) found that 30.4% of youth in California’s foster care self-identify as LGBTQ, compared with 11.2% percent of the  general youth population in a nationally-representative study. Many of these young people have been victims of violence and verbal, emotional abuse. They often endure bullying or worse from peers at school or adults, maltreatment that is even more frequent for LGBTQ people of color. Research indicates that they are more likely to be placed in congregate care facilities, face poorer treatment while in the system, and achieve lower rates of permanency. Once they “age out” at 18 or 21, their outcomes are bleaker, including lower educational attainment and higher odds of homelessness, poor health, and financial instability.

Rejected by their birth families and by potential foster parents simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, these young people must find a way to survive in a system that, at its best, cannot adequately fulfill the role of parent or family. LGBTQ youth in foster care often have fewer connections with supportive adults who can help them navigate the unique challenges they face.

But a Court Appointed Special Advocate—a CASA volunteer—is just that kind of person for any foster child, and perhaps even more so for an LGBTQ youth. Young people need love and unconditional acceptance to help them thrive and succeed in life. They need someone who is on their side, who will care about them, protect them, guide them; someone who accepts them for who they are. That is precisely the role of a CASA volunteer—a “voice” for youth in court, in schools, and in the community.

In 2015, Karen, a former Siskiyou County CASA, was advocating for a young child around 8 years old. The foster child began questioning their identity and as a CASA, Karen was able to be a support through this transitional period. As an LGBTQ foster youth it was important that they had an advocate in court, school and placement. Karen was able to be an affirming voice in her transgender youth’s life until they were placed in a permanent adoptive home.

In 2019, to help protect youth in foster care, Assemblyman Mike Gipson (District 64, Los Angeles County) sponsored AB175, a bill which updated the state’s Foster Youth Bill of Rights, written nearly 20 years ago in 2001. The changes in AB175 add explicit protections and assurances for LGBTQ foster youth, setting an expectation of culturally competent care, enshrining their right to be referred to by their chosen gender and name, allowing them to keep their sexual orientation private, and adding the right for LGBTQ youth to attend events and activities geared toward their orientation or gender. The bill had bipartisan support; it moved through the legislature last year and was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 2, 2019, going into effect January 1, 2020.

“We want to provide children who already have trauma an opportunity to create a new narrative, to grow up to be whoever they choose to be and identify with,” Gipson said during a hearing on the bill in March 2019. With the passage of this bill, LGBTQ youth in foster care have something wonderful to celebrate this year during June 2020’s Pride Month.

If you would like to make a real difference in a young person’s life, consider becoming a CASA Volunteer!  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are following all state guidelines for safety and social distancing.  But foster children have never needed CASAs more than they do now. We encourage all readers to join an online Information Session and see if this is the volunteer opportunity for you!

Since Covid-19 is a new virus that scientists know very little about right now it feels like the information being released is ever changing. The American Academy of Pediatrics published an article about summer camp in the time of Covid-19. Information covered includes: camp safety, camp benefits and testing. If you’re concerned about your child going to camp or wondering about the logistics- give this article a read.

Some things to consider while deciding if your child will attend summer camp this year are:

1. Children will benefit from reestablishing peer connections while learning to social distance
2. The camp your child attends should provide enriching experiences while reducing Covid-19 exposure
3.  If your child is at risk of developing a severe illness from Covid-19 it may be recommended that they not attend camp this year
4. Children with special health care needs should not be excluded from summer camp- your camp's director may be able to create an individualized plan for your child if, after consulting your doctor, you do decide to send your child to camp this year
5. All camps (day and overnight) should follow established COVID-19 mitigation and response guidelines
6. Camps should have a policy regarding symptom screening and what to do if a camper or staff member becomes sick with COVID-19 symptoms

The ways in which trauma and PTSD may present themselves is dependent on the individual, their life history and personal experiences. Symptoms of trauma are exhibited on a spectrum ranging from subtle to disabling. Some people want to process their traumas while others may choose not to. This post is a very simplified description of the way trauma may look and feel. There are links included to reputable scientific resources for more reading material.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. This post is written to bring awareness to the role trauma has in the lives of the children and families we serve. And, since trauma is so prevalent, it's safe to assume you interact with someone who is experiencing their own trauma.

