Supporting Resiliency: Promoting Trauma Informed & Resilience-Oriented Practices, Programs, and Policies for Health Centers

DATE:  Wednesday, January 29th 2020
TIME:  9:00am to 3:00pm. (Pacific)

Abundant and definitive research, such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study, demonstrates that exposure to traumatic events are highly correlated to chronic diseases, including addiction, later in life.  In their childhood, most everyone will experience at least one adverse childhood experience or toxic stressors that can resonate throughout their life.  And patients served by community health centers are more likely to have multiple adverse experiences due to social determinants of heath, thereby increasing their risk of chronic disease later in life. 

To develop and provide better care for patients and create sustainable environments for health care providers, health centers must be equipped with tools to integrate trauma-informed care principles codified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA, 2014) into clinical practice and the overall health center environment.  Moving towards a trauma-informed and resilient organization involves intentional humanistic and equitable approaches to systemic and organizational change.  This includes focusing on the interpersonal healing of all the adults in the system so that they can bring their whole, human selves to the important work they do to care for others. And when these people, from system leaders to providers and caregivers, are able to show up whole and human—staff can provide trauma informed care.

This in-person training will support health center leadership to understand the fundamentals of starting their organization on a path to becoming more trauma-informed and resilience oriented.  The content will blend the brain science of trauma, principles for building a safe environment for staff and patients, and present promising practices that health centers can employ to develop trauma-informed systems.  It will also offer resources and supports (including critical considerations for ACES screening implementation) to continue the journey post participation in the learning institute.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

• Develop a shared understanding and language about stress and trauma; resilience and healing; adverse child, community and climate experiences
• Understand the correlation between trauma and toxic stress on chronic diseases, connecting mental and physical health factors;
• Learn the components of a trauma-informed organizations and how to incorporate resilience-oriented best practices into one’s organization to prevent secondary trauma stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout;
• Develop strategies to sustain safe environments that screen employees for trauma history, avoid re-traumatization in staff, and promote resilience.

This workshop is being offered in collaboration with the Central Valley Health Network.

*CMES Available

RECOMMEND AUDIENCE
Organizational leadership.  Preferably health centers will bring teams of health center leadership (including but not limited to Executive Officer/Director, Medical Officer/Director, Operations Officer/Director, Behavioral Health Officer/Director, Human Resources Officer/Director, etc.) to build engagement and understanding of trauma-informed systems change moving forward. There is no limit to the number of team members per organization, however, if you intend to bring five or more people, please contact CPCA. 

Please Note, Travel reimbursement will be available for this workshop and reimbursement forms will be available day of. Please contact Charlotte Reische creische@cpca.org for more information. 

PRESENTERS

• Leora Wolf-Prusan, Director of Partnerships and Learning, Center for Applied Research Solutions & Specialist for the Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
• Elisa Nicholas, MD, MSOH Chief Executive Officer, TCC Family Health