"There is no such thing as a spirit completely broken; therefore, all humans have the right to hope."
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~ Ally Jamieson, MSW
"Isolation is the darkroom where I go to develop my negatives."
~ Vickie Crane, 2009 Frontier Leadership Network conference
Trauma-Informed Care 2-day Workshop
October 28th & 29th, 2010
Portland, Oregon
This two-day workshop is open for all social workers and professionals working with people at high risk for having experienced trauma.
Day one will focus on the neurobiological, psychological, social and cultural responses to trauma. Vicarious trauma will also be explored in relation to prevention, identification, and techniques to reduce impact on self and others.
Day two will assist participants to develop a trauma-informed organization using evidence-based research and tools to increase positive program outcomes and sustain trauma-informed changes. Participants are required to attend the first day of this training in order to be admitted into this section of the workshop.
Click here to learn more.
Who has been trained by Positive Human Development?
Agencies
Empowerment Initiatives
The Inn Home
CASA of Oregon
Grand Ronde Tribal Court Programs
International French American School
Oregon Family Support Network
Tri-County Batterer Intervention Provider Network
Conferences
Frontier Leadership Network Conference
14th Annual International Conference on Abuse and Trauma
Shoulder to Shoulder Conference
Oregon Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
Homeless Youth Summit
6 Necessary Safety Categories
The below attachment is adapted from the Sanctuary Model. Positive Human Development adds 5th and 6th categories, medical safety and cultural safety.
Read the attached document below titled "Six Necessary Safety Categories" to learn specifics.
| six_necessary_safety_categories.pdf |
Trauma and Mental Health
At the heart of every human being are connections formed with other human beings. These bonds determine, to a large extent, how we respond to emotionally traumatic events, to what extent mental health issues dominate our ability to function on a daily basis, and how we experience resiliency and recovery from emotional trauma. In a very real sense, these relationships have the capacity to both harm and heal. This website will serve as an informational resource for those living with the consequences of emotional trauma, as well as a resource for those seeking the best ways to support a loved one or client on the road to recovery.
| phd_training_flyer.pdf |
Positive Human Development is a model that incorporates best practices that promote person-directed solutions with community supports that utilize respect, compassion, dignity, and hope while interacting with those seeking positive life change. This model seeks to eliminate stigma, and can successfully combat negative stereotypes through the following sound theories and practices:
~ Interpersonal Neurobiology
~ Positive Youth Development
~ Recovery Model
~ Attachment Theory
~ Harm Reduction
~ Developmental Psychology
~ Social Learning Theory
~ Emotional Traumatology
In upcoming months, all of these theories and practices will be explored on this website to demonstrate how, when combined, recovery and resiliency are possible in all mental health situations in varying degrees. Gone are the days when it is acceptable to keep those with the greatest challenges invisible from the rest of society. Gone are the days when it is acceptable to imply families do not have the right to hope for better treatments, better interactions with family members, or better futures. Positive Human Development will be able to provide a road-map for professionals seeking to improve services for clients, as well as families seeking to improve experiences with helping professionals and family members.
Research suggests that the brain remains adaptable and continuously influenced by external experiences throughout a lifespan (Seigel, 2001; Barbas, 1995; Benes, 1998). This means that humans of all ages, with all challenges, have the ability to experience positive development in the right environments. Professionals interacting with individuals experiencing mental health challenges must understand that opportunities for positive human development exist for everyone, regardless of age.
The foundational premise of Positive Human Development is that there is no such thing as a spirit completely broken; therefore, all human beings have the right to hope.
For more information: ally@positivehumandevelopment.com
How many times have we said “that’s not fair” and been told “no one ever said life was fair” in our lifetime? If you are like most people, this exchange has happened at least a handful of times. There are a few different ways you may have approached this exchange. Perhaps you accepted that life isn’t fair and there was nothing you could do about it: Defeat. If this was the case suffering might have become a recurrent and unresolved theme in your life.