Part of being trauma-informed is to learn about how trauma affects people. Including how you can respond with care and compassion rather than react in a harmful, re-traumatizing manner to what could be a manifestation of a person's trauma.

Some of the symptoms of trauma in children (and adults) closely mimic depression, including too much or too little sleep, loss of appetite or overeating, unexplained irritability and anger, and problems focusing on projects, school work, and conversation. Sometimes the symptoms appear more like an anxiety disorder—obsessive or pervasive worry, difficulty separating from parents.(1)

Foreshortened future: Trauma can affect one’s beliefs about the future via loss of hope, limited expectations about life, fear that life will end abruptly or early, or anticipation that normal life events won’t occur (e.g., access to education, ability to have a significant and committed relationship, good opportunities for work). (2)

Re-experiencing

Replaying the memory

Nightmares or flashbacks

Hyperactive Nervous System

Feeling on-guard

Easily startled

Difficulty sleeping

Avoidance

Avoiding anything related to the event

Trying not to think about the event

Emotional Reactions

Fear and anxiety

Anger

Guilt

Sadness

Feeling numb

Changed World Views

Difficulty trusting people

Believing the world is extremely dangerous

Blaming oneself

Self criticism for reaction to trauma

(3)

Children may feel terror, helplessness, or fear, as well as physiological reactions such as heart pounding, vomiting, or loss of bowel or bladder control. Children who experience an inability to protect themselves or who lacked protection from others to avoid the consequences of the traumatic experience may also feel overwhelmed by the intensity of physical and emotional responses. (4)

Epigenetics Risks of Toxic Stress:

What we experience in life changes our Epigenetics- the expression of our genes. These new expressions of genes are transmissable from parent to offspring. Not only does this affect the individual, the way our bodies respond to stress can be passed from one generation to the next through our genes. (5)

 

Check out these links for more information:

Click Here to Read More About The Impacts of Trauma

Click Here to Read More About ACES

Click Here to Read More About how Trauma Changes the Brain

Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD

About Child Trauma

ACES 101

Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. (1)

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). You may be familiar with these 10 ACES from the 1998 CDC - Kaiser Permanente study.

1. Physical abuse
2. Sexual abuse
3. Verbal abuse
4. Physical neglect
5. Emotional neglect
6. A family member who is depressed or diagnosed with other mental illness
7. A family member who is addicted to alcohol or another substance
8. A family member who is in prison
9. Witnessing a mother being abused
10. Losing a parent to separation, divorce or death

Subsequent to the ACE Study, other ACE surveys have expanded the types of ACEs to include racism, gender discrimination, witnessing a sibling being abused, witnessing violence outside the home, witnessing a father being abused by a mother, being bullied by a peer or adult, involvement with the foster care system, living in a war zone, living in an unsafe neighborhood, losing a family member to deportation, etc. (2)

The toxic stress response can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity—such as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship—without adequate adult support. (3)

 1. Advocating is important to you.
The children we serve are vulnerable and benefit from having someone in their corner with no other obligations or bias.

 

2. There are 22 foster children that are awaiting a CASA.
Y.E.S. has been authorized to provide CASAs for these 22 foster children but we need you!

 

3. You will see the direct results of giving back to your community.
CASAs see their assigned case through to the end- reunification, adoption or placement.

 

4. You enjoy spending time with children and adolescents.
The CASA role is not all work- we have fun too! CASAs can take their kiddos on a hike, see a movie, utilize the Y.E.S. office space where we have games and crafts. We also provide outings and activities where CASAs and their kiddos can socialize. The children we serve deserve privacy and confidentiality therefore, any activity which would expose their identity is not allowed.

