In 2019, Frontier Community Services (Frontier) received a grant from the Ohio Burearu of Workers’ Compensation (thanks, Greg!), and we used the funds for both Trauma-Responsive training and new sensory items for our room at Options. Here are some notes of reflection for our work from our time with Soul Bird.
The Resilience Approach – Connecting People to the Tools They Need to Bounce Back From Trauma
How do we help ourselves, our team members, and those we support?
~Sarah Buffie & Mary Vicario
In order to understand ourselves and others, it’s important to know how trauma affects the brain and body. Sarah Buffie explains how this works using Dr. Dan Siegel’s hand model of the brain in her video by clicking here.
When we can reflect back the emotions that someone is expressing with compassion, it can help them feel safe and lead to a positive relationship. Thanking someone for how they are showing up in the moment can help them heal. How do we connect to people in a way to give people a felt sense of safety? Watch Sarah’s video by clicking here!
The 3 Ps: Predict, Practice, & Plan B
This helps people create a picture memory of what they want to happen to happen in the future so it can reduce fear and allow them to feel safe and connected. Check out how Sarah explains it in her video by clicking here!
A Safety Script gives us words to say in order to help a person feel safe. When a person is acting angry, it’s often because they don’t FEEL SAFE. Sarah breaks down how to use a safety script on her video by clicking here!
Never shame someone’s strategy they used for survival they only way they knew how! Reflect, Honor, & Connect
5 Resilience Factors:
- Voice, Choice, Control
- What do you have control of in your life?
- In what ways can you help others have more Voice/Choice/Control? (Power with the person & not power over.)
- Ask vs. Tell
- Invite vs. Direct
- Involve vs. Instruct
Sarah explains how helping people use their voice in ways that matters to them, having more choices that are meaningful, and helping people have more control over their life can help them in their healing journey. Watch her video by clicking here!
“Behavior is the language of people who have lost their voice.”
- Self-Esteem
- Sense of Self: Who we think we are
- What are your personal preferences – your likes & dislikes that make you unique?
- Self- Efficacy: Belief in one’s ability to succeed or accomplish a task
- Share an example of something you put your mind to and did today
- Self Worth: One’s inherent worth as a person
- When, where, and with whom do you feel safe and loved?
- How might you help others feel more safe and loved?
When we can understand what our likes and dislikes are, we can make room for self-esteem. When we can be confident in ourselves and help others feel confident, it greatly affects how we show up in the world. Watch Sarah’s video by clicking here!
We should always try to use Descriptive Praise vs. Evaluative Praise.
- External Supports
- Do you turn to your faith or spiritual practice for support or to help you make sense of things?
- What sensory items do you have in your workplace?
- Do you have a pet?
- How might you help someone build on these?
- Belonging
- Positive Connections with Safe Adults
Sarah discusses the importance of having people and things outside of ourselves to support and to be supported by in this video here.
- Belonging
- What groups or clubs or organizations are you connected with now? What do these mean to you?
- What groups or clubs or organizations would you like to be connected with?
- How might we help you get better connected to these groups or to new ones
- Showing up vs. Belonging
Healing happens in relationship. Oftentimes people become isolated from their communities based on a devalued label society has given them. Sarah explains it here!
- Positive Safe Adults
- Are there “safe adults” in your life? If so, who are they?
- How might we strengthen your connection with the safe adults you already know?
- How might we help you get connected to more safe adults?
When we experience trauma, many of our relationships are compromised. How we show up for people can affect our relationship with them. Watching our non-verbals and how we enter the room also has a profound influence on how that interaction turns out. We must listen to understand instead of listen to respond. Sarah explains more in her video here!
“People come to life when they make contact with someone who works actively and faithfully to understand what they want to say.”
“Listening to people who live with the consequences of a lifetime of isolation and discrimination is often painful, frightening, and exciting.”
Fill your Bucket!
- A moment
- 5 minutes
- 1 hour
- 1 full day!
Adapted The Resilience Project is a Strong Families Safe Communities Project administered by Hamilton County DD Services with funding support from Ohio DODD and MHAS. Partner organization include Clermont County Board of DD, Lighthouse Youth Services, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health, and Finding Hope Consulting.
Trauma-Informed Care Resource Guide: http://www.morrowcountyhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIC-Resource-Guide.pdf