1. TAKING ACTION Supporting those who have experienced trauma Rob Pineau White Rock RCMP Victim Services Coordinator

2. Who can be Traumatized Any individual, anytime, anywhere Families, friends, colleagues Witnesses Communities where individual(s) impacted Cultures Service Providers/Caregivers

3. Trauma and Victims of Crime Single Event – may experience a single traumatic event Compounding/Chronic Events – Event adds to past trauma, i.e. family violence, historical abuse, grief, or major life or work changes Impact of trauma - will depend on factors such as duration/frequency, relation to person causing trauma, age

4. Aftermath of Traumatic Event Physical Reactions  Fight/Flight/Freeze response  Sleeping/eating disruptions  Cognitive Reactions  Confusion, tunnel vision, brain ‘fog’  Intrusive thoughts/images  Emotional Reactions  Guilt, anxiety, denial, anger….  Grief, sorrow, frustration, shame….

5. What Can You Do? Assist the person by focusing on: 1. Respect and trust 2. Promote safety – physical and emotional 3. Strengths based perspective 4. Empathy and being non-judgemental 5. Validate difficult emotions Remember, what happened to them was bad, they are not a bad person

6. What Can You Do? 6. Guide them to relevant information 7. Report or seek assistance from service providers 8. Sense of control in their lives 9. Self-care and return to ‘routines’ 10. Be with them, rather than “do” for/to them Encourage professional support where trauma reactions interfere with ability to cope effectively in daily living

7. Resources 911 for emergency services VictimLink 1-800-563-0808 Police-based Help for Victims of Crime and Trauma – Victims of all types of crime and trauma are assisted by more than 90 police-based victim services programs located in RCMP detachments and municipal police departments throughout B.C. – Call local detachment non-emergency, VictimLink or White Rock Victim Services – 778-593-3608 Community-based Help for Victims of Family and Sexual Violence B.C. has more than 60 community-based programs located throughout the province that assist victims of family and sexual violence. Community-based victim service programs are available whether or not the victim has reported the crime to police. Call VictimLink for agencies available in your area.