PRESENTERS:

— Michael McCullough

— Kathy Szenda Wilson

August 14, 2019

Helena, MT

PROMISING PRACTICES IN

ADDRESSING TRAUMA

& BUILDING RESILIENCE

Science has proven what happens to

us as children can result in life-long

health implications.

The good news?

What is predictable is preventable

our

obje

ctiv

es

today

Believe the science.

Believe in yourself.

Believe you’re the change you’ve been wait for.

NEAR Science

Neurobiology

Epigenetics

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Resilience

neuro

bio

logy

We are wired for

survival

Continuous stress

stunts later brain

development

“Seedling” cells

damage emerges

later

neuro

bio

logy

TOLERABLE TOXICPOSITIVE

levels o

f stress

Toxic stress is the

prolonged activation of

stress response systems

in the absence of

protective relationships

neuro

bio

logy

I used to think

Now I know

Find somebody you don’t

know. What assumptions

have you made in the past,

and how have those

changed based on the

information you’ve heard

today or your experience.

What have you learned?

the biological mechanisms that switch genes on and off

epig

enetics

Decade-long study

involving 17,000

people.

Looked at effects

of adverse

childhood

experiences over

the lifespan.

Focused on

household

dysfunction, abuse

and neglect.

Largest study ever

done on this subject.the A

CE s

tudy

the A

CE s

tudy

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

ADAPTATION OF

HEALTH-RISK BEHAVIORS

DISEASE,

DISABILITY AND

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

EARLY

DEATH

DEATH

CONCEPTIONMechanism by which adverse childhood experiences influence

health and well-being throughout the lifespan.

the A

CE s

tudy

the A

CE s

tudy

GENERATIONAL EMBODIMENT/HISTORICAL TRAUMA

RACE/SOCIAL CONDITIONS/LOCAL CONTEXT

COMPLEX TRAUMA/ACES

ALLOSTATIC LOAD, DISRUPTED

NEUORLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

COPING

BURDEN OF DISEASE,

CRIMINALIZATION, STIGMATIZATION

EARLY DEATH

MIC

RO

AG

GR

ESSION

S, IMP

LICIT B

IAS, EP

IGEN

ETIC

S

MARIA YELLOW HORSE BRAVE HEART

Exposure to ACEs does not guarantee negative outcomes will follow.

Not everyone with negative outcomes was exposed to ACEs.

ACES are not a predictor at an individual level.

Further research can help inform policies, resources and programs that

can effectively prevent & mitigate the effects of ACEs.

ACES ARE …

SOURCE: Sidmore, Patrick. Economic Costs of ACEs in Alaska:

the price of not intervening before trauma occurs. Alaska DHHS. 2015.

Dangerous environment

Fight, flight, freeze

Surviving worst conditions

buildin

g r

esi

lience

Imagine two developmental paths…

JOEL OVERBECK/UNSPLASHED

Safe environment

People, process, possibility

Live in ideal conditions

FERENC HORVATH/UNSPLASHED

… which child will be successful?

Resiliency buffers the effects of trauma. Social support and resources are protective factors that build

resiliency at any age. Safety can be created from multiple sources and a little may

go a long way. Brain development is far more dynamic than we used to think. You’re not in this alone.b

uildin

g r

esi

lience

Brené Brown,

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

“If we want people to fully show up,

to bring their whole selves including

their unarmored, whole hearts—so

that we can innovate, solve problems,

and serve people—we have to be

vigilant about creating a culture in

which people feel safe, seen, heard,

and respected.”

Find somebody you don’t

know and share one to two

things that your team

currently does that helps

people feel safe, seen

heard and respected.

“The system is

perfectly designed to

produce the results it

does.”— Zaid Hassan, from the book, “Trauma

Stewardship: An everyday guide to caring

for self while caring for others” by Laura

van Dernoot Lipsky

“I asked myself, “Why is it

like this, this system?”

Because the objects of this

work are so politically

weak.”

— Harry Spence, from the book, “Trauma

Stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self

while caring for others” by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

southofboston.net

Exposure to ACEs does not guarantee negative outcomes will follow.

Not everyone with negative outcomes was exposed to ACEs.

ACES are not a predictor at an individual level.

ACEs are UNIVERSAL. They do not discriminate based to race,

geography, income, gender…

Further research can help inform policies, resources and programs that

can effectively prevent & mitigate the effects of ACEs.

ACES ARE …

SOURCE: Sidmore, Patrick. Economic Costs of ACEs in Alaska:

the price of not intervening before trauma occurs. Alaska DHHS. 2015.

Moving from awareness …

I began using the HALT

when first meeting with

my students. — middle school social worker

I’ve added mindfulness

books for kids in child-care

center — a trauma kit. — child-care center operator

Our home visitors are

brining NEAR@Home

toolkits and talking about

trauma with families. — early childhood educator

We’ve established a weekly

debrief with staff just to see

how people are doing, how

they’re feeling. — case management agency director

We’re reviewing all of our

forms and intake processes

using a resilience lens.— work-force development agency

We’re building stronger

relationships more quickly —

flipping the conversation.— early childhood educator

Be a leader.

Be strong.

Nurture your strength.

Love your work.

Be curious.

Be a teacher.

Moving from awareness …

What do I already do that

aligns with what I’ve learned?

What can I do by next Tuesday?

Who else needs to hear/know

this?

What role do I have in making

that happen?

TELL US YOUR ‘WHY’

“Don’t ask yourself what the

world needs. Ask yourself what

makes you come alive. And go do

that. Because the world needs

people who’ve come alive.”

— Howard Thurman, American theologian and civil rights

leader, quoted in the book, “Trauma Stewardship: An everyday

guide to caring for self while caring for others” by Laura van

Dernoot Lipsky

blackpast.org

THANK YOU