 

5. You have an extra 5-10 free hours per month.
We ask our CASAs to dedicate 1-2 hours per week.

 

6. Meet new people with similar interests!
Volunteering is a great way to get to know people in your community, make friends and build your network.

 

7. Learning opportunities interest you.
Every case presents another chance to learn. Y.E.S. also provides monthly training opportunities to our CASA volunteers. We cover topics related to foster youth like Dependency Law, Supporting Foster Youth through College and many others.

 

8. At any time, there are about 150 children under the jurisdiction of the court in Siskiyou County.
Y.E.S. has a 5 year goal to serve all 150 children who desire a CASA!

 

9. Having a mentor/mentee relationship is appealing to you.
Having a mentor is important no matter how old you are! Especially as a child, having consistent adults present can be beneficial. Being a mentor is extremely rewarding.

 

10. You are a consistent, safe, caring person.
You don’t need any special talents or skills to be a CASA but if you are these 3 things you are well on your way!

 

11. Research has shown that having at least one consistent adult relationship builds resilience in children.
We CASA because we care about the way our children grow up- we want to support them through one of the most stressful situations they’ll go through in their young life.

Watch this video of Rob Scheer talk about his non- profit Comfort Cases which has a mission similar to our own Luggage of Love program. Youth Empowerment Siskiyou's Luggage of Love program concentrates on serving foster youth right here in Siskiyou County.  Luggage of Love gives youth entering foster care a comfort bag. Our comfort bags contain things like a pillow, blanket, stuffed animal, toiletries, a flashlight... dignity. Hope. We don't want our County's most vulnerable children transporting their life in trash bags.

Our Luggage of Love program is in need of a Coordinator. This is a volunteer position that, at minimum, would require less than 5 hours per month. The Coordinator would be responsible for corresponding with our partner agencies following MOUs in place, taking inventory and organizing Luggage of Love donations, making requests for supplemental purchases in order to meet the needs of comfort bag recipients, deliver bags to partner agencies when required and organize the annual Valentine's Day Luggage of Love Donation Drive.

If you are interested in volunteering with Luggage of Love in any capacity please reach out to us at info@YESiskiyou.org or call (530) 841-0844

“Today is the beginning of the end of juvenile imprisonment as we know it,” said Governor Newsom in a statement published Jan 22, 2019. “Juvenile justice should be about helping kids imagine and pursue new lives — not jumpstarting the revolving door of the criminal justice system. The system should be helping these kids unpack trauma and adverse experiences many have suffered. And like all youth in California, those in our juvenile justice system should have the chance to get an education and develop skills that will allow them to succeed in our economy.”

The Governor proposed $2 million in his budget to provide matching funds for a California/AmeriCorps federal grant, which will support 40 half-time AmeriCorps members in organizations assisting youth released from the Division of Juvenile Justice. His budget also includes more than $100 million for screenings for adverse childhood experiences and early childhood trauma, and developmental screenings — early interventions that help keep kids out of the criminal justice system.

Read more here.

https://player.acast.com/fostering-change/episodes/episode-38-covid-19-and-youth-aging-out-of-foster-care

Click the link above to listen to the podcast!

Can you imagine aging out of foster care during Covid-19? These young adults have to find somewhere to live and provide for themselves during an Pandemic. Some have no safety net or family. Listen to Rob and Dana of the Fostering Change Podcast talk with Whitney Gillliard of Gilliard & Co. talk about the issues foster youth are facing right now.

Check out Gilliard & Co. and the Comfort Cases website to see the great work they are doing!

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has approved moving forward with a pilot program providing foster youth from the ages of 21-24 years old with a Universal Basic Income of $1,000 per month. This would be the first program of it's kind in the United States.

The pilot program is scheduled to run from June 2020 to May 2021.

"Foster youth in our County face unique obstacles and challenges, with a
disproportionate amount experiencing homelessness, poverty, and multiple
chronic health conditions. These discrepancies have only been exacerbated by our current health pandemic," said Supervisor Cortese who brought the pilot program
to the Board of Supervisors last August.

Read the Press Release.