Maybe you heard this and thought you could find a way to make an unfair situation fairer. With this approach you might have experienced challenges associated with change and discovered there are many different ways to either succeed or fail in trying to effect change. Whichever road you travelled down, hardship was most likely a main component with varying levels of length and severity of suffering.
Resiliency is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, with the ability to bounce back after a literal or metaphorical ‘fall’. Early and middle childhood experiences and social connections play a critical role in determining to what extent we are able to experience resiliency throughout our lifetime. If a child is nourished with important protective factors, resiliency is a likely outcome. When equipped with the right tools parents, educators, mentors and peers all have the ability to provide an environment rich in protective factors.
To read more of this article, click HERE
Attachment Theory &
Interpersonal Neurobiology
If I experienced abandonment or abuse from early caregivers/parents, why do I seem to experience the same in adult relationships? Why do adverse childhood experiences greatly influence our ability to lead a happy and productive adult life?
Caring and supportive relationships provide an individual with trust in self and others, while at the same time increase self efficacy. Relationships shape and form how we view ourselves, as well as how we view the world around us.
Research has demonstrated that it is not the traumatic events in our lives that determine resiliency so much as how we make sense of those events that determine our ability to experience resiliency (Siegel, 1999).
For example, if I were physically abused as a small child and my way of making sense of the abuse was that I was to blame, I might expect similar traumatic abuse from others when I make a mistake. However, if I were to make sense of the abuse by viewing my abuser as having anger issues that are not related to me ("They are the jerk, not me!), I might not expect others to abuse me in a similar manner.
When caring and supportive relationships are present in our lives, we are often able to verbally express thoughts and feelings because it is safe to do so. This verbal expression enables something magical to happen in the brain: the left hemisphere integrates with the right hemisphere.
How so?
The left brain is responsible for logic and is in charge of verbalizing internal thoughts and feelings. The left hemisphere is also responsible for creating our life story, our autobiographical narrative. The right brain is predominantly non-verbal and is largely responsible for our perception of emotion, as well as mediation of the body's physiological and emotional state. "Retrieval of autobiographical memory appears to be mediated by the right hemisphere" (Solomon, 2003). Without this coherent narrative, we are less likely to be able to make sense of past traumatic experiences.
Additionally, we are less likely to have the ability to regulate posttraumatic responses (such as fight or flight) to perceived threats that are, in fact, not a threat at all (such as smelling something that takes us back to survival mode due to a triggered traumatic memory).
When we are able to verbalize our feelings and life experiences, we are enabling our left brain (verbal) to work with our right brain (non-verbal). In essence, we are giving ourselves the ability to make sense out of our past and present life experiences. Recall that how we make sense out of actual traumatic events impacts resiliency more than the actual trauma itself...caring and supportive relationships are key to resiliency for this and many other reasons (safety, bonding, self identity, self efficacy, etc.).
Why does this matter?
Traumatic experiences are associated with reduced connectivity of left and right brain hemispheres. Research indicates this separation as being due to hindered growth of a brain structure called the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres and enables neural integration to occur (Teicher, 2002; De Bellis et al., 1999a, 1999b). If the corpus callosum is unable to adequately integrate the left and right brain, a persons ability to achieve a coherent narrative of their life story is compromised (Solomon, 2003). Allan Schore describes describes the impact early childhood traumatic experiences have on the development of the right brain in an article titled Dysregulation of the Right Brain: A Fundamental Mechanism of Attachment and the Psychopathogenesis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
One of the benefits of caring and supportive relationships (i.e., healthy attachments) is the opportunity for individuals with a history of emotional trauma to integrate both hemispheres of their brain through verbal expression. The result of positive attachments is resiliency through a renewed ability to biologically and psychologically make sense of past trauma on ones own terms without threat of negative repercussions. **Thoughts and emotions are biological by nature...chemical-electrical messages exchanged between neurons in the brain. While they certainly offer philosophical meanings and abilities in problem-solving, thoughts and feelings determine the architectural structure of our brains while shaping the development of our minds.
