Trauma informed care topic of free seminar hosted by Warwick 13

Posted 4/10/14

The Warwick 13, a collaboration of 13 non-profit social service organizations, will host a training seminar entitled Trauma-Informed Care, designed to help people understand the effect trauma can …

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Trauma informed care topic of free seminar hosted by Warwick 13

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The Warwick 13, a collaboration of 13 non-profit social service organizations, will host a training seminar entitled Trauma-Informed Care, designed to help people understand the effect trauma can have on one’s overall health.

The seminar will take place on Monday, April 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Hackett Theatre at the Knight Campus of Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick. The day’s presentations will be provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, with assistance from The Kent Center and The Keystone Group.

“I think we’re extremely fortunate. These are renowned experts.

That’s why it’s free, and I’m trying to invite as many as I can,” said David S. Lauterbach, president and CEO of The Kent Center.

So what is Trauma-Informed Care? That is the question this seminar will answer.

“That’s really what the conference is for, to help people understand what that is,” said Lauterbach.

The idea is traumatic events can alter one’s brain chemistry, leading to overall health problems ranging from heart disease to emotional issues. The concept comes out of The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study), which has been an ongoing study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente, an insurance company, since the early 1980s.

Over 17,000 Kaiser patients volunteered to participate in the study, which began with questions about their childhood experience. Lauterbach explained the patients were asked about household dysfunction, abuse, violence in the home, jailed parents, loss of a parent and more.

“Then they studied the general health of these people over the years,” said Lauterbach. A link was discovered between traumatic events in childhood and health problems in adult life.

“These types of experiences alter brain chemistry,” said Lauterbach, explaining that in-turn will affect how our bodies develop. “These experiences have profound, long-term effects on our overall health.”

According to Lauterbach, by understanding how pervasive trauma can be on lives, steps can be made to help those who have experienced trauma, including veterans, to get back to feeling normal.

One of the goals in the field is to get the patients to understand they are having a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

“That is a life-changing realization,” said Lauterbach

By having professionals, caregivers, victims and the general public understand how the brain reacts to situations, they will be better able to address it.

“Our goal is to try and just raise people’s awareness about how important this trauma issue is and how pervasive it is,” said Lauterbach.

That is why Lauterbach is encouraging as many people as possible, including CCRI students, to attend the April 21 event and listen to the knowledgeable and inspiring speakers.

The first session of the day, entitled What Is Trauma & Why Must We Address It?, features Joan B. Gillece, Ph.D., director of SAMHSA National Center for Trauma Informed Care and SAMHSA Promoting Alternatives to Seclusion and Restraint through Trauma-Informed Practices. With 30 years of behavioral health experience, 17 in trauma and seven in seclusion and restraint prevention, she promotes trauma-informed care in settings such as mental health, substance abuse, adult and juvenile justice and homeless services. She will provide an overview of the topic.

To expand on Gillece’s words, staff psychiatrist for Correctional Mental Health Services Brian R. Sims, M.D. will speak during the second session, The Neurobiology of Trauma. Sims is also the senior medical advisor for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors in Alexandria, Va. Through his positions, he provides care for over 3,000 inmates in need of mental care, consults around the world and regularly trains staff, consumers and administration on this topic.

Lauterbach explained prisons are often the recipients of this type of training so officers understand how to interact with prisoners who may have been affected by trauma in the past.

“When correction officers are trauma informed, there are less incidents in the prison,” said Lauterbach.

Finally, Tonier Crane, director of Peer Specialist for the National Technical Assistance Center to Promote Trauma-Informed Practices and Alternatives to Seclusion and Restraint, will speak during the final session, Trauma & Recovery. Crane has spoken across the country on this area and also serves on the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Council. She was also featured in the documentary, “Behind Closed Doors: Trauma Survivors and the Psychiatric System.”

The Kent Center has been involved with the effort to bring Trauma-Informed Care to people for quite a while. According to Lauterbach, there was similar training hosted a few year ago, and it has been done in the ACI for correction officers.

The event is expected to be an inspirational learning experience for those who attend, not just professionals in the field.

“There’s going to be something for everybody,” said Lauterbach.

The organizations that comprise The Warwick 13, the seminar’s sponsor, are Boys and Girls Club of Warwick, Bridgemark, Child, Inc., Cornerstone Adult Services, Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center, House of Hope CDC, Kent County YMCA, OSCIL, RI Family Shelter, RI Mentoring Partnership, The Kent Center, The Trudeau Center and Westbay Community Action. The organizations work together in an effort to design a streamlined, consumer and client-friendly service delivery system.

The event is free and open to the public; however, it is asked that attendees RSVP to Dee Tavares of The Kent Center by April 14. Tavares can be reached at 732-5656 or dtavares@thekentcenter.org.

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