“I am working in a Y Head Start classroom in Baltimore County that is so challenging that the children cannot go outside as many run away. With great effort and new teachers some calm is coming into the classroom, but there is a long way to go. In that one classroom we have a child whose mother was incarcerated this fall and is now living with her grandmother, a little girl whose father died, and two children who have shared stories of the domestic violence they witness at home, including one boy who saw his father bite and beat up his mother and destroy property. The police did come and take his father recently. In class he spends his time trying to escape from the room, taking off his clothes and screaming, hitting and biting peers and adults and throwing toys. He is on a reduced attendance schedule due to his behaviors.“ (Y associate)
This story is one of hundreds that Y associates are sharing in an initiative that we’ve recently launched here at the Y focused on the impact of trauma on those we serve in the community and on our own associates.
The Y is a reflection of the communities we serve and the challenges that exist within them, one on which is clearly a culture fueled too often by violence and toxic stress.
In recent years, we have unfortunately seen an increase in violent and other challenging behavior across our programs. To better understand the underpinnings of this, we turned to a groundbreaking study conducted by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente. It researched the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on outcomes in life. The study referred to three specific kinds of adversity children faced in their homes: various forms of physical and emotional abuse; neglect; and household dysfunction.
The results were astonishing, including:
- 28% had experienced physical abuse
- 21% had experienced childhood sexual abuse
- 27% lived in a household where an adult had substance abuse
- 23% had parents who were separated/divorced.
Now, this study was conducted among 17,000 middle class people in San Diego, California. Not exactly “the mean streets.” So, while urban areas like Baltimore City have more obvious levels of violence, high levels of toxic stress and family dysfunction cut across all income levels, demographics and communities.
Toxic stress is the physiologic response to stressors (ACEs) when there is no buffering protection of support. Multiple ACEs can result in toxic stress. This can affect a child’s brain development, social/emotional functioning, and manifest in a multitude of chronic diseases and risky behavior in adulthood.
What is important to note is that ACEs/Toxic Stress are not a life sentence. Resilience is a natural counter-weight to Adverse Childhood Experiences. That’s where the Y can and does have a profound impact. Research proves that caring, sensitive adults have a lot of power to buffer the effects of toxic stress. First, we have to understand toxic stress and its implications on the work we do.
The Y is embarking on a journey to become what is called a “Trauma Informed Organization.” Our initial focus begins with introducing our Y associates to the concepts behind the ACE studies and the life-long impact of exposure to multiple ACEs, and the normalization of ACEs in all of our lives. Better understanding will help us move from thinking “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?”
Next we will provide training on recognizing and confidently managing escalating behavior triggered by trauma or toxic stress. Along with this, we recognize that our own associates may experience secondary traumatic stress as a result of challenging work situations. We will provide a self-care toolkit and additional services to mitigate these stressors for our Y family.
Trauma Informed Approaches will be an ongoing, ever evolving journey for the Y. We are starting with workshops and training for our Y Associates with an eye to expanding our focus to families, caregivers and the communities we serve in the years to come.
This is important work in a time and community requiring more innovative solutions. That’s why the Y exists. That's what we do.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland