Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
The University of Kentucky, Human Development Institute
First Presenter’s Email Address
jsli231@uky.edu
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Jamie has worked with children and families for over 25 years. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Sciences-Psychology from the University of Southern Indiana and also attended both Vincennes University and Indiana State University. Jamie has worked in mental health in some capacity for the span of her career. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals, counseling agencies and for the past 20 years, worked for Henderson County Schools in KY. Since retiring from Henderson County Schools, Jamie has gone to work for the University of Kentucky as an Evaluation Analyst for the Human Development Institute. She has received extensive training through a "Train the Trainer" Learning Collaborative on "Trauma Informed Care for Schools" provided by the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children. From 2019 to 2021 she served as a Peer Network Co-Chair for the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. She is a member of Resilient Georgia's Education and Training Committee and is also a certified Youth Mental Health Instructor. She has presented at the Kentucky Behavioral Institute in Louisville, KY and the 4 C's conference in Evansville, IN. She presented at the National Youth at Risk Conference in Savannah, Ga in 2020 and as a Featured Speaker for National Youth at Risk Conference in 2021. She has also given multiple presentations to local community groups and organizations related to the topic of childhood trauma.
Location
Session One Breakouts
Strand #1
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Strand #2
Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership
Relevance
This presentation will follow one child's journey who experienced multiple instances of complex trauma. Despite a very high ACE score, she was positively connected to multiple adults, was able to develop resilience, find recovery, hope and purpose. A high ACE score doesn't have to "doom" a child to life long issues because there are things we can do to mitigate that damage.
Brief Program Description
Audience would include any school staff, counselors, social workers, parents and community members. Many children who experience complex trauma struggle emotionally, physically and behaviorally. In this session, participants learn to never underestimate the impact they can make in the life of a child, that damage from childhood trauma can be mitigated and that relationships, relationships, relationships are the key to everything!
Summary
Alarming numbers of children are experiencing multiple instances of trauma all across the country. In Kentucky alone, the Commonwealth had over 20,000 abuse victims in 2019 giving Kentucky the highest rate of child abuse in the nation for the third year in a row.
Many children who experience complex trauma have poor coping skills, difficulty trusting others, difficulty managing their emotions, see themselves as "damaged", are easily triggered, vigilant and guarded, have distorted thinking, manipulative and maladaptive behaviors, have difficulty believing that life can be better and are often waiting for "the other to drop" in in many situations.
In this session, participants will be able to follow one child's journey through physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, abandonment and neglect. Despite multiple instances of trauma across many settings, this child also had exposure to positive, corrective relationships with multiple adults, learned to turn negative situation into positive ones and learned she possessed many strengths and positive coping skills.
Participants will learn that even though a child may have a high ACE score that they aren't doomed to experience long term health consequences. Because of the malleable nature of the brain, adults have the ability to help mitigate the damage of childhood trauma simply by forming strong supportive connections with them. Participants will learn how to communicate to a child that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel and that there where we come from has everything to do with where we are, but it doesn't dictate where we are going. Finally, participants will learn to never underestimate the impact that they can make in the life of a child and that relationships, relationships, relationships at the key to everything!
Evidence
Research and statistics are cited from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Excerpts are used from a Louisville Courier Journal published February 2, 2021, 2019 detailing the 2019: Child Maltreatment: report from the Children's Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Excerpts and statistics are used from Prevent Child Abuse Georgia https://www.PCAGeorgia.org
Excerpts about trauma sensitive school is from https://traumasensitiveschools.org.
Research by (Tedeschi and Calhoun) is presented about Post Traumatic Growth.
Coping skills information is from (Kilburn, E. & Whitlock, J.L).
Resilience is defined by (Matsen, 2013).
(Petty, 2014) gives the "Ten Ways to Foster Resilience in Young Children".
Learning Objective 1
Participants will be able to recognize that even though a child may have a high ACE score that they aren't doomed to experience long term health consequences.
Learning Objective 2
Participants will be able to communicate to a child that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel and that there where we come from has everything to do with where we are, but it doesn't dictate where we are going.
Learning Objective 3
Participants will be able to understand that they should never underestimate the impact that they can make in the life of a child and that relationships, relationships, relationships at the key to everything!
Keyword Descriptors
Resilience, Complex Trauma, Hope, Healing, Purpose
Presentation Year
2022
Start Date
3-7-2022 10:15 AM
End Date
3-7-2022 11:30 AM
Recommended Citation
Like, Jamie Ms., "A Girl Named Sue: A Child's Journey from Complex Trauma to Hope, Healing & Recovery" (2022). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 2.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2022/2022/2
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, School Psychology Commons, Social Work Commons
A Girl Named Sue: A Child's Journey from Complex Trauma to Hope, Healing & Recovery
Session One Breakouts
Audience would include any school staff, counselors, social workers, parents and community members. Many children who experience complex trauma struggle emotionally, physically and behaviorally. In this session, participants learn to never underestimate the impact they can make in the life of a child, that damage from childhood trauma can be mitigated and that relationships, relationships, relationships are the key to everything!
