Providing Trauma-Informed Care to Patients and Families with Lyndsay Gaffey, LPC, and Steven Berkowitz, MD (S6:E35)

As primary care providers, it’s easy to assess a patient based on the symptoms and circumstances they present with when they walk in the door. However, patients who had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may have psychological injuries from that trauma that are more difficult to recognize. These patients also have a lifelong risk for health problems. What if healthcare professionals changed their mindset from “what is wrong with this child?” to “what has happened to this child?” In this episode, we explore childhood trauma with two experts and dive into the concept of trauma-informed pediatric care. Guests: Lyndsay Jensen Gaffey, LPC, is the Director of Patient Care Services for the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Steven Berkowitz, MD, works in the child and adolescent psychiatry unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is the Director of the START (Stress, Trauma, Research and Treatment) Center. Dr. Berkowitz is also a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  Today's episode is underwritten by Ent Credit Union, proud supporter of Charting Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Colorado. Ent, Colorado’s largest credit union, has a passion for people, not for profit. Ent has more than 45 service centers located up and down the Front Range, including the Denver Metro area and Northern Colorado.  Insured by NCUA. For more information on Children’s Hospital Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org