Leading Experts Come Together To Discuss More Effective Ways to Treat Traumatized Children and the Professionals Who Help Them

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Children's Institute, Inc. (CII) hosts, "In Harm's Way: Trauma-Informed Care and Secondary Traumatic Stress," a national conference focused on topics gaining widespread professional and public attention:  trauma-informed practice with children and families affected by violence, poverty and other trauma; and stress prevention and self-care for the professionals who help them.  Supporters include the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, 24 Hour Fitness and Joyful Heart Foundation. The conference is part of ongoing professional support activities presented by CII's S. Mark Taper Foundation Child Trauma Training Academy.

"The number of children in Los Angeles and beyond who suffer from trauma is staggering and to compound the problem, child welfare professionals and caregivers often do not have access to the latest knowledge and tools to effectively help them," says CII President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Emmons. "This year's In Harm's Way conference provides them with significant support and resources while raising public awareness of this critical need."

The many faces of trauma and types of treatment were addressed in workshops such as:  Historical and Intergenerational Trauma; Toxic Stress and Its Impact on Early Learning and Health, and Psychological First Aid-Working with Families Impacted by Community Violence.   Other sessions focused on professionals in the field by exploring secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout.  Topics include: Tending to the Soul of HealthCare: Beyond Burnout and Compassion Fatigue, and Self-Care related to Working with Children Exposed to Trauma. The day concludes with a panel discussion on implementing organizational practices and policies through a trauma-informed lens.  

Featured presenters include:

Dr. Joan Borysenko - Co-founder, Mind/Body Clinic at Harvard University; author New York Times bestseller "Minding the Body, Mending the Mind"

Dr. Pat Levitt - Provost Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacy, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Senior Fellow, Center for the Developing Child, Harvard University

Dr. Daryl M. Rowe - Professor of Psychology, Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), and National Chair of the African Psychology Institute

Jerry Tello - Director, Sacred Circles, and White House "Fatherhood Champion of Change" honoree

Children's Institute, Inc. (CII) helps children in Los Angeles's most challenged communities heal from the trauma of family and community violence, build the confidence and skills to break through the barriers of poverty, and grow up to lead healthy, productive lives. Established in 1906, CII now serves more than 20,000 children and families in Los Angeles County through treatment, youth development, family support and early childhood services. We also inform the larger child welfare field through the research and professional training efforts of the CII Leadership Center. www.childrensinstitute.org

SOURCE Children’s Institute, Inc.