Check out the Attachment page on this website to learn more about the theoretical foundations of Attachment Theory...
Current Conditions for Children in Oregon
Here are some statistics that indicate the current status of children in Oregon, which inspires some to ask questions pertaining to what kinds of managed treatment interventions are taking place and to what extent attachment theory is playing a role in said interventions.
Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) reported that in the fiscal year of 2005-2006 "approximately 107,916 children in the state experienced moderate levels of mental illness, while an additional 7,554 are afflicted with more severe mental health disorders". DHS also reported an estimation that more than 80% of children enrolled in the child welfare system exhibit developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Children First for Oregon reported that 12,043 children were abused, neglected, or experienced threat of harm in 2007 as evidenced by confirmed reports of abuse by Child Protective Services.
Having worked as an adolescent counselor within the past few years, I can safely reveal that "attachments" are discouraged by many residential care providers. Having worked in the runaway and homeless youth continuum over the past couple of years, I can safely share that these providers understand the importance of healthy attachments in the development of adolescent youth.
This might explain 1) why I saw more than a few former residential youth end up in runaway and homeless situations, and 2) why I witnessed these same youth excel with runaway and homeless youth providers. These providers understand the importance of caring and supportive relationships, while many residential treatment providers feel the need to label children with attachment disorders and encourage staff to avoid forming attachments with the very clients they work with day in and day out.
Is it no wonder that 80% of children in child welfare "exhibit developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges" according to the Department of Human Services?
The attached document below provides some additional statistics on the mental health of children ages 12-17.
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Positive Youth Development
Positive Youth Development can be described as a philosophical practice that strives to enable agencies, programs, and communities to engage youth in a manner that promotes positive and healthy transitions from adolescence to adulthood while enabling youth to reach their full developmental potential. To date, there is not a clear or concise definition of Positive Youth Development. However, there is overarching agreement by youth development professionals on which key principles are critical to be implemented by communities and programs that involve youth.
Due to this inconcise definition, practitioners are able to use their discretion in defining how Positive Youth Development is shaped in their program or community, contingent on implementation of key components. These core components include a strengths-based focus on creating opportunities, learning experiences, and supports that enable youth to feel connected to others, prepared for life events through multiple competencies, and enable youth to be engaged in meaningful activities.
Positive Youth Development Philosophy
Traditional approaches to working with youth tend to target specific youth, instruct youth on what they need to do to improve, and make plans for youth with little to no input from youth. This approach assumes that the adults or programs know what is best for the youth. Positive Youth Development doesn’t focus on the problems youth experience, but instead focuses on what youth need in order to thrive.
Programs implementing Positive Youth Development nurture positive outcomes by providing protective factors that serve to enable youth to direct themselves through their own competencies, belief systems, and desires. Homeless and runaway youth don’t desire to live their lives on the streets, but believe they have no other options for various different reasons. Agencies who implement Positive Youth Development work with youth in developing their own driven plan for getting off the streets while, at the same time, providing caring and supportive relationships that enable youth to develop wellness at their own pace and in their own unique way. Positive Youth Development also views youth as resources and partners who can make important contributions in planning and implementing activities in their communities. When all is said and done, PYD goals challenge communities to interact in ways that traditional services fail to address because youth wellness is not simply a job for professionals to take on so much as an obligation all community members carry.
For more information, see Positive Youth Development page
The Grayness of Positive Youth Development...
On paper it sounds simple, but then us crazy adults have to maintain being adults and it all seems to change into one amazing lesson that would impress Bill Cosby for sure! But would it impress Theo? (for those of you who grew up after the 1980's, check out Nick at Night, for those of you who know what I'm talking about, you are particularly at risk for falling down the slippery slope of, what I like to call, 'wisdom').
