"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
6 Necessary Safety Categories
The below attachment is adapted from the Sanctuary Model. Positive Human Development adds the 5th and 6th categories of medical 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.
The foundational principle of Positive Human Development is that recovery from trauma is possible. Trauma-informed care is critical for children and families in crisis. All trauma survivors deserve to experience safe environments to heal in and all trauma survivors possess the ability to thrive in their communities. Reducing rates of retraumatization in treatment and social service environments can increase rates of resiliency and recovery while also promoting enhanced positive program outcomes. Our primary objective is to promote trauma-informed care with current research & methodology, evidence-based practices, consultation and advocacy for mental health consumers and professionals.
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The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care discusses Positive Human Development in the following on-line newsletter:
Dynamic New Partnerships Created to Build Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) into State Mental Health Systems
Agencies
Friends of the Children
French American International School
Empowerment Initiatives
The Inn Home
CASA of Oregon
Grand Ronde Tribal Court Program
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
Oregon Mentor Conference
Positive Human Development offers an integrated model of evidence-based practices and empirically grounded theories that promote person-directed solutions. This model of recovery seeks to eliminate stigma while promoting dignity and hope. This model can successfully combat negative stereotypes through the following sound theories and practices:
~ Interpersonal Neurobiology
~ Positive Youth Development
~ Recovery Model
~ Attachment Theory
~ Harm Reduction
~ Developmental Assets & Protective Factors
~ Social Learning Theory
~ Emotional Traumatology
Empirical research demonstrates 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 safe environments. Professionals interacting with individuals experiencing mental health challenges must understand that opportunities for positive human development exist for everyone, regardless of age and regardless of diagnosis.
Positive Human Development strives to enable individuals with mental health challenges to be active and thriving participants in their community. Gone are the days when it is acceptable to imply families do not have the right to hope for effective treatments, positive interpersonal interactions, and promising futures. Through trauma-informed care principles, Positive Human Development can 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.
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
| final_report_executive_summary_05_16_09.pdf |
| final_report_05_16_09.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. Ally participated in the Communities Empowering Youth grant, in partnership with Portland State University and Looking Glass in Eugene, Oregon, to conduct qualitative case study research of agencies serving homeless and runaway youth throughout the state of Oregon. Findings from this work can be found in the "Stronger Youth and Smarter Communities: An Analysis of Oregon's Investment in Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs" executive summary and final report (see Executive Summary and final report below).
Ally contributed to the development of a comprehensive training curriculum for the State of Oregon which incorporated interpersonal neurobiology and attachment theory to address how to reduce trauma experienced by children during the initial out-of-home placement process in child abuse investigations. Additionally, Ally infused interpersonal neurobiology into a teen parenting curriculum designed for the Portland Public School District.
Ally has incorporated current evidence-based practice techniques and current research in the area of interpersonal neurobiology, providing technical assistance and comprehensive trainings to agencies and individuals working with children and families impacted by trauma.
Ally Jamieson earned her Masters Degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) on the Social Service Administration and Leadership (SSAL) track from Portland State University's Graduate School for Social Work and begins her doctoral work at the University of British Columbia's School of Social Work in September 2011, where she will continue her work to transform the field to prioritize trauma-informed care as its fundamental tenet.
Positive Human Development
Portland, OR.
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Informative Documents
| Biology of Trauma.pdf |
| Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community.pdf |
Positive Youth Development Resource Manual from ACT For Youth Center of Excellence
The pdf of this manual is posted below, but the ACT For Youth Center of Excellence website offers additional valuable resources
The Search Institute
The Search Institutes list and activities for fostering developmental assets
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.
