Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Sanctuary Psycho – Educational Group Work: Building a Trauma Informed Community

Churches of Christ Care Pathways

2nd Annual Out of Home Care Summit: Exploring Practical Approaches to Enhance the Support for Displaced Children Across Australia Sydney 2014

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Aims and Objectives

• The Sanctuary Model of Care and Organisational Culture Change

• Focus on psycho – educational group work

• Linking psycho educational group work to healing from trauma

• Adaptation to working with different groups/topics

• Building a trauma informed community

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Churches of Christ CareBringing the light of Christ into Communities

Services Provided:

Early childhood, Child protection, Affordable housing, Retirement living, Community care, Aged care

Pathways is an out-of-home care service providing:

Foster and Kinship Care, Residential Care, Supported Independent Living Services, Assessment & Intervention Services

With services in:

Mount Isa, Townsville, Mackay, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Caboolture/ MoretonBay, Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Gold Coast.

Funded by:

The Department of Communities, Child Safety & Disability Services

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Sanctuary Model

• Sanctuary is a trauma informed philosophy of care and organisational culture change.

• Sanctuary is based on an understanding of trauma and how it affects individual clients as well as whole systems or organisations.

• 4 Pillars of Sanctuary Model

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

The 4 Pillars

Theory 7 Commitments SELF Sanctuary Tools

Learned

Helplessness

Vicarious Trauma

Parallel Process

Collective

Disturbance

Traumatic Re-

enactment

Trauma and the

effects on the body

Non Violence

Emotional

Intelligence

Social Learning

Democracy

Open

Communication

Social

Responsibility

Growth and Change

Safety – physical,

psychological,

social and moral

Emotion -

management

Loss – abuse,

neglect, separation,

getting stuck,

change

Future – how can

things be better

Community

Meetings

Safety Plans

Self Care Plans

Red Flag Meetings

Team Meetings

Core Team

Psycho -

Educational Group

Work

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Pillar 1:Theory

Learned helplessness

Vicarious trauma

Parallel process

Collective disturbance

Traumatic re-enactment

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Pillar 2: 7 Commitments

Sanctuary has identified the following seven philosophies ofpractice and we refer to them as the 7 commitments.

• Commitment to Non Violence

• Commitment to Emotional Intelligence

• Commitment to Social Learning

• Commitment to Democracy

• Commitment to Open Communication

• Commitment to Social Responsibility

• Commitment to Growth and Change

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Pillar 3: S.E.L.F

S – Safety (physical, psychological, social and moral)

E – Emotion management (not just for the kids!)

L –Loss (abuse, neglect, separation, getting stuck, change)

F –Future (how can things be better?)

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Pillar 4: Sanctuary Toolkit

• Community Meetings

• Safety Plans

• Self Care Plans

• Team Meetings

• Red Flag Meetings

• Psycho-educational group work

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

How Sanctuary Works

When we all use trauma informed

thinking

UnderstandingTrauma/Adversity

Chronic stress

It changes how we talk make

relationships and interact

Using

SELF 7 Commitments Toolkit

Which changes how we work

together

Improved

Communication, Morale, Trust, Insight and self awareness, Skills and

strengths

Which changes outcomes

Good Outcomes

Fewer trauma symptoms, Improved relationships, More safety, Behaviour

Management

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Psycho – Educational group work

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Psycho - Educational Group Work

• Structured, educational workshops

• Can be led by anybody

• Instruct children and YP about the effects trauma and

adversity

• Develop strategies to manage and create healthy group

dynamics

• Topics focus on Safety, Emotion, Loss and Future

• While focus has been initially with YP in residential care

• Also about developing emotional IQ of everyone including

staff, carers and the organisation

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Developing Emotional IQ

A. Learn to articulate emotions

B. Understand how emotions can have an effect on our bodies

C. Learn skills and strategies to manage emotions

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

How it Links with Healing from Trauma

• “Not about what is wrong with you but about what has

happened to you.”

• Learning to manage your emotions so you don‟t hurt

yourself or those around you.

• Exposure to adversity/ trauma can result in

difficulties managing emotions

• Learn skills using problem solving framework

of SELF

• Develop a common and shared language

• Role model in formal and informal interactions

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Exploring Other Topics: Adaptations for Various Populations

Work with Families and Foster Carers

Sibs Day Out

Individual Psycho-educational work

Anti Bullying program

Social Skills program

Aboriginal Children, Young People and Families

Supported Independent Living program

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Working with Families and Foster Carers

“Sanctuary in family life means that members of the family work together to create a safe and healthy family community.”

• Individualised and flexible program

• Lessons can be used in whole or in part, in order or as needed

• Use in home visits, case work or specific intervention

• Used with all kinds of care givers including with birth parents, grandparents, older siblings and foster carers

• Has been a part of work with Kinship carers

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Sibs Day Out

• Sanctuary Model and Psycho Educational Group work

• Group Ownership

• Sibs Leaders

• Training for the Sibs Leaders

• Activities are meant to be educational but also fun

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Individual Psycho - Educational group work

• One on one activities with children and

YP in residential programs

• Intensive Fostering Placements

• Examples of activities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Anti Bullying Program

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Anti Bullying Program

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Dreaming Program

• Provide YP with opportunity to participate in

psycho educational group work articulated

through art and narrative of Dream Time

• Indigenous Artist facilitating

• 4 sessions using Mt Cootha Indigenous Art Trail

and location at Bribie Island

• Exhibit art works at Pathways Sanctuary Art Show

held every year

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Supported Independent Living Programs

• Worked best where large number of YP in program

• Developing group work for YP not placed in SIL programs to develop living skills prior to transition from care

• Supported by staff to get together to do activities including group work on a regular basis

• Setting YP up for success

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Anti Bullying - SIL

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Trauma Informed Community

• Sharing values, language and practicing behaviours

• An „everybody model‟

• Work with children, young people, staff, families and

foster carers – education for everyone

• Assessment work informed by trauma history

• Building an organisation with shared language of

understanding of trauma and adversity for staff and

clients

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Contact Information

Kate Martinkate.martin@cofcqld.com.au

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

References

andruschildren.org

Bloom, S & Farragher, B, 2011, Destroying Sanctuary: The Crisis in Human Service Organisations.

Bloom, S & Farragher, B, 2013, Restoring Sanctuary: A New Operating System for Trauma – Informed Systems of Care

Sanctuary Institute http://www.thesanctuaryinstitute.org/about-us/the-sanctuary-model

Smith, KK., Simmons, VM & Thames, TB. 1989, The Journal of Applied Behaviour Science, Vol. 25, No. 1. pp. 11 - 29

Terr, L., Too Scared To Cry: Psychic Trauma in Childhood. 1990, New York: Harper and Row.

Van der Kolk, B., 1989, The compulsion to repeat the trauma; Reenactment, victimization, and masochism. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 1989. 12: pp. 389 – 411.