WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 2 PM EST

Trauma Assessment in Youth & Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD)

Due to the alarming rates of abuse and neglect of people with intellectual disabilities, as well as diagnostic overshadowing that often occurs when people with ID seek treatment, it is important that clinicians have the knowledge and tools to properly recognize signs of trauma and assess its impact on an individual.  In this webinar, we will introduce trauma assessment tools developed in-part by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, as well as important assessment adaptations for the IDD population.   

Brian Tallant, LPC Aurora Mental Health Center, Aurora, CO

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019 2 PM EST

Trauma Treatment for Youth & Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD) 

In this session, research will be presented that demonstrates the extraordinarily high rates of trauma that people who have disabilities suffer.  We will then discuss factors that contribute to this population’s vulnerability as well as reasons why they are less likely to spontaneously recover from traumatic stress.  We will then present an adapted model of phase-oriented trauma treatment based on Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Cohen, Mannarino & Deblinger, 2004).  Adaptations for therapy will be explained and applied to each of the phases of Trauma Focused CBT.   

Brian Tallant, LPC Aurora Mental Health Center, Aurora, CO

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 2 PM EST

The Impact of Unresolved Trauma & Attachment Issues in the Behavior of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD)

Persons with IDD often have increased vulnerability to being traumatized even but things we might not suspect would be traumatizing.  This is related to a number of factors including difficulty understanding what is happening or reading the social context, difficulty communicating and asking questions, limited resources and access, among many more.  The same factors can also lead to difficulty establishing healthy relationships and attachments.  Often new behaviors surface that are trauma related.  This webinar will focus on the importance of looking for evidence of trauma and developing skills that can be supportive when new behaviors surface.

Deceil Moore, LCSW, NADD-CC, Clinical Site Supervisor, St. Joseph’s Treatment & Recovery Center, Saranac Lake, NY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019 2 PM EST 

Responding Therapeutically to Unresolved Trauma & Attachment Issues in persons with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD)

It is important to recognize that persons with IDD have increased vulnerability to experiencing a trauma and caregivers not recognizing what has occurred.  Often these situations lead to troubling behaviors that we do not know what to do with.  Responding in supportive and therapeutic ways to trauma and attachment issues is often counter-intuitive.  This webinar will review ways to recognize trauma and attachment issues and positive and supportive ways to respond by all levels of care givers that can begin and maintain the healing and growth for those we support.

Deceil Moore, LCSW, NADD-CC, Clinical Site Supervisor, St. Joseph’s Treatment & Recovery Center, Saranac Lake, NY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019 2 PM EST 

A Family Perspective on Trauma Informed Care

Families are vitally important in all of our lives.  This is especially true for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are more likely to live with and be supported by parents and siblings well into adulthood. However, much of the conversation about trauma and trauma-informed care in the lives of people with IDD has focused on the individual or service organization’s experience and perspectives.  This webinar will focus on the importance of using a family lens to understand trauma and trauma-informed care.  Specifically, this webinar will focus on the role families play in shaping how individuals experience trauma, the impact of trauma on family systems, families as potential sources of trauma and healing, and best practices for professionals in engaging with families as part of a trauma-informed approach.

Amanda Rich, PhD, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Human Services at York College of Pennsylvania

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 2 PM EST 

Healing and Recovery for people with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD)

The lives of many people with ID are fraught with difficulties. Some of these difficulties can be profound in their impact, such as abuse, neglect, bullying and discrimination. How can people heal? How do those of us who are in support roles facilitate healing? These are the questions that will be explored and hopefully, through that exploration, answers will become clear as well. 

Karyn Harvey, PhD, Director ​of Training and Program Development, The Park Avenue Group, LLC, Baltimore, MD

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 2 PM EST 

Creating a Trauma Informed System of Care for persons with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD)

Understanding the impact of trauma on the lives of individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities is critical for those providing community-based services and should impact the manner with which organizations deliver support.  However, it is not adequate to limit focus on the training and development of provider staff only.  It is imperative that organizations address culture, policies and practices at all levels through a lens of Trauma-Informed Care.  Most existing tools for organizational assessment have not focused specifically on the IDD population.  This session will explore one local system’s collaborative approach to developing a Trauma-Informed Care Organizational Assessment and strategic steps taken to develop a Trauma-Informed System of Care. 

Dee Nighswonger, LMSW, LCAC, Director, Sedgwick County DDO, Wichita, KS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 2 PM EST 

Understanding Trauma: The Workforce Perspective

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is becoming viewed as an occupational hazard of providing direct services to traumatized populations.  Understanding the professional quality of life for staff is critical to developing strategies for retention and recruitment.  In this session, participants will learn the theoretical structure of compassion fatigue including the differences between burnout and secondary traumatic stress.  Results from local research conducted with Direct Support Professionals and Targeted Case Managers will be shared and we will explore the potential implications for provider organizations and consider possible next steps to address the research findings. 

Dee Nighswonger, LMSW, LCAC, Director, Sedgwick County DDO, Wichita, KS