Keysha L. Myers Myron J. Lewis “Unpacking Your Clients’ – and Your – Bags”: Creating safe spaces to unpack primary trauma with clients and secondary trauma in the workplace. Keysha L. Myers Myron J. Lewis

When you hear the word trauma what is your first thought? In five words or less

Trauma Trauma is a response to an upsetting event in a person’s life: community and domestic violence, abuse, neglect, natural disasters, accidents, painful medical procedures, or loss of parent/caregiver. Affects physical, mental, behavioral, and emotional development

How trauma and toxic stress impact brain development According to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study conducted by CDC and Kaiser Permanente, almost 2/3 of American adults reported that they endured at least one adverse childhood experience. 12.5% endured 4 or more ACEs. National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence showed that more than 60% of children and adolescents were exposed to violence in the past year. “Violence and ensuing psychological trauma can lead children to adopt an attitude of hypervigilance, to become experts at detecting threat or perceived threat —never able to let down their guard in order to be ready for the next outbreak of violence… They may turn to gangs or criminal activities to prevent others from viewing them as weak and to counteract feelings of despair and powerlessness, perpetuating the cycle of violence and increasing their risk of incarceration.” “The picture becomes even more complex when children are “polyvictims” (exposed to multiple types of violence)…the toxic combination of exposure to intimate partner violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse,and/or exposure to community violence increases the risk and severity of posttraumatic injuries and mental health disorders by at least twofold and up to as much as tenfold. Polyvictimized children are at very high risk for losing the fundamental capacities necessary for normal development, successful learning, and a productive adulthood.”

Self-Care What is Self-Care? Why is it needed?

Self-Care Defined Self-Care- Providing care for yourself that proactively enhances your (our) health and personal well-being. It is a preventive measure that we take before an illness and or disease is exhibited. The World Health Organization: "The ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, and maintain health and to cope with illness and disability without the support of a health-care provider."

Self-Care Assessment Using the scale below, rate the following areas in terms of frequency: 5= Frequently 4= Occasionally 3= Rarely 2= Never 1= It never occurred to me

Self-Care Assessment Physical Self-Care ____ Eat regularly (e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner) ____ Eat healthy ____ Exercise ____ Get regular medical care when needed ____ Take time off when needed ____ Dance, swim walk, run, play sports, sing or do some physical activity that is fun ____ Take time to be sexual – with yourself, with a partner ____Get enough sleep ____ Take day trips or mini-vacations Spiritual Self-Care ____ Spend time with nature ____ Find a spiritual connection or community ____ Be open to inspiration ____ cherish your optimism and hop ____ Be aware of nonmaterial aspects of life ____ Be open to not knowing ____ Meditate. Pray and Sing ____ Have experiences of awe ____ Contribute to causes in which you believe ____ Read inspirational literature (talks, music, etc.)

Psychological Self-Care ____ Make time for self-reflection or let others know different aspects of you ____ Engage your intelligence in a new area, e.g. go to an art museum, history exhibit, ____ sports event, auction, theater performance ____ Practicing receiving from others ____ Say “no” to extra responsibilities sometimes ____ Notice your inner experience – listen to your thoughts, judgments, beliefs, and feelings. Emotional Self-Care ____ Spend time w/others whose company you enjoy ____ Stay in contact w/important people in your life ____ Give your self affirmations, praise yourself ____ Love yourself ____ Re-read books, re-view favorite movies ____ Allow yourself to cry ____ Find things that make you laugh ____ Express your outrage in social action, letters and donations, marches, protests ____ Play with children ____ Identify comforting activities, objects, people, relationships, places and seek them out

Workplace or professional Self-Care ____ Take a break during the workday (e.g. lunch) ____ Take time to chat with co-workers or have a peer support group ____ Make quiet time to complete tasks ____ Identify projects or tasks that are exciting and rewarding ____ Set limits with your clients and colleagues ____ Balance your caseload so that no one day or part of a day is “too much” ____ Arrange your work space so it is comfortable and comforting ____ Get regular supervision or consultation ____ Develop a non-trauma area of professional interest Balance ____ Strive for balance within your work-life and workday ____ strive for balance among work, family, relationship, play and rest

Humpty Dumpty

Restorative ….. to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor. Re-store- verb (used with object), re·stored, re·stor·ing. 1. to bring back into existence, use, or the like; reestablish: to restore order

Restorative Justice Who has been hurt? What are their needs? Whose obligations are these? Who should be part of the process of determining what needs to be done to repair the harm? What specific collaborative process would be most helpful for determining how to put things right?

Put Your Oxygen Mask On

IN WHAT WAYS DO You Put Your Oxygen Mask On FIRST??

How Can This Be done in the workplace Creating safe spaces to unpack in the workplace for yourselves and clients Priorities Self-Care Wellness Programming Implementing Self-Care Practices in the Workplace Chair Yoga Promote Healthy Lifestyle Practices Walking Education Restorative Justice Peace Circles!!!!

What Are Peace Circles? A structured process of organizing effective group communication. Sacred & Organic Space Conflict resolution Opens fresh possibilities for connection Collaboration & mutual understanding Meeting space Talking piece Centerpiece Keeper(s) Ceremony & Ritual (Opening/Closing) Values & Guidelines Consensus Decision making

Self-Care Conversations   Feeling burned out?! Need to talk?! Self-Care Circles are structured discussion designed to provide caring professionals the opportunity to speak openly about the emotional strains considered to be inherent to professions within social services. The circle process is a restorative justice model approach aimed at healing through the use of personal interaction and peer to peer support.  Self-care conversations aim to:  Promote wellness by relieving the burden of daily workplace stress. Educate staff on the personal and professional effects of secondary trauma. Encourage employees to participate in self-care practices and techniques.

Recognizing Secondary Traumatic Stress Recognizing Secondary Traumatic Stress *Related Conditions: Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma □ Anger and Cynicism □ Chronic Exhaustion □ Depression □ Diminished Self-Care □ Disconnections □ Fear □ Guilt □ Hopelessness □ Hypervigilance

Self-Care Circles

Questions Thank You!!