The Welfare Lady Musical: A Monodrama of Casework, Trauma, and Youth Resilience

Format

Individual Presentation

Format

Workshop

Presenters

Skye Berger, Martin UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Martin University

First Presenter’s Email Address

skye@skyeberger.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Skye Berger is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in youth work, resiliency building, trauma recovery, and supportive housing advocacy. Skye’s career has been deeply informed by her work as a child welfare caseworker, where she witnessed firsthand the complex challenges faced by at-risk youth and their families, particularly those dealing with trauma and housing instability. In addition to her social services expertise, Skye is also an accomplished actor, Reiki master, and sound healer, bringing a unique blend of creative and holistic approaches to her work. Her deep commitment to social justice, equity, and human connection drives her to create innovative and impactful training and educational experiences.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Percival

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

Heart & Home: Family, Community & Emotional Wellness

In this session, we’re diving deep into heart and home—the emotional and communal support that can make all the difference in young people’s lives. Through The Welfare Lady, I’m sharing real stories that show how youth either rise or fall based on who’s in their corner. It’s not just about the services we provide—it’s about the connections we build and the relationships we foster.

We’ll explore how schools, service providers, and families can come together to create environments where young people feel emotionally supported and seen. I want us all to walk away with real strategies for strengthening those bonds—because when young people know they’ve got people rooting for them, their heart is in it, and home becomes a place of safety and growth.

Brief Program Description

Experience the powerful intersection of trauma, housing instability, and youth resilience through a compelling monodrama. This session, led by Skye Berger, uses interactive storytelling to explore the emotional and systemic challenges faced by at-risk youth. Participants will gain empathy-driven insights and practical strategies for fostering social-emotional skills, ensuring safety, and enhancing family and community support in their work with young people.

Summary

In this session, we’ll dive into the real, raw experiences of youth facing trauma using a unique approach—a monodrama. The Welfare Lady, through the eyes of a child welfare caseworker and the youth they serve, showing just how deep the emotional and systemic barriers go. We’ll explore how social-emotional skills, safety, and community support come together to foster resilience in young people.

You won’t just be sitting and watching—you’ll be part of the experience. After the performance, we’ll reflect together. What did the stories bring up for you? How do these situations mirror your own work with youth? From there, we’ll jump into small group activities where we can share insights and collaborate on real, actionable strategies to take back to our work.

We’ll cover the conference’s key strands—Heart, Hands, and Home. In this session, Heart means fostering emotional resilience in the face of hardship. Hands is about ensuring safety and preventing violence in the environments where young people live and grow. And Home? It’s all about the power of family and community support—the foundation that keeps youth steady even when the world feels chaotic.

By the end, you’ll leave with practical tools for strengthening emotional wellness, creating safe environments, and building stronger family and community ties for the youth you serve. This session is about learning, reflecting, and growing together so we can all create more supportive, equitable spaces for young people to thrive.

Evidence

Research, References, and Resources:

• 1. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study:

  The ACEs study, conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, is a foundational piece of research that demonstrates the long-term impact of childhood trauma on physical and mental health outcomes. The monodrama in this session is informed by the findings of this study, highlighting the critical need for trauma-informed approaches when working with at-risk youth.
• Reference: Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., et al. (1998). "Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258.

1. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL):

   • CASEL's research on social-emotional learning (SEL) provides evidence that fostering SEL in youth contributes to improved academic performance, behavior, and emotional well-being. The session draws on these principles to emphasize the importance of SEL in building resilience among youth facing adversity.
   • Reference: Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., et al. (2011). "The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions." Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

2. Trauma-Informed Care in Schools:

   • Research on trauma-informed care in educational settings highlights the effectiveness of creating environments that recognize and respond to the effects of trauma. The strategies discussed in this session are rooted in trauma-informed practices, which have been shown to improve outcomes for students with a history of trauma.
   • Reference: Blaustein, M. E., & Kinniburgh, K. M. (2010). Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents: How to Foster Resilience through Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency. The Guilford Press.

3. Family and Community Engagement:

   • The importance of family and community engagement in promoting the well-being of youth is supported by research that shows strong connections between family involvement, community support, and positive youth outcomes. This session incorporates these principles to provide strategies for enhancing family and community collaboration.
   • Reference: Epstein, J. L., & Sheldon, S. B. (2006). "Moving Forward: Ideas for Research on School, Family, and Community Partnerships." Sociology of Education, 69(1), 82-87.

Evidence of Field-Tested Effectiveness:

The approaches and strategies presented in this session have been field-tested in various educational and social service settings. The integration of trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, and family/community engagement has been shown to improve the resilience and overall well-being of at-risk youth. These methods have been implemented in schools, community programs, and supportive housing initiatives, with documented success in improving student behavior, academic achievement, and emotional health.

This session synthesizes these evidence-based practices into a cohesive, interactive experience that offers practical takeaways for participants, equipping them to apply these proven strategies in their work with youth.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to analyze the emotional and systemic challenges faced by youth as presented in the monodrama and develop tailored interventions that address these challenges through trauma-informed care.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will learn how to design and put into action violence prevention plans that prioritize the safety of young people. By applying insights from the session’s storytelling and group discussions, they’ll be equipped to implement these frameworks in their own organizations.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will leave with concrete ideas for boosting family and community involvement, directly tied to better outcomes for youth. Using evidence-based practices and real-life examples shared during the session, they’ll be able to create plans that foster stronger support networks for the youth they serve.

Keyword Descriptors

trauma-informed care, youth resilience, supportive housing, social-emotional learning, family engagement, community collaboration, violence prevention, systemic barriers, interactive storytelling, monodrama

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-5-2025 11:15 AM

Recommended Citation

Berger, Skye, "The Welfare Lady Musical: A Monodrama of Casework, Trauma, and Youth Resilience" (2025). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 83.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2025/2025/83