Person-first approaches

[Mary Blake]

Here is a copy of NCTIC's fact sheet on person-first approaches to trauma informed services and care. One of the recurring themes is meeting people where they are at, building hope and relationahips, and the importance of cultural competency in establishing trust and engagement. Welcome any feedback from the community.

[No. Va. Dougster, CPS]

Thanks for posting in PDF instead of that darn DOC format!

Permission to engage: Personally, I don't like "May I ask you a question?" For me it's more like (unspoken) "Hi. I'm a kitty. Do you like kitties, or would you rather..." You can ask a glass of water if it's cold, or you can find out yourself by drinking some. I prefer the latter approach.

Just a grammarian's note: "the journey to healing and wellness for consumers and survivors of trauma". Nobody consumes trauma, but this sounds as if somebody does.

Trust: Stephen Braveman has an AASECT CD of tantric yoga for abuse survivors. In the CD, he describes how long it takes before survivors can engage and trust. For example, for some, a tantra lesson or session might start with eye gazing. For survivors, a session might move to a much shorter period of eye gazing towards the end.

[Beth Filson]

Thank you for posting this paper for comments. It covers so many important concepts and ideas. As I read I was thinking “what would this look like…” Validation is crucial - I see it as an active rather than passive process and it takes place when the person providing supports or therapy is using human experience language - and reflecting back to me through the use of non-clinical language that my experience – whatever it is -- is still a shared, human event. This doesn't negate my individuality -- my individuality is given even more room because now I can tell the listener how I have interpreted my experience (Shery Mead’s “meaning making” there, I believe). I think this use of and reflecting back using human experience language is how the survivor’s voice truly does guide engagement. The person providing the support is relating to the story I am trying to tell as a fellow human being and not as a collection of symptoms. ...Really, you could write a book on what this paper is saying! Where do you see this paper being presented, or included? Now what about giving each segment of the paper more description of what each heading or section looks like...or why these concepts are so important...More more more!
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[Jerry W]

Thanks, a summary and cheat sheet helps (me at least) ;-}

[Basia Mosinski, LCAT, ATR-BC, MA, MFA]

Thank you for posting this valuable information.

[Angelee F. Wright (Hill)]

Beth Filson, lady I would love to talk with you. If you'll remember back to the Sept, 2007 Peer Specialist training in ST. Simon's Island I was the blonde that gave a teary summary of my recovery story through a poem titled "THE PRODUCT OF" that is now published and copyrighted at the Library of Congress during our night of sharing our talents and you filmed it. I so want to get my trauma certification in peer support and you dear, are my mentor. I would love none other than you to teach me all that you know. I am on a mission to speak out for people like myself who were held hostage in our own homes by sick, abusive parents. I have written several copyrighted speeches on the matter, but have yet had the opprtunity to share them publicly. Partly because I,m stuck in these dang South Georgia woods.LOL. However, if you want a heart-tugging painting of the truth and the lifetime effects of childhood and adult trauma, I'd be honored to speak for whichever organization you felt the speeches would best fit into that particular event. Call me and let's catch up and more importantly, I want to jump into this recovery movement headfirst partnering with you and your team. I have spent 33 yrs studying myself and the effects of my trauma and the patterns of my mental health issues and self-medicating by means of substance abuse in the most intensive ways including lived evidenced-based practices through personal experience.Tell Bob and Linda I miss them dearly as I know you guys keep in touch regularly. You, Beth Filson, give me hope and I want to join the trauma initiative and support you and all of our other peer's who want a life with meaning and purpose outside of a label. I love you, Lady. YOU ROCK ! [phone] PO BOX 181 Norman Park,GA 31771