how professionals can support young children and families in … · 2020. 8. 27. · support...
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How Professionals can Support Young Childrenand Families in Managing Stress
Molly Strothkamp, MSW, LCSW, IMH-E®
Southwest Human Development
First Things First Summit
September 1st 2020
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Preparing to talk about babies, parents, the pandemic, and you
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Safety and Hope
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Children Need…
Safety
Consistency
Predictability
An Emotionally Available Caregiver
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The Importance of Relationships
Attachment relationships may be a “protective” factor or a “risk” factor
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Experiencing the Pandemic
A shared experience and at the same time, a completely different and unique experience for everyone
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The Potential Impact of the Pandemic
Health and Safety concerns
Job and Financial InsecurityFood Insecurity
Changes in Support Systems/Connections
School/Child-care Challenges
Confusion/Misinformation/Lack of Information
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Inequities
Racial
Health
Financial
Resources
Access to…medical care, testing, food, toilet paper, etc.
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Potential Impact
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Concerns about Potential Increases in Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
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“The burden has fallen heavily on those least able to bare it”
- Jerome Powell• \
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The Potential Impact of the Pandemic on Children
Changes/Disruptions to routines
Parental/caregiver worries and stresses
Environmental/worldwide changes- social distancing, masks
Potential impact on the child-parent relationships
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Potential Concerns
Changes in developmental progression
Changes in daily functioning• Sleeping• Eating
New fears
Parent/Caregiver concerns
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The Parallel Process
How do parents provide safety and protection if they don’t feel it?
How do we provide safety and protection if we don’t feel it?
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Development Continues
Support parents and children in finding joy (while holding space for all feelings, experiences, and reality)
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In Support of Children and Families
Foundation of Safety
Routine
Consistency
Predictability
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How We Can Help
Holding in mind
Acknowledging ambiguity
Speaking the unspeakable
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How We Can Help
Work to understand and validate the feelings and experiences of caregivers
Stay with feelings, resist the urge to “fix” feelings
Support caregivers in getting their own help when needed
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In Support of Children and Families…
Connection
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Caring about children means caring about their caregivers
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The Importance of You
To take care, we need to take care
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The Importance of You
Safety and HopeSpace for Our Own Feelings and WorriesTake Care of You
SupervisionConsultationConnection
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Resources
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Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Young Childrenwww.swhd.org/traumatraining
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