One of the multiple jobs I have that keep me sane is to be an adult ally for a team of youth and adults who train agencies on how to develop successful youth and adult partnerships. Trust me, this is more difficult than it sounds.
No offense to my peers, my fellow adult allies, but we truly are the ones making this work so difficult. We don't mean to. We have such wonderful intentions. It's that slippery slope of 'wisdom' I mentioned earlier. We think we have it, even the most humble of us, and even the most open-minded sage who believes the more they know the less they know. Yes, even that sage! If we could tell the younger version of ourselves how to avoid all the mistakes we made, wouldn't that be great?! We somehow actually believe that the 18 year-old us would hear our advice on promiscuity and substance abuse and be so impressed by the rightness of our words that the younger 'us' would abstain from both! Personally, the 18 year old me was not capable of learning from others mistakes...but maybe that's just me?
We see a youth wear a skimpy outfit and suffer consequences, so we step into the wise adult role, here to save the day. Our intentions are to teach the youth that they are losing their power every time they think they have to flaunt sexuality. We want to teach them that they are actually minimizing their own self worth and setting themselves up to be mistreated or devalued. We know this to be true. It is much better for a young woman to learn how to be heard and respected without having to sell her body. Much better for her self esteem and ability to gain self efficacy. I am not arguing otherwise.
Again, however, the 18 year old me was not capable of learning from others mistakes, something having to do with the influence of my brains biological developmental process on learning. So here's where the slippery slope of 'adult wisdom' comes into play...
What if the youth I am referring to has a history of sexual abuse? What if the youth I am referring to has a history of being emotionally victimized by both men and women, but has learned there IS power in dressing in revealing ways based on either genders reaction? Maybe their definition of power is different than our adult definition. What if, due to life experiences and natural brain development in parts of the brain concerning self consciousness, this teachable moment results in extreme self critique from the youth?
It is possible that the kind of 'power' adults are talking about(i.e., empowerment, self respect, dignity, value, ability to be heard) is not even close to being accepted as possible by the youth we are 'teaching' our amazing 'lesson' to. Maybe they believe such power and dignity is gained. Perhaps there is an 'if you got it flaunt it' attitude that takes great self confidence to embrace. Keep in mind, identity formation is necessary in all of our development and as young adults, trying on extreme identities is part of the process of finding the right fit.
Cosby might suggest youth will listen to adult wisdom because we will tell them to, ya know, like we did what we were told when we were young. Theo might argue no one CAN listen to something that makes no sense, and not many will listen to orders with an open heart so much as with a fearful heart, in which case, no lesson takes place of value. If youth are used to adults using/abusing their authority, then the lesson learned might look more like shame than pride.
This isn't to say the best of us would ever use language that is shaming to youth. However, by simply pointing out the "flaw" in their dress style, particularly in terms of their body showing too much skin, they might feel shame. And this is where the road to hell is paved with good intentions I believe.
What is a good approach to use?
One way around this is to open up a dialog about what specific place has a specific dress expectation. The conversation shouldn't necessarily include right or wrongs, so much as an exercise of logic around why there might be a formal or informal dress code. The conversation could transition to how the youth feels about this logic and how the adult feels about this logic. This is where both adults and youth can openly discuss personal experiences around dress codes...go figure, Cosby talking about himself??? Eventually, the idea is to focus on the real issue at stake...did the youth wish to only be seen and not heard, or did they want both? How could they have both? Does dress ever take attention away from voice? When an adult dresses goofy, how well are youth able to pay attention?
See, it truly goes both ways. And if a youth doesn't want to be seen and only heard, that's another issue altogether (hint: self image) and what a wonderful opportunity to explore why they don't wish to be seen. Notice I keep using the word 'why'...half the battle in any dilemma is awareness, not in finding that magical answer.
