A Girl Named Sue: A Child's Journey from Complex Trauma to Hope, Healing, and Recovery

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Jamie S. Like Ms., Building BlocksFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Building Blocks

First Presenter’s Email Address

jlike@buildingblocks.net

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Jamie has worked with children and families for almost 30 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences-Psychology from the University of Southern Indiana and a graduate certificate through the University of Kentucky in Diversity and Inclusion. Jamie has worked with children and families, in some capacity, for the span of her career. She retired from a 20-year career with Henderson County Schools in KY in 2021. She currently works for Building Blocks in Evansville, IN which is a non-profit whose mission includes the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to develop into a healthy, contributing citizen. She has presented at numerous conferences.

Submitter

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

Location

Scarbrough 5

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Relevance

The 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 lifelong issues because there are things we can do to mitigate that damage.

Brief Program Description

Many children who experience complex trauma struggle emotionally, physically, and behaviorally. In this session, participants will follow one child's journey to hope, healing and recovery. Participants will learn to never underestimate the impact they can make on 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 across the country. In Indiana alone, there were 144,791 reports of child abuse reported in 2022. Of that number, 19,214 of the cases that were reported were substantiated. That represents about 11.5 victims per 1,000 children in Indiana, and close to one and a half times the national average of 7.4 victims per 1,000 children.

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 shoe to drop" in many instances.

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 had exposure to positive corrective relationships with multiple adults, learned to turn negative situations into positive ones and learned that she possessed many strengths and positive coping skills.

Participants will learn that although 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 can 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 light at the end of the tunnel and that where we come from has everything to do with where we are at, 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 are ethe key to everything!

Evidence

Research and statistics are cited from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2025). https://acf.gov/cb/report/child-maltreatment-2023?utm_medium=email&utm_source=maltreatmentreport010825

Statistics are cited from the Indiana Department of Child Services. https://www.in.gov/dcs/files/2023_Annual_Report_of_Child_Abuse_and_Neglect_Fatalities_in_Indiana.pdf

Research and statistics are cited from the National Children's Alliance. https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/media-room/national-statistics-on-child-abuse/

Research cited from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/complex-trauma

Research cited from the Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma. https://childwellbeingandtrauma.org/healing-and-prevention/positive-childhood-experiences/

Research cited from Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resource-guides/guide-resilience/

Research cited by the Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html

Excerpts about trauma sensitive schools is from https://traumasensitiveschools.org

Research cited by Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/call/201703/when-childhood-trauma-meets-healing-relationships?msockid=074e43d8bf10676403df5768be7166a2

Research by (Tedeschi and Calhoun) is presented about Post Traumatic Growth

Coping Skills information is from (Kilburn, E & Whitlock, JL).

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

2026

Start Date

3-2-2026 1:00 PM

End Date

3-2-2026 2:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Like, Jamie S. Ms., "A Girl Named Sue: A Child's Journey from Complex Trauma to Hope, Healing, and Recovery" (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 19.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/19