Category Archives: trauma

The big picture: Infographics for social work

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by Pat Shelly

We’ve all heard the saying:

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

splashes of paint in many colors erupting against a black background

image: TerrellCotton.com

Aristotle said, “The soul never thinks without a picture.”

Pictures can inform and inspire us.

One way to brighten and broaden the view of social work is through infographics.

An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. It combines data and design in a format that is easy to share and to understand.

Chart showing circles overlapping withthe elements of a good infographic: Data, Design, Story, Sharability

image: Daniel Zeevi – Dashburst

Given the role of technology and the internet in knowledge-production and dissemination, this educational tool is especially useful today.

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Trauma-Informed Care – Join the #MacroSW Chat

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by Pat Shelly

Note: A summary of the chat can be found here
https://storify.com/UBSSW/trauma-informed-care-macrosw-twitter-chat-9-10-15

All the new resources mentioned in the chat summary can be found below the list of suggested readings at the end of this post.

What: Macro Social Work Twitter Chat
When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015  at 9pm ET / 6pm PT
Why: Knowledge of trauma and its impact, assessment and treatment are essential to the future of social work practice, and social work education.*
How: Follow #MacroSW  (see here for live twitter chat tips by our chat partner @LaurelHitchcock)

Photograph: Images.com/Corbis

Photograph: Images.com/Corbis

During this #MacroSW Chat, we will be focusing on Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and Social Work.

September 10 is the eve of the 14th anniversary of 9-11, which resulted in trauma to a nation, a city, communities, families and individuals; 9-11  (see #NeverForget_911) joined #OklahomaCityBombing as synonyms for “acts of mass murder by terrorists.”

This is also #SuicidePrevention Week. Trauma is obviously part of what both suicide attempt-survivors and suicide loss-survivors experience.

It’s been 10 years since #HurricaneKatrina devastated New Orleans.

Current traumas in the news include the #refugee crisis in Europe, and the ongoing issues of racist violence in the U.S. as seen in #BlackLivesMatter #SayHerName #Ferguson #Charleston.

Please join us, with our guest experts from the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, @UBSSW professors Sue Green @UBittic and Tom Nochajski @ubthn.

We’ll want to hear about your experiences with trauma-informed care and thoughts on how this enriches our profession.
*Knowledge of trauma and its impact, assessment and treatment are essential to
the future of social work practice, and social work education.
Check back on September 11th, when a summary – including a list of references and resources – will be posted.

Questions for discussion:   1. What is trauma-informed care? /  2. How does trauma-informed care (TIC) fit into macro social work? / 3. Have you had any experiences with TIC? / 4. What is already happening around TIC in social work and in the macro areas? / 5. What special training is needed to become a social worker / agency / policy that is trauma-informed?

The links and resources that were mentioned in the chat can be found below this reading list

Suggested Reading: (an incomplete list – we welcome your comments and additions)

Bloom, S.L., Farragher, B., Restoring Sanctuary: A New Operating System for Trauma-Informed Organizations, (2013) New York: Oxford University Press

British Colombia Provincial Mental Health and Substance Use Planning Council. (2013, May). Trauma-Informed Practice Guide.

Carello, J. and Butler, L. (2014). Potentially Perilous Pedagogies: Teaching Trauma is not the Same as Trauma-Informed Teaching. In J. Trauma & Dissociation.  Retrieved from:   http://www.academia.edu/9331463/Potentially_Perilous_Pedagogies_Teaching_Trauma_Is_Not_the_Same_as_Trauma-Informed_Teaching

Fallot, R.D. and Harris, M. (2009) Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care: A Self-Assessment and Planning Protocol
https://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/icmh/documents/CCTICSelf-AssessmentandPlanningProtocol0709.pdf

Finkel, Ed. (2015). Problem-solving courts dig deep to acknowledge, and, sometimes, address trauma. ACEs Connection Network (April 16). http://www.acesconnection.com/blog/problem-solving-courts-dig-deep-to-acknowledge-and-sometimes-address-trauma

