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Building Bridges in Our Building Bridges in Our
Communities During Communities During
Times of TraumaTimes of Trauma
Chris MercerChris Mercer
College of the North Atlantic, Stephenville, NLCollege of the North Atlantic, Stephenville, NL
Is there a Is there a rolerole for post for post secondary secondary counsellorscounsellors in in building bridgesbuilding bridges to other to other
human services human services professionals within our professionals within our
communities?communities?
OverviewOverview
Where have we been?Where have we been?Where are we?Where are we?Where are we going?Where are we going?
ContextContext Trauma in the CommunityTrauma in the Community Thinking Outside of the BoxThinking Outside of the Box Issues & SolutionsIssues & Solutions What We’ve LearnedWhat We’ve Learned SummarySummary
OverviewOverview
TraumaTrauma Trauma comes from Latin for woundTrauma comes from Latin for wound Wound can be in body, mind, spirit, Wound can be in body, mind, spirit,
relationshipsrelationships Predominant therapeutic models are Predominant therapeutic models are
individually focused, pathology based, individually focused, pathology based, aim to identify & reduce symptoms of aim to identify & reduce symptoms of post traumatic stress (Walsh, 2007)post traumatic stress (Walsh, 2007)
Community TraumaCommunity Trauma Impact of traumatic events on Impact of traumatic events on
communities is on a continuumcommunities is on a continuum Trauma has potential to change Trauma has potential to change
communities basic assumptions communities basic assumptions –SafetySafety
–ControlControl
–Being able to make sense of eventsBeing able to make sense of events
Community TraumaCommunity Trauma Natural helping systems may be Natural helping systems may be
insufficient during times of traumainsufficient during times of trauma–Non-existent Non-existent
–Severely disruptedSeverely disrupted
Communities have various levels of Communities have various levels of success in dealing with traumasuccess in dealing with trauma
Community TraumaCommunity Trauma Potential risks to communities of long Potential risks to communities of long
lasting difficulties in social, family, or lasting difficulties in social, family, or individual functioning individual functioning
Communities may need help Communities may need help recovering from traumatic eventsrecovering from traumatic events
On individual level: trauma can lead to: On individual level: trauma can lead to: – Stress disorders, addictions, domestic Stress disorders, addictions, domestic
problems, coping problemsproblems, coping problems
Community TraumaCommunity Trauma Multi-systemic, resilience oriented practice Multi-systemic, resilience oriented practice
approach (Rutter, 1999; Walsh, 2007)approach (Rutter, 1999; Walsh, 2007)– Recognizes community impact of traumaRecognizes community impact of trauma
– Contextualizes distressContextualizes distress
– Attends to effects through relational networks Attends to effects through relational networks
– Aims to strengthen community resourcesAims to strengthen community resources
Community wide responses are most Community wide responses are most effective when centrally coordinated effective when centrally coordinated
ContextContext Newfoundland & Labrador – pop. approx Newfoundland & Labrador – pop. approx
500,000500,000 Bay St. George region – pop. approx Bay St. George region – pop. approx
25,00025,000 Stephenville – pop. approx 8000Stephenville – pop. approx 8000
– Site of former US Air Force BaseSite of former US Air Force Base College of North Atlantic local campusCollege of North Atlantic local campus
– approx 600 full time studentsapprox 600 full time students– 200 Residence/400 Commuters 200 Residence/400 Commuters
ContextContext 1970s/80s: high need/service gaps 1970s/80s: high need/service gaps Collaboration opportunities? Collaboration opportunities? DIY ethicDIY ethic Result: multi-disciplinary/agency Result: multi-disciplinary/agency
initiativesinitiatives
–Increased community capacity to Increased community capacity to meet needs of individuals/groupsmeet needs of individuals/groups
ContextContext 1990s/2000s: renewed interest/ 1990s/2000s: renewed interest/
need for increased capacity/ need for increased capacity/ community trauma response community trauma response
Initial stakeholdersInitial stakeholders–counsellors representing college, social counsellors representing college, social
work, mental health, secondary schoolwork, mental health, secondary school
Goal: collaboration on Goal: collaboration on community trauma responsecommunity trauma response
The Hidden AgendaThe Hidden Agenda Was there an opportunity to:Was there an opportunity to:
–Increase local community capacity/ Increase local community capacity/ skill levels for trauma response?skill levels for trauma response?
–Include both professionals AND Include both professionals AND community members?community members?
–Get someone to pay for it?Get someone to pay for it?–Role(s) for College? Role(s) for College?
Barriers to collaborationBarriers to collaboration No sense of urgencyNo sense of urgency Concerns around: Concerns around:
– Turf Turf – Leadership/Ownership Leadership/Ownership – LogisticsLogistics– LiabilityLiability– Informed consent/confidentialityInformed consent/confidentiality– Direct versus indirect servicesDirect versus indirect services– WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)
For some team members:For some team members:
Success defined by professional Success defined by professional competencies and high levels of competencies and high levels of individual achievement; not individual achievement; not necessarily by team building and necessarily by team building and collaboration skills.collaboration skills.
Trauma & CommunityTrauma & Community Stephenville (late 90s) = limited Stephenville (late 90s) = limited
experience with community trauma; experience with community trauma; limited capacity for coordinated limited capacity for coordinated response; desire to increase capacityresponse; desire to increase capacity
What changed the status quo?What changed the status quo?
