On Jan. 25, the Fayette County Board of Developmental Disabilities hosted “Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction” at our local Southern State Community College.
This training was provided free by The Central Ohio Trauma-Informed Care Collaborative, which is a collaboration between the Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. With the Fayette County board adhering to Trauma Informed Care (TIC) as the guiding principles for case management services and service delivery, it was important that these effective elements and techniques reach our community of partners.
The trainers for this event were Dr. Angela Everson Ray and Dr. Lisa Gordish.
The training focused on how childhood and life experiences, including neglect and trauma stress, can change the brain and therefore the physical and mental health of a person. Participants learned ways to assess adverse childhood experiences and resilience, along with information on how to enhance their ability to plan supports and services that are a clearer understanding of “What has happened to you?” and “What have you done to survive?’ rather than “What is wrong with you?”
The strong response to this training opportunity, with nearly 150 participants and included our school districts, mental health, various social service agencies, and local businesses, filled the training to capacity, with some people having to be turned away. The Fayette County board is working with our state agency, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, to schedule another introduction to TIC, along with an advanced training on applying the essential elements of TIC.
The Fayette County board’s own Cheryl Binegar is a certified Trauma Informed Care trainer. If you are interested in more information or have a training need for your organization, please contact her at (740)335-7453.