Harris, M. and Fallot, R.D., Eds. (2001). Using trauma theory to design service systems. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kawam, E. (2015, Sept. 1). Trauma Informed Care and Social Work Education: A Case Study. Retrieved from:
http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/2015/09/01/trauma-informed-care-ethics-social-work-education/

Kusmaul, N., Wilson, B., & Nochajski, T. (2015) The Infusion of Trauma-Informed Care in Organizations: The Experience of Agency Staff. Human Services Organizations Management, Leadership & Governance, Volume 39, Issue 1, January 2015, pages 25-37.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23303131.2014.968749#.VfG6LX2iNdw

Richardson, S.A. (2014) Awareness of Trauma-Informed Care. Social Work Today, July 2014
http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_012014.shtml

SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (2014, July). Retrieved from:
http://www.traumainformedcareproject.org/resources/SAMHSA%20TIC.pdf

SAMSHA. (2010). Creating a Trauma-Informed Criminal Justice System for Women: Why and How. Retrieved from:
http://www.traumainformedcareproject.org/resources/TIC%20criminal%20justice%20for%20women%20%282%29.pdf

SAMSHA. (2014, March). TIP 57: Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Retrieved from:
http://www2.jbsinternational.com/kap/TIP-57.htm

Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2013, April 29). An Overview of Trauma-Informed Care: Interview with Nancy J. Smyth, Ph.D. [Episode 80]. Social Work Podcast [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkpodcast.com/2013/04/an-overview-of-trauma-informed-care.html

University at Buffalo Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) Resources on #Trauma, #TraumaInformed Care:
Trauma Talks at UB ITTIC
http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/social-research/institutes-centers/institute-on-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/trauma-talks.html

ITTIC’s expert Advisory Panel
http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/social-research/institutes-centers/institute-on-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/about-us/expert-advisory-panel.html
You Tube Video’s podcasts at ITTIC
https://www.youtube.com/user/UBITTIC
Resource Center:
http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/resource-center/resources.html?cat=1

Resources / Links that were recommended by Trauma-Informed Care #MacroSW chat participants:

Infographic on trauma and trauma-informed care:
http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/content/dam/socialwork/social-research/ITTIC/trauma-informed-care-infographic.pdf

Trauma-Informed Care: Top 10 Tips for Caregivers and Case Managers. By David Ott, Christina Suarez, LCSW and Kimberly Brien,  for Devereux Florida:
https://ncwwi.org/files/Evidence_Based_and_Trauma-Informed_Practice/Trauma_Informed_Care_-_top_10_tips.pdf

Top 10 Recommended Trauma-Informed Care Online Resources
http://www.crisisprevention.com/Blog/April-2012/Top-10-Recommended-Trauma-Informed-Care-Online-Res

National Center for Trauma-Informed Care at U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: http://www.samhsa.gov/nctic

The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors:
http://www.nasmhpd.org/content/national-center-trauma-informed-care-nctic-0

Trauma-Informed Care. National Council for Behavioral Health State Association of Addiction Services
http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/topics/trauma-informed-care/

Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Specific Services. Oregon.gov Addictions and Mental Health Services: (resources in and beyond Oregon) 
http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/amh/pages/trauma.aspx

Tarpon Springs, FL, first trauma-informed city, embraces messy path toward peace. http://acestoohigh.com/2014/09/17/tarponsprings/

NASW Maryland Chapter’s 2015 Annual Macro Conference, Sept. 25:
http://www.nasw-md.org/?page=MacroSocialWorkCo

Webinar- Building a Trauma-Informed Nation
Sept. 29 & 30, 2015
Free! Register at https://www.blsmeetings.net/traumainformednation/
Sponsor: The Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma

About the #MacroSW Twitter Chat Partners:

