2024 brought to an end a 19-month initiative by three Connecticut-based Arc organizations to implement systemwide change to trauma-informed care. In contrast to many organizations' approaches to trauma-informed change, The Arc of Litchfield County, CCARC, MidState Arc took to heart the maxim of Dr. Sandra Bloom, one of the grandmothers of the TIC movement:
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Arc of Litchfield County, MidState Arc, and CCARC began their Risking Connection journey in late 2022 as a Learning Collaborative. TSI Director, Steve Brown, presented panels at two national conferences this fall about the TIC IDD Learning Collaborative work these three amazing Connecticut-based Arc organizations have done.
This year marks a new era in the history of the Risking Connection (RC) training model. The Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI) completed the most comprehensive revision of the training model since its inception in 2000. The revisions over the course of RC’s 24-year history have aspired to remain faithful to the principles of the original curriculum while reflecting advancements in the always-evolving trauma field, as well as ensuring the training is relevant to a wide variety of sectors serving trauma survivors.
Phew, this is a hard one for me: It is with profound appreciation, sadness, and good wishes that we announce the retirement of Mary Jo Harwood, LSW, DNCCM from the Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI). Her last day will be June 10th.
In December 2022, three Connecticut-based Arc organizations embarked on a journey together to implement trauma-informed care (TIC) – not just with clinicians, not just a one-time training – but each as a whole organization aspiring to embed TIC into the fabric of their culture.
It is widely accepted that the roots of trauma-informed care (TIC) as a concept and as a movement grew in the soil conceived and nurtured by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a bureau of the US federal government. In the years since the Dare to Vision conference in 1994, SAMHSA has produced three seminal publications that have defined, outlined, and tracked the evolution of the theory and practice of a trauma-informed approach (TIA).
As ABA and IDD providers recognize the centrality of trauma in the lives of those they support, the natural next question is, “So what do we do about it?”
The Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI) is excited to bring you a free webinar highlighting the work of Greg Hanley, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA. In 2020, TSI made the strategic decision to offer our trauma-informed care (TIC) training and consultation services to organizations in the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) sector. We have or currently are working with eight IDD organizations, helping them embed TIC within the fabric of their organizational cultures.
Setting the Scene
Way back in 2019, I took a series of Improv classes at a place called Happier Valley Comedy where I live in Western Massachusetts. How brave of me, right? On Tuesday nights a group – ages 15 to 65 – that started out as strangers would gather to engage in a smorgasbord of improvisational games and activities.
Dr. Karyn Harvey
, noted expert on trauma with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) argues, “Trauma in people with IDD is the elephant in the room.” The statistics are harrowing: