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A Trauma-Informed Approach

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Your Facilitators

Kate Endries, BGCA

Jossette Footmon-Smith &

Susan Landrum, VOX ATL

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Community-Builder Question

1 thing that’s brought you joy in this time …

NAME, ORGANIZATION, ROLE, PRONOUNS & ...

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Group Agreements

What do you need in order to feel comfortable

connecting today?

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How Are You?

Click your “stamp” on the screen by the Emoji that represents how you’re feeling today…

Then SHARE in the CHAT why you chose that emoji.

A Trauma-Informed Check-in...

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A Moment of Reflection

Why did we take all of this time to set the stage and connect?

Intersection of youth-development best practices and a trauma-informed approach

You can use each of these activities virtually or in person

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What is trauma?

Trauma is an event, or series of events, that is experienced as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and leads to lasting negative effects on the individual’s mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being

What is a trauma-informed approach?

A trauma informed approach is defined as an organizational perspective and practice that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma by integrating trauma awareness, knowledge, and skills into organizational cultures, practices and policies.

What is Trauma: Trauma can be ongoing, such as severe bullying, chronic poverty, childhood abuse or neglect, or a single event, like the loss of caregiver due to death, deployment or incarceration.  Traumatic stress has long-term impacts on brain development, and can influence how youth understand and respond to others, and situations.  Youth who have experienced trauma can develop lifelong challenges mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally.  

TIC Approach: It is not a prescribed set of practices or procedures, but rather is an approach guided by SAMHSA’s Six Key Principles to Trauma Informed-Care – safety, trustworthiness & transparency, peer support, collaboration & mutuality, empowerment, voice & choice, and culture, historical, & gender issues.  This allows for customization based on setting and location for each organization.  

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What does a trauma-informed approach look like for Clubs?

Trauma-informed care is a journey, not a destination.

Safety	Organizational leadership, and Youth Development Professionals prioritize physical and emotional safety to ensure all staff, youth, and families feel safe at the Club or Youth Center.
Trustworthiness & Transparency	Organizational decisions are made with transparency with the goal of building and maintaining trust with staff, youth, and families.
Peer Support	Youth Development Professional colleague relationships, youth to youth peer relationships, and caregiver involvement lead to further enhancing safety, hope, trust, and collaboration.
Collaboration & Mutuality	Organizational leadership works collaboratively with Youth Development Professionals in the decision-making process, and Club or Youth Center staff partner with youth and families to shape organizational practice.  The organization recognizes that everyone has a role to play and brings value.
Empowerment, Voice & Choice	Organizational leadership, Youth Development Professionals, and youth and families are recognized and valued for their strengths and contributions to the Club or Youth Center.  Each is provided opportunity to participate in shared decision-making, choice, and goal setting.
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues	Organizational leadership, and Youth Development Professionals actively work to eliminate stereotypes, bias, and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, gender identity, and socioeconomic status through Club or Youth Center policies and practices.

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What does a trauma-informed approach look like for Clubs?

Discussion Activity

Safety	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?
Trustworthiness & Transparency	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?
Peer Support	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?
Collaboration & Mutuality	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?
Empowerment, Voice & Choice	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues	How can you demonstrate a commitment to this trauma-informed value?

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a Trauma-informed Approach

in Youth Programming

Trauma-informed care is youth development best practice!

Shifting your mindset from “What is wrong with you?” to “What has happened to you?”

Taking a holistic approach - not only meeting youth where they are, but accepting them for who they are right now �

Strategies for Youth Impacted by Trauma

Assume everyone is dealing with or has dealt with trauma

Control is seriously affected by trauma and is central to development

Learning to not undermine competence is crucial

Everyone thinks concretely in times of crisis

Balance love, warmth, and monitoring�

Atlanta Word Works - establishes norms around sharing and interacting with one another - for open mics/slams - noting on the front end that this is a space of love and affirmations; allows for youth to affirm one another through snaps, claps, and sayings like “go in poet”, sending energy to one another when they’re sharing something difficult or are visibly emotional

Making space for individuals to check in on their emotions and walk away if they need to, debrief with an adult or peer, or just acknowledge what they’re feeling in the moment

Taking care of the body - making sure there’s always snacks and water on hand, getting the body moving with an active game/energizer like zip zap zop, maybe doing a yoga pose, or a breathing activity to bring awareness to the body

Check ins - could include temperature checks to see individuals general energy level or how they’re feeling about a particular activity, having youth make process choices around how a particular activity will go or lead an activity they have experience with. Guided prompts using art to talk about difficult topics - collaging, writing prompts, etc.

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a Trauma-informed Approach

in Youth Programming

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Activities to Incorporate for One Time Meetings

Agreements/Intention setting

Affirmations and setting the tone in your space (positive energy, affirming, welcoming)

Allowing time for reflection and debriefs

Activities to Incorporate for Recurring Groups

Taking Care of the Body (Food, Movement, Mindfulness)

Stress management (Check ins, allowing youth to lead/have a say, guided prompts)

Josie and Susan here

Atlanta Word Works - establishes norms around sharing and interacting with one another - for open mics/slams - noting on the front end that this is a space of love and affirmations; allows for youth to affirm one another through snaps, claps, and sayings like “go in poet”, sending energy to one another when they’re sharing something difficult or are visibly emotional

Making space for individuals to check in on their emotions and walk away if they need to, debrief with an adult or peer, or just acknowledge what they’re feeling in the moment

Taking care of the body - making sure there’s always snacks and water on hand, getting the body moving with an active game/energizer like zip zap zop, maybe doing a yoga pose, or a breathing activity to bring awareness to the body

Check ins - could include temperature checks to see individuals general energy level or how they’re feeling about a particular activity, having youth make process choices around how a particular activity will go or lead an activity they have experience with. Guided prompts using art to talk about difficult topics - collaging, writing prompts, etc.

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Next Steps for Integrating Trauma-Informed Approaches:

Learn more about trauma by reviewing the following resources:
CDC’s Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html
CDC’s Trauma Informed Care Infographic: https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/infographics/6_principles_trauma_info.htm

Learn about how to integrate trauma informed approaches into your Club or Youth Center:
SAMHSA Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma Informed Approach: https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Trauma Informed Care resources: https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care

Begin to define what a trauma informed approach looks like in you at your Club or Youth Center and make a plan for improvement.

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Closing Curtain

Share a 6-word reflection in in response to one of the following prompts:

What’s one thing you learned today?

What’s one thing you’re feeling right now?

What’s one thing you’ll do differently as a result of our time together?

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(But wait, There’s More…)

Self-Care

Accountability

As you head out, stop in a breakout with a partner and answer the following prompt:

What’s one thing I’ll do to take care of myself this week?