#MacroSW is a collaboration of social workers, organizations, social work schools, and individuals working to promote macro social work practice. Macro social work practice focuses on changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. It encompasses a broad spectrum of actions and ideas, ranging from community organizing and education to legislative advocacy and policy analysis. The chats are held bimonthly on Twitter on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). For more information, chat schedule, and chat archives check out https://macrosw.wordpress.com

       Our collaborators include:

  • Association for Community Organizing and Social Administration (ACOSA),
    @acosaorg
  • Karen Zgoda, MSW, LCSW, Instructor of Social Work at Bridgewater State University,
    @karenzgoda
  • Network for Social Work Management (NSWM),
    @TheNSWM
  • Rachel West, The Political Social Worker,
    @poliSW
  • University at Buffalo School of Social Work,
    @ubssw
  • Sunya Folayan, MSW, ACSW, founder/executive director, The Empowerment Project, Inc.,
  • @SunyaFolayan
  • Laurel Hitchcock, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Alabama at Birmingham, @LaurelHitchcock
  • Kristin Battista-Frazee, MSW, Author and Marketing Consultant,
    @porndaughter

Social Workers Respond to Jihadism – Part I – Rationale and Resources

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by Pat Shelly

The School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo has a Global Interest Group (GiG), which organizes events exploring social issues in a global context and bringing it into a local discussion. This encourages our MSW students to think outside the box of U.S. culture and look beyond its particular strategies for social change. At our monthly lunches, students, faculty, staff and community members listen an invited speaker, and join in the discussion that follows.

Topics for 2014-15 included working with survivors of torture, international field placement and its challenges, experiences of women in the Arab Gulf, social work issues in Tanzania, and immigration and human rights.

For the final Global to Local event of the academic year,”Social Work Responses to Jihadism: Promoting Peace and Human Rights” was held as an informal dinner discussion.

purple flower is growing up from cracked earth

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Social Worker, Heal Thyself

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by Judson Mead

(The following article is reprinted from Mosaics, News of UB School of Social Work, Fall 2014)

 

Tabatha Lumley (MSW ’14) has known some bad days. She was left to fend for herself and her deaf brother, Michael, when her mother was deported to Jamaica from Buffalo six years ago (her father had been deported a few years before).
Tabatha, Jamaican-America, looking up, wearing a t-shirt with her sister's photo on the front

 

Seventeen at the time, Tabatha lived for a while without heat or electricity, getting Michael ready and onto the bus to his school for the deaf every morning and then getting herself to high school.

 

It was tough — but she got through. A grandmother and siblings in Rochester made a semblance of a whole family. Thanksgiving and Christmas were very special family celebrations. Tabatha became an American citizen. She earned a degree in criminal justice at Buffalo State College and enrolled in UB’s MSW program, intending to add a law degree eventually.

 

Then she suffered a loss she hasn’t recovered from.

 

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Not in the headlines: Men working to end male violence

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by Pat Shelly

 

A major news story this month is about a NFL football player who punched and knocked out his fiance, with a security camera video recording the brutal act. The player was eventually fired, but only after a huge protest about the initial reaction by the NFL to this violence off the field: the player was suspended for two games.  These Twitter hashtags act as a short-hand summary of the trends in the news stories about this assault and about violence against women (VAW) that followed:

#RayRice  #NFL  #Abuse  #DomesticViolence  #DV  #WhyIStayed  #WhyILeft  #VAW

Missing from most news feeds? This:

 

Image: The question is not "Why didn't the vicitm leave?" The better question is "Why does the abuser choose to abuse?"

image: National Network to End Domestic Violence @NNEDV

 

 

 

Lately, I have spent time reflecting on the 40+ years that the global End Violence against Women movement has existed (the first Speak-out on Rape in the U.S. was held in January 1971 in New York City). While women have made up a large majority of activists in this area, I know first hand that men are concerned about violence against women (VAW). Here are a few of the ways that men, and institutions led by men, have joined in this struggle. Perhaps these can generate some headlines, too.

 

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