So what happened in approach as opposed to the lecture format, the wisdom-teaching feel-good moment? The youth was an active participant in thinking through their own views on dress appropriateness, while at the same time using other perspectives to formulate their own reasoning. Here is where adults get lost and ask such questions as "what if they come up with the wrong answer?"...to which I respond, "what if you are the one with the wrong answer?"
Will others always agree with us? We should hope not!!! Do we really want drones to follow us around telling us how right we are all the time? How will we continue to grow until we die if all those around us simply tell us we are right all the time? If you answered yes, then maybe you should re-evaluate working with human beings...or any non-reptilian life form. Wisdom, true wisdom, is in knowing we know much less than we think we do and being open to learning from others. Some of the most important life lessons I have learned have come from observing and learning from youth. Truly.
Think of it this way, when working with youth, awareness IS the answer for all parties. The rest can be considered the grayness of the in-between and that, my friends, is precisely where we want to be. There are few certainties in this world, and when it comes to individual life journeys, the only one with the right to claim certainty is the individual...until life changes their plans, then they will regroup like we all do.
Common Barriers to Successful Youth/Adult Partnerships
Many adults might think this to be difficult because it might be difficult to "keep youth on track" or "teach youth professional skills" or "teach youth how to speak in front of large groups" or "train youth on how to use critical thinking skills to think on the spot". Many adults might also think this partnership to be difficult because "it's hard to get youth interested in anything long enough to participate, then it's hard to keep them participating". At least, this is what other adults have shared with me. So here is the secret to all of those expressed views on why forming youth/adult partnerships is so difficult...THAT'S BUNK!!!! Why? Lets explore...
1. Difficult to "keep youth on track": If we view ourselves as needing to "keep youth on track"...we might need to. Give youth a task and time limit to make it happen and I guarantee it will get done without our superior interventions making it happen. Youth really truly are capable of great things, it's just our imposed limitations that hold them back oftentimes.
2. Difficult to "teach youth professional skills": It is no more difficult to teach a youth professional skills than it is to remind each other of what those 'professional skills' are. In fact, I might argue it's easier to teach professional skills to youth due to their cognitive development and seeming need to do things right...I can think of many, many, many adult peers who are resistant to learning any new professional skills because they think they already know what they need to, and 'how dare anyone suggest they need to know more'?!
3. "It's hard to get youth interested in anything long enough to participate, then it's hard to keep them participating": How many adult meetings would you EVER go to if you weren't required to in order to earn your paycheck? What makes these meetings so brutal? Conversations seem pointless at times, some people talk but some just sit there and don't participate, conversations are boring, topics are not interesting, we get hungry, we don't feel heard, personalities seem to be absent from all participants...must I go on? Well, these are all good reasons why youth wouldn't want to participate, so what are we doing to make events interesting, relevant, and inclusive? Youth must have a voice, must be allowed to be themselves, should have food, should not be dictated to, and topics should relate to them.
All that being said, gosh, youth and adults aren't that different. Apparently we are all human after all!
Whether we realize it or not, regardless of age, we are what we believe ourselves expected to be in group situations, to a certain degree. All of us of all ages (do a google scholar search on 'expectations' and 'behavior' and you will see what I mean).
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments about this posting! I am very open to critical feedback!
ally@positivehumandevelopment.com
| mhs_use_aged12-17_4p.pdf |
About the website developer...
Ally Jamieson has worked as an adolescent counselor with homeless and runaway youth, youth in residential care settings, and as a crisis intervention specialist with youth involved in the juvenile justice system in Portland, Oregon. Striving for broader systems change in social services, Ally is currently working on a research team conducting qualitative case study research of agencies serving homeless and runaway youth throughout the state of Oregon. Findings from this work will be shared throughout the state of Oregon and Nationally.
Additional research work involves developing training curriculum components for the State of Oregon in reducing trauma experienced by children during the initial out-of-home placement process. She will provide technical assistance to agencies and individuals working with children in the area of interpersonal neurobiology. Ally earned her Masters in Social Work (M.S.W.) degree from the Social Service Administration and Leadership (SSAL) track from Portland State University's Graduate School for Social Work.
