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Reply to "ACEs/Resilience in Summer Camp context"

I do trainings with YMCA summer camp and after