In June, Alternatives For Girls and Runaway and Homeless Youth Regional Alliance held an exciting and informative event dedicated to how trauma affects brain development. The training was provided by James Henry Ph.D., Connie Black-Pond MA, LPC, LMSW, and Cara Weiler LMSW, of the Children's Trauma Assessment Center.

What is Trauma?

There are two types of trauma; physical and mental. Physical trauma includes the body's response to serious injury and threat, and mental trauma includes frightening thoughts and painful feelings. There is also secondary trauma, which is the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.

Trauma and AFG

Learning how to handle trauma and secondary traumatic stress are very important to the staff of AFG. Staff member Amanda Stein LLMSW planned and coordinated the event after attending a trauma training a year ago, and wanted to share the information and knowledge that she had gained with AFG's staff. "The training has helped me connect more with my clients," shared Amanda.

This was a free training for the staff and of AFG, Starfish, and Common Ground, and metro-area therapists, direct care workers, high school teachers, and AFG volunteers. Participants watched clips from the movie "Freedom Writers" and were able to ask questions based on the trauma they observed in the film.   They also shared their own experiences and Dr. Henry, Ms. Weiler and Ms. Black-Pond were able to address their situations. The event was very successful for both the participants and the facilitators.