Counsellors from all agencies Counsellors from all agencies volunteered to provide servicesvolunteered to provide services–Debriefing (short term/immediate)Debriefing (short term/immediate)
–Defusing (short term/immediate)Defusing (short term/immediate)
–Counselling (longer term if possible)Counselling (longer term if possible)
ResponseResponse
Trauma & CommunityTrauma & Community Stephenville (post traumatic events) Stephenville (post traumatic events)
= experience = experience What did we learn?What did we learn? Responses were effective Responses were effective BUTBUT
spontaneous, uncoordinated, difficult spontaneous, uncoordinated, difficult to replicate/evaluate to replicate/evaluate
Thinking Outside the BoxThinking Outside the Box
Trauma mandate Trauma mandate ≠ any single ≠ any single stakeholder stakeholder
Steering group Steering group –Goal: find a corporate sponsorGoal: find a corporate sponsor
Best Fit = regional health authority Best Fit = regional health authority
Thinking Outside the BoxThinking Outside the Box
HOWEVER: initiative is HOWEVER: initiative is collaborative and multi-disciplinarycollaborative and multi-disciplinary
Not owned solely by regional health Not owned solely by regional health authorityauthority
Working group evolved into Working group evolved into Community Trauma Assessment Community Trauma Assessment TeamTeam
Building the BridgeBuilding the Bridge Multidisciplinary, multi-agency working Multidisciplinary, multi-agency working
groupgroup Redefined vision/missionRedefined vision/mission
– Response versus assessmentResponse versus assessment Strategic plan Strategic plan
– Included needs assessment, deliverables, Included needs assessment, deliverables, evaluation evaluation
Growing the team: additional members Growing the team: additional members invitedinvited– clergy, police, EMO clergy, police, EMO
Service Canada
Hospital Representative
Victim Services
Human Resources,
Labor, & Employment
College Counsellor
School Board Representative
CommunityRepresentative
Social Workers
Local Police
School GuidanceCounsellor
School Psychologist
Mental HealthCounsellors
Clergy
CommunityTrauma
AssessmentTeam
Issues & SolutionsIssues & Solutions ConfidentialityConfidentiality Information sharingInformation sharing Privacy legislationPrivacy legislation Liability Liability Different Codes of PracticeDifferent Codes of Practice Different employers/scope of Different employers/scope of
work/unionswork/unions Different policies and proceduresDifferent policies and procedures
Issues & SolutionsIssues & Solutions
Most issues needed to be negotiated Most issues needed to be negotiated as a teamas a team
Solutions are usually specific to Solutions are usually specific to individual teamindividual team
Team has spent considerable time Team has spent considerable time looking at fundamental assumptionslooking at fundamental assumptions–Helps mitigate barriers (i.e. diversity)Helps mitigate barriers (i.e. diversity)
Issues & SolutionsIssues & Solutions
Moved beyond assessment and Moved beyond assessment and planning stagesplanning stages
Delivers coordinated trauma Delivers coordinated trauma services to local areaservices to local area–Assessment of need and responseAssessment of need and response
Could include debriefing and defusingCould include debriefing and defusing
–Educational sessionsEducational sessions
–Training opportunitiesTraining opportunities
What We’ve LearnedWhat We’ve Learned Someone has to begin to build the Someone has to begin to build the
bridgebridge–College and University Counsellors College and University Counsellors
are well positioned to provide are well positioned to provide leadership to communityleadership to community
Community Capacity Building
Adult EducationPost Secondary Counselling
Community Trauma Response Capacity
DIAGRAM: Relationship between Counselling, Adult Education, and Community Capacity Building.
What We’ve LearnedWhat We’ve Learned Engaging other agencies requires a Engaging other agencies requires a
will to make collaboration workwill to make collaboration work–DESPITE inherent barriers with multi-DESPITE inherent barriers with multi-
disciplinary teamsdisciplinary teams i.e. differing policies, protocols, guidelines, i.e. differing policies, protocols, guidelines,
orientations, assumptions orientations, assumptions
Requires a sense of timing Requires a sense of timing
What We’ve LearnedWhat We’ve Learned Sustaining initiative requires high Sustaining initiative requires high
degree of trust among team degree of trust among team membersmembers
Assumption that team has collective Assumption that team has collective concern for the common good concern for the common good
Next StepsNext Steps Continues to be work in progressContinues to be work in progress Training upcoming in June 2007 and Training upcoming in June 2007 and
Fall 2007Fall 2007– Looking at other training possibilities Looking at other training possibilities
Planning community education eventsPlanning community education events Assessing and responding to trauma in Assessing and responding to trauma in
the communitythe community
Summary RemarksSummary Remarks The Community Trauma Assessment The Community Trauma Assessment
Team continues to provide coordinated Team continues to provide coordinated response to trauma in the Bay St. response to trauma in the Bay St. George areaGeorge area
Successes in both building bridges and Successes in both building bridges and in addressing traumatic events in addressing traumatic events translates into a safer, more caring translates into a safer, more caring community community
ReferencesReferencesRutter, M. (1999). Resilience concepts and findings: Implications for family Rutter, M. (1999). Resilience concepts and findings: Implications for family
therapy. therapy. Journal of Family TherapyJournal of Family Therapy, 21, 119–144., 21, 119–144.
Walsh, F. (2007). Traumatic Loss and Major Disasters: Strengthening Walsh, F. (2007). Traumatic Loss and Major Disasters: Strengthening Family and Community Resilience. Family and Community Resilience. Family Process,Family Process, 4646 (2), 207–227. (2), 207–227.