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

Thank YouThank You

© College of the North Atlantic © College of the North Atlantic 20072007

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.