Positive Human Development
Portland, OR.
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On-going website development
This site is currently being developed. Please feel free to send any comments or suggestions regarding what you would like to see or learn. A section describing Attachment theory has been added, and plans for the following additional sections will be posted in upcoming weeks: interpersonal neurobiology, Positive Youth Development, psychosocial development, social learning theory, emotional trauma, vicarious trauma, recovery, resiliency, and protective factors.
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Informative Documents
| Biology of Trauma.pdf |
| Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community.pdf |
Useful Mental Health Links:
Mental Health Association Oregon - Consumer Advocacy
David Baldwin's Trauma Pages - Information about the biology of trauma, attachment, and recovery information. This site is the BEST place to learn about current trauma research, scientific thoughts/inquiry around the impact of trauma, and evidence-based practices in recovery.
Useful Youth Service Provider Materials
Positive Youth Development Resource Manual
Act For Youth Center of Excellence
This manual provides instruction, activities, power point slides, research studies, and even handouts for training administrators and staff on Positive Youth Development. It is free and comes from Act For Youth at the following website: www.actforyouth.net
Below is the entire PDF ready for you to download.
| positive_youth_development_resource_manual.pdf |
Comments are welcomed...
Questions? ally@positivehumandevelopment.com
Recommended Reading:
Interpersonal Neurobiology
Cacioppo, J.T., Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. New York: WW Norton & Company
Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain that Changes Itself. New York: Viking
Gazzaniga, M.S. (2005). The Ethical Brain. New York: Dana Press
Iacoboni, M. (2008). Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Newberg, A., Waldman, M.R. (2006). Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering our biological need for meaning, spirituality, and truth. New York: Free Press
Schore, A.N. (2001). The Effects of a Secure Attachment Relationship on Right Brain Development, Affect Regulation, & Infant Mental Health. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22, 7-66.
Siegel, D. (1999). The Developing Mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. New York: The Guilford Press.
Solomon, M.F. & Siegel, D. (Eds.), (2003). Healing Trauma: Attachment, Trauma, the Brain, and the Mind. New York: Norton.
Wallin, D.J., (2007). Attachment in Psychotherapy. New York; The Guilford Press
Institutional Status
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. (1999). Position Statement on Seclusion and Restraint.
www.nasmhpd.org/general_files/position_statement/posses1.htm
US Department of Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services (2003). A National Call to Action: Eliminating the Use of Seclusion and Restraint. Summary Report. Washington, D.C.
Kutz, G.D., O’Connell, A. (2007). Residential Treatment Programs: Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth. Testimony Before the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives. United States Government Accountability Office.
Oregon Department of Human Services, (2006). Foster Care 2006. Department of Children, Adults, and Families. Salem, Oregon.
Pumariega, A.J. (2006). Residential Treatment for Youth: Introduction and a Cautionary Tale. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 76: 3, 281-284.
Other
Child Welfare League of America. Children’s Health Act of 2000 (H.R. 4365). Retrieved from website on May 19, 2008: www.cwls.org/advocacy/secreshr4365.htm
Dixen, L., McFarlane, W.R., Lefley, H., Lucksted, A., Cohen, M., Falloon, I., Mueser, K., Miklowitz, D., Solomon, P., Sondheimer, D. (2001). Evidence-Based Practices for Services to Families of People With Psychiatric Disabilities. Psychiatric Services. 52: 7, 903
Gehl, A. (2006). Community-Based Funded Programs: Outcomes Report. Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect. July 2005-June 2006.
Major, B., O’Brien, L.T. (2005). The Social Psychology of Stigma. Annual Review in Psychology. 56: 393-421
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice, (2003).Mental Health in Child Welfare: A Focus on Children and Families. Best Practice Next Practice, Family-Centered Child Welfare. Summer, 2003.