PATHWAYS: TRAUMA INFORMED CARE

Jennifer Greenup Jennifer Greenup
Jennifer Greenup is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been with Wyoming Behavioral Institute since June of 2008. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Bethany College and her master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Kansas. She has 24 years of experience working in residential, community, and college mental health. Her work has been primarily with adolescents experiencing depression, sexual abuse, behavior disorders, and ADHD.

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Program philosophy and goal: Welcome to Pathways/Trauma Informed Care, a treatment model for those who have experienced a traumatic life event, may struggle with substance abuse, and whose emotional and mental health have been affected by these experiences. Acute trauma is exposure to a one-time event. Complex trauma often occurs in the context of a child's early care giving system; complex trauma exposures may include the following experiences:

  • Loss
  • Neglect
  • Witnessing
  • Maltreatment
  • Separation

Children who have experienced trauma often present with complex clinical symptoms beyond Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) such as:

  • Behavioral Difficulties
  • Trouble with relationships
  • Increased rates of academic failure
  • High-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse and sexual risk taking

Many people who have had traumatic experiences don't realize it. They may think that everyone goes through the same things and that it's no big deal. But trauma is a big deal. If one can understand trauma, what it is, what it does to girls and boys as they are growing up, then one can understand how these experiences have affected a child. Your child can learn to keep him/herself safe. He or she won't be at risk for being a victim or a victimizer.

Treatment of trauma is specialized care. This care focuses on building skills in six key areas. The six core components for treating complex trauma include:

  • Safety - learning how to keep self safe
  • Self-Regulation - learning how to keep behavior and emotions in balance
  • Self-reflective information processing - learning how to think about ones behavior, experiences and actions
  • Traumatic experience integration - learning how to manage the life events that have been experienced, how to accept and take these experiences into ones life story
  • Relational engagement - learn how to have safe healthy relationships with others
  • Positive affect enhancement - learning skills to help with mood regulation