CREATING A TRAUMA-INFORMED WORKPLACE USING A HEALING

CENTERED APPROACHTerri Allred, MTS

Greater MN and SE Regional Coordinator

MN Council of Nonprofits

What’s the plan?

Define terms related to trauma

1

Explore individual coping and community care

2

Apply principles of a trauma-informed workplace to your organization

3

What is stress?

Stress is a biological, psychological, or social event. It occurs when internal or external demands strain or exceed our adaptive resources.

70% of adults in the US have

experienced some type of

traumatic event at least once

in their lives.

Individual Trauma

Trauma refers to intense and overwhelming experiences that involve serious loss, threat or harm to a person’s physical and/or emotional well being.

These experiences may occur at any time in a person’s life.

They may involve a single traumatic event or may be repeated over many years.

These trauma experiences often overwhelm the persons coping resources.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

■ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.

■ Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Mayo Clinic

Collective trauma

Collective trauma is a traumatic

psychological effect shared by a

group of people up to and including

an entire society. Traumatic events

can stir up collective sentiment,

often resulting in a shift in that

society's culture and mass actions.

Monnica T. Williams, PhD, ABPP

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome describes a

set of behaviors, beliefs and actions

associated with or, related to multi-

generational trauma experienced by African

Americans that include but are not limited to

undiagnosed and untreated posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) in enslaved Africans

and their descendants (Dr. Joy Degruy, 2005).

Historical Trauma

Historical trauma is the accumulative

emotional and psychological pain over an

individual’s lifespan and across generations

as the result of massive group trauma

(Yellow-Horse Brave Heart, 1995).

TRIGGERSA trigger is a reminder of a past trauma.

Flashback

A flashback is a vivid, often negative memory that may appear without warning. It can cause someone to lose track of their surroundings and “relive” a traumatic event.

Secondary Traumatic Stress

Develops as a result

of making empathic

connections to

traumatized

individuals.

Burn out

Can be the result of an unsupportive and demanding work environment.

Ways to impact burn out:

Rotating job locations

Varied projects

Change in position

Involvement in special projects that provide opportunities for professional development and a diverse workload

MOUNTAIN POSE

Assessing your stress level

Healthy

Toxic

Tolerable

Brief increases in heart rate, mild elevations in stress hormone levels, ample recovery time

Prolonged activation of stress response systems, few or no coping mechanisms or recovery periods

More significant stress response, buffered with coping mechanisms and supportive relationships

Physiological Stress Response

■ From http://www.women-health-info.com/716-Stress-hormones.html

Coping

A person’s efforts to master the demands of stress, including the thoughts, feelings, and actions that constitute those efforts.

Coping Strategies

•Use problem-focused coping!

Is there anything about this

situation that you can control?

•Use emotion-focused coping!

Is this a situation that you have no

control over?

19

Problem-focused coping might involve…

Self-advocacy BrainstormingProblem-solving

Skill-buildingCommunicating

with others involved

Developing new ways of doing

things

Emotion-focused coping might involve…

meditation and other relaxation techniques

Prayer positive reframing

avoidance techniques

seeking social support (or

conversely engaging in social withdrawal)

talking with others (including mental

health care professionals).

Self-Care Strategies

Self-Care (balance, healthy habits,

connection with others)

Nurturing yourself

(gentleness, a focus on

pleasure and comfort)

Escaping (activities that allow you to forget about

work, engage in fantasy and get

away from painful

feelings)

Self Compassion

■ Place your hands on your heart

and feel the warmth.

■ Breathe deeply in and out.

■ Speak these words to yourself.

This is a moment of suffering.

Suffering is a part of life.

May I be kind to myself in this

moment.

May I give myself the

compassion I need.

Gratitude■ Gratitude changes

everything. Practicing

gratitude helps you

maintain a positive

mood, achieve greater

emotional well-being,

and results in a higher

overall life satisfaction.

■ The most important

change you can make

with immediate impact

and minimal effort:

express positive

emotions to others.

Community Care

“Shouting ‘self-care’ at people who

actually need community care is how

we fail people.”- Nakita Valerio

What is community care?

“Community care means showing up; it means that when you find yourself in the position of being able to give more than you need to receive, you do so.

Ultimately, community care is a commitment to contributing in a way that leverages one’s relative privilege while balancing one’s needs. It’s trusting that your community will have you when you need support, and knowing you can be trusted to provide the same.”

https://www.flare.com/identity/self-care-new-zealand-muslim-attack/

Discussion

Is the concept of community care applicable to a workplace?

What are ways that your workplace members show up for community care?

Who receives community care at your workplace? Who doesn’t? Who receives without asking and who must ask to receive?

Are there interpersonal conflicts and strained relationships that impact our community’s ability to give and receive care?

Culture of Care

Balance trauma informed principles

with a healing centered approach.

Principles of a Trauma-Informed

Workplace

1- Understanding trauma and it’s impact

2- Promoting safety

3- Ensuring cultural competence

4- Sharing power and governance

7- Healing happens in relationships

Healing Centered ApproachShawn Ginwright, PhD

Recognize trauma and acknowledge trauma but

don’t get stuck in a deficit-based approach. People are

more than their trauma. Trauma is collective and

needs communal healing.

Strength-based, advances a collective view of healing,

and re-centers culture as a central feature in well-being.

4 basic steps for focused attention

■ Bring your focus to your breath

■ Notice that your mind has wandered off

■ Disengage from that train of thought

■ Bring your focus back to your breath and hold it there

(Wendy Hasenkamp, Emory University)

BUILDING A CULTURE OF CARE

LAUGH TOGETHER DURING SHARED

ACTIVITIES

Allow Vulnerability

“Vulnerability is about

showing up and being

seen. It’s tough to do

that when we’re

terrified about what

people might see or

think.”—Brené Brown

Engage in Honest Interactions

• Transparency

• State the facts and work

through the details

• Needs participation of all

parties present

Interact with Integrity

We hold ourselves to a standard of self-honesty.

We put our judgments aside and work from a place of presence and compassion.

This allows others to trust that their interaction with us is sincere and authentic.

Practice Empathy

• Not static event

• Takes practice

Listen Attentively

• Put everything else aside

• Give them your full attention

• Watch if your own personal

narrative starts getting in the way of

hearing

• If so, return back to listening, ask

questions, stay present.

Approach conflict with curiosity

■ Conflict is an

opportunity for

growth and deeper

understanding.

■ Commit to

approaching and

“leaning in” to

conflict rather than

avoiding it.

Find Opportunities for Shared Professional Growth

It only works though if the work

environment practices all the tenets above.

If not, then the event or personal growth

workshop will feel contrived, or worse yet,

unsafe to participants.

SHAKE DOWN

DIG WHERE THE GROUND

IS SOFT.~ CHINESE PROVERB