What is Trauma-Informed Care?

As a first responder, it’s likely that you have experienced at least one critical incident (an event that causes stress that overwhelms your coping abilities) during your career. Critical incidents cause both a physical and emotional response that you may find distressing. When your brain perceives the presence of a threat, it activates the fight or flight response (or the freeze response) in order to keep you safe. While this system keeps you safe when you’re being physically threatened, your brain cannot distinguish an actual threat from one that merely exists in your thoughts.

The following speaking engagements are meant to assist first responders, their supervisors,and other professionals working with first responders to fully understand the workings of the stress response system and how to regulate your nervous system so that the impacts of trauma don’t take over your life or the lives of those that you help.

Topics

Frontline Focused Supervision

As the supervisor of a first responder, it is critical for you to know how to help your team after a critical incident occurs. This presentation will help you understand the stress response and teach you best practices for supporting your team after a critical incident.
Surviving Critical Incidents

As a first responder, you’re subjected to countless critical incidents, events that cause stress that overwhelms your coping abilities, throughout your career. Having an understanding of the effects of critical incidents on your brain and body can help you to respond appropriately. This presentation will provide you with an overview of the stress response system and best practices for surviving the impacts of a critical incident.
Trauma Informed Care for First Responders

As a first responder, it is likely that you will have to come to the aid of someone that has recently experienced a traumatic event. It is important for you to understand how trauma may be impacting those that you help, and how to respond appropriately.
Trauma Informed Care for Wellness Providers

It’s important to use the principles of trauma informed care in a way that is tailored to the needs of trauma survivors in your work . It can be difficult to seek this information out on your own. This presentation gives you access to everything you need to know about how to help trauma survivors in your work as a wellness professional.