Trauma Informed Care in AIDS Service Organizations The ACE & Increasing Resiliency in Person’s living with AIDS Sharon Wise, MHS, CPS The House of Sharon thehouseofsharon@msn.com

The ACE & Increasing Resiliency in Person’s living with AIDS Sharon Wise, M.H.S., C.P.S ThehouseofSharon@msn.com

Connections are a Good Thing Being connected to others can give us a feeling of being in a relationship that can provide support. This may also mean caring for and about others, is a primary factor in resilience. Having a number of these relationships, both within and outside of the family, that offer love, encouragement and reassurance that re-enforces our foundation and to develop new friendships. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Flexibility By definition it is a key component of resilience and one of the primary factors in emotional adjustment and maturity. This requires that an individual be flexible in his thinking and his actions, e.g., trying something new. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Planning for Positive Outcomes Being able to see what is, rather than what you would like is a part of taking personal responsibility. Being proactive rather than reactive, assertive rather than aggressive or passive are all components of this creating a plan for positive outcomes. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Communication is Key Being able to communicate well with others and problem-solve both individually includes effective listening and working with others with common interest or new interest inside and outside your community. This includes communicating in writing, and if you need support, ask for it. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Strong Feelings can also be Passion Being able to take action without being impulsive and responding out of emotion might mean, putting our emotions to the side when clear thinking and action are required. Being able to use clear thinking as a way of managing one's emotions is a key component of accentuating your passion.

Confidence at its Best Having a positive self-image is critical if a person is to be able to confront and manage fear and anxiety in his/her life. Since we now know that living with any issue that might be life threatening can effect every area of our life, having a measure of self-confidence can be preventive medicine. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Can we say “Optimism?” People are less likely to blame themselves or someone else for the hard times or their situation when they have support and are Optimistic. Optimism can sometimes be taught through modeling. When “We” are optimistic, avoiding blaming and shaming then it assist those we serve to be more accountable without the emotional dose of blame. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Optimism is a Good Thing When possible, see good and bad events occurring in life as being temporary rather than permanent. This, too, will pass. Events might appear to be having a specific impact on certain areas of life rather than having a pervasive impact on their entire life or future. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Using Humor as a Healing Tool Being able to appreciate and use humor appropriately, whether it’s "sick" or "dark" often depends on the setting. Laughter has healing powers. If you're not feeling well; watch a funny movie, listen to humorous audios or tapes. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

We must remember “WE” are not always “Stakeholder but “Shareholder”. At the end of the day “we are serving the same person”.

Self Care in Effect Being able to take care of yourself by having a good diet, exercise, financial "health,” can be beneficial to anyone's whole health. First responders and health care professionals are often major offenders in this area. We often assume that the rules do not apply to us, but they do,, so we must make sure we continue to heal the healer and the support we need. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Finding Purpose… Being able to find purpose and meaning makes sense out of what is happening and to find meaning in it. It is critical if we are to be able to manage the feelings that are aroused in a crisis. Remember when people are in crisis, its not a teaching moment. Comfort first, teach later Spiritual and religious practices are often a component of this factor, because it assist us in acting on our values. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Service Work can come from those you Serve Being able to care for others physically and emotionally is as important as cutting-edge medicine. Occupations and volunteer activities build resilience, and this can be volunteering in a food bank, reading mail, running errands, intentional support or just listening. thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Celebrate the Services and supports That Work! The results from investing in the client-partners we serve yields a high interest on the our return. If a services works, replicate and celebrate! thehouseofsharon@msn.com

References and Resources The Broadway House of Continuing Care (2013) The Scarborough Public Library: Being Resilient (2013) Building Organizational Resilience to HIV/AIDS: Implications for Capacity Building; Rick James (2005) thehouseofsharon@msn.com

Contact Information Sharon D. Wise, M.H.S., C.P.S. The House of Sharon thehouseofsharon@msn.com 202-487-9083 thehouseofsharon@msn.com