Trauma-Informed Lens

Trauma-Informed Lens

By Matthew BennettBusinessEducationNon-Profit
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Trauma-Informed Lens episodes

  • Episode 86: Big Idea Series: The Divided Brain
    Welcome to the first podcast in our Big Idea Series where we explore the intersection of some of the biggest and most powerful ideas in history and modern science using Johnathan Haidt’s The Happiness Hypothesis as our guide. In this episode, we put the trauma-informed lens on the idea of the divided self. Throughout history, great thinkers used analogies to speak to the distinct, and often contradictory, nature of human behavior. In trauma research, we see extreme examples of the divided self in dissociation and intense emotional swings that seem illogical to the uninformed observer.
    Discussion Questions:
    How have you seen the divide self manifest in your work with those you serve?
    Do you have any insight into the divided nature of your own thinking and behavior?
    How could you use Haidt’s analogy of the rider and elephant to help those you serve to gain a great understanding of their own behaviors?
    Think about the committee inside your head, who is a part of your committee and what are their influences on your personal narrative?
    1 hr 4 min
  • Episode 85: Trauma-Informed Systems, Chronic Stress, & Shared Trauma
    Podcasters: Matt Bennett & Dr. Jerry Yager
    In this episode, Matt and Jerry wrap up our Trauma-Informed Workplace series. We finish by looking at the second half of Dr. Bloom’s great article Organizational Stress as a Barrier to Trauma-Informed Service Delivery. We focus on the challenges facing helping organizations and how we can overcome them.
    Discussion Questions:
    Take a moment to list the stress inherent to your work. How does it impact you? How do you keep yourself healthy?
    How does your team work together to ensure your collective health?
    What are some steps you could take to further your journey to become a trauma-informed workplace?
    Dr. Bloom’s Article
    43 min
  • Episode 84: Trauma-Organized Systems and Parallel Processes
    Podcasters: Matt Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
    In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry start to explore an article that impacted all our thinking in a major way. Dr. Sandra Bloom’s Organizational Stress as a Barrier to Trauma-Informed Service Delivery is a must read for anyone working in the helping professions. We start our exploration by looking at the concepts of trauma-organized systems and parallel processes.
    Discussion Questions:
    How does your organization or program think or discuss the relationship between staff’s trauma histories and working with people with trauma?
    Can you identify anywhere that parallel processes are occurring in your organization or program?
    Do you see any evidence of trauma organization in your organization or systems in which you work?
    Dr. Bloom’s Article
    1 hr 1 min
  • Episode 83: Shared Leadership in Trauma-Informed Organizations
    Podcasters: Matt Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager
    In this week’s episode Matt, Curt, and Jerry discuss the role of shared leadership, democracy, and collaborative decision making in trauma-informed workplaces. Shared leadership empowers people and brings out the best in all of us. Learn how to think and integrate this concept into your organization.
    Discussion Questions:
    How do you currently practice shared leadership?
    Could you better structure current processes?
    Where could you increase shared leadership?
    1 hr 5 min
  • Episode 82: Structuring a Trauma-Informed Transformation Process Part 3
    Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Jerry Yager
    In this episode, we conclude our investigation on how programs and organizations integrate trauma-informed practices. The previous two episodes covered the first four steps of the process: training, finding a starting point, creating a team, and policy and practice review. The final step of implementation and measurement is explored in this episode.
    Discussion Questions:
    How would integrating trauma-informed practices impact the outcomes you currently measure; which measures specifically?
    Do you feel your program or organization is ready for a trauma-informed transformation journey? If so, why? If not, what needs to happen?
    What data would show that you are being successful?
    Start to Matt’s Blog Posts on Team Meetings and Dynamics
    1 hr 8 min

  • Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Jerry Yager

    We continue our investigation on how programs and organizations integrate trauma-informed practices. One crucial task in this journey entails a group of people reviewing policies, procedures, and approaches with a trauma-informed lens. In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry examine this vital step and how to set it up for success.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. How could you develop a team to take on a review and improvement process?
    2. What could you take form our discussion to improve teams in your organization?
    3. What would you STOP, START, CONTINUE, or CHANGE to align practices with trauma-informed principles better?

      4. 59 min
    4. Episode 80: Structuring a Trauma-Informed Transformation Process

      The research on trauma leads us to our 80th hour of podcasting. While all this research might seem overwhelming, our ability to integrate it into practices is critical to help those we serve. Continuing our trauma-informed workplace series, Matt, Curt, and Jerry discuss how to structure a trauma-informed transformation process.

      Discussion Questions:

      1. What strength could you build on to structure an effective process?
      2. What challenges face you and your process?
      3. Where is your starting point?

        4. 1 hr 1 min
      4. Episode 79: Setting up a Trauma-Informed Transformation Process

        How do you become Trauma-Informed? As the paradigm continues to spread, more and more organizations are asking these crucial questions. Continuing our exploration into trauma-informed workplaces, Matt, Curt, and Jerry explore how to set up a change process to help organizations integrate trauma-informed principles into their DNA.

        Discussion Questions:

        1. Is your organization ready for a trauma transformation?
        2. If so, how could you best structure the process for success?
        3. If not, what would need to happen to get you ready?
        4. How would taking this journey improve our organization and services?

          5. 1 hr 8 min
        5. Episode 78: From Punishment to Discipline to Accountability in Trauma-Informed Organizations

          Podcasters: Matt Bennett & Curt Mower

          Due to high levels of stress, helping organizations are always at risk of falling into rigid and authoritative ways of thinking and acting. One manifestation of this rigidity is the overuse of punitive action where those in power punish those they have power over without stepping back to look at the larger issue. In this episode, Curt and Matt will explore this overreliance of punitive measures and alternative approaches trauma-informed organizations utilize to create healthier more engaging cultures.

          Discussion Questions:

          1. When have you seen people rely on punishment to force behavioral change? How effective was this approach?
          2. What role do you think punishment or discipline has in trauma-informed organizations?
          3. How do you see accountability differing from punishment and even discipline?

            4. This Week’s Article


            58 min
          4. Episode 77: Stress, Burnout, & Traumas: Why Helping Organizations are Unique

            Podcasters: Matthew Bennett & Curt Mower

            In this episode, Curt and Matt explore the differences between an organization that works with trauma and those in other industries. Because of our high rates of burnout, emotional labor, and vicarious and secondary trauma, our wellness is challenged every day in ways that workers in other industries do not confront. We explore the dangers inherent in helping people with trauma and how it informs our thinking about trauma-informed workplaces and leadership.

            Discussion Questions:

            • How do you define burnout? What effects have you seen it have on yourself or others?
            • Have you seen or felt the impact of secondary or vicarious trauma or seen it on others?
            • How does (or could) your organization successful support workers exposed to the psychological risks of helping?

              • 1 hr 1 min

            About Trauma-Informed Lens

            From the publisher's feed

            The trauma-informed paradigm is challenging traditional views and approach in a wide variety of areas in education, social work, psychology, and public health. Each week the Trauma-Informed Lens…