Trauma Matters - December 2007

The e-Newsletter from CMHS' National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

NCTIC Dare to Transform Conference Shifted to July 11-12, 2008

On July 11 and 12, 2008 in Washington, DC, NCTIC will host Dare to Transform: Revolutionizing Mental Health and Human Services, a 2-day learning exchange and networking transformation forum to highlight useful and practical strategies for moving forward together with the implementation of trauma-informed care. The conference was originally slated for July 9-10 but has been rescheduled to July 11-12.

The forum will mark a first step toward creating a trauma-informed network for the personal exchange of implementation knowledge and strategies for the transformation to trauma-informed care across the spectrum of health and human services. Many organizations, programs, and services have helped to foster this revolution, and the knowledge gained by each can speak to a wide array of program concerns.

The forum is designed for those with expertise in how to do it, for those in the process of learning how to do it, and for those who are considering what to do and how to do it. Administrators and those providing staff support, service providers, consumers and survivors, and representatives of outside groups who have a stake in this revolutionary transformation are all invited and welcome.

Registration and additional information about Dare to Transform will be available by February 1, 2008.

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NCTIC Joins Forces with USDOJ to Address Trauma and Domestic Violence

NCTIC will provide expert consultation on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to develop a trauma training curriculum for domestic violence service providers and technical assistance contractors.

This cross-program collaboration will take place through an OVW contract with Witness Justice, which is designing and developing a web-based training and education program to address trauma and other key concerns of domestic violence survivors and service providers across the nation.

"The trauma of domestic violence is among the most destructive, but overlooked or neglected, of all violent traumas," said Susan Salasin, CMHS Project Officer of NCTIC. "We are grateful to work together with OVW on this critical issue facing survivors and service providers."

Click here for more ...

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WCDVS Report Affirms Role of Peer Support, Consumer Input

A report on one of the trauma interventions implemented as part of SAMHSA's Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS) concludes that both peer support and consumer involvement can be key factors to successful trauma treatment.

Implementing an Evidence-Based Practice: Seeking Safety Group (Vivian B. Brown, Ph.D.; Lisa M. Najavits, Ph.D.; Sharon Cadiz, Ed.D.; Norma Finkelstein, Ph.D.; Jennifer P. Heckman, Ph.D.; and Elke Rechberger, Ph.D.), which was published recently in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, assessed detailed feedback from both clients and clinicians on Seeking Safety, an intervention designed to address trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

Under WCDVS, nine sites chose or developed a trauma-specific intervention to add to their programs. Four of the sites--located in Los Angeles, CA; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; and Stockton, CA--chose the Seeking Safety program. 

"Results were quite consistent in indicating highly positive views of the group treatment by both clients and clinicians," the report reads.

"Another critical thread in the implementation of the new practice was the consideration of consumer input at all stages," the report concludes.  "In addition, consumer/survivor/recovering or peer women who served as cofacilitators had a special advantage of 'safety credibility.' These peers are perceived as trustworthy and less likely to have selfish motives."

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SAMHSA Study Highlights Veterans' Psychological Distress, Substance Use

SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report reveals that an estimated 1.8 million military veterans experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year.

The report indicates that younger veterans (ages 18-25), female soldiers, and those with annual family incomes of less than $20,000 were more likely to have higher rates of SPD and substance use disorders (SUDs), or both.

Among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who received care from the Department of Veterans Affairs between 2001 and 2005, nearly-one third were diagnosed with mental health and/or psychosocial problems and one-fifth were diagnosed with a substance use disorder. And research indicates that male veterans in the general U.S. population are at an elevated risk of suicide.

As tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other global hotspots place more U.S. troops and their families under greater strain, there is a growing need to provide adequate mental health services and trauma treatment programs to those serving in the armed forces.

Click here to access the full report.

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Crime Victim Trauma Workshop Coming in Florida

The Victim Services Center in Miami is offering a Traumatic Incident Resolution (Reduction) workshop for service providers in Miami, Florida, from Jan. 9-12, 2008.

Teresa Descilo, MSW, founder of Miami's Victim Services Center and a certified Trauma Specialist (CTS) with more than 25 years in the field, teaches a client-centered exposure treatment.

Click here for more ...

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Wisconsin Trauma Summit Sets Stage for Statewide Transformation

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services has issued a summary of its May 2007 Trauma Summit as a next step in the state's effort to implement statewide trauma-informed care (TIC).

In addition to a synopsis of the summit, the report includes the results of discussion and brainstorming of four workgroups addressing: children and families; mental health and substance abuse; public health; and long-term support. 

Building public awareness of trauma and implementing trauma-informed services across the spectrum of health and human services are cited as key goals. Other workgroup recommendations include:

• Advocating for trauma to be included in higher education programs (e.g. social work, nursing education);
• Promoting the use of trauma screening and assessments in all health and human services;
• Requesting MA-HMOs to incorporate trauma-informed services as part of quality improvement processes; and
• Adding TIC language and provisions to contracts with agencies that provide services on behalf of the state.

Click here to access the full report.

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Calendar of Events

2008

February 28-29
American Psychological Association Summit on Violence and Abuse in Relationships in Bethesda, MD

March 13-16
Psychotherapy Networker 2008 Symposium East in Washington, DC

March 26-30
American Counseling Association 2008 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Honolulu, HI

July 11-12
National Center for Trauma-Informed Care's Dare to Transform: Revolutionizing Mental Health and Human Services in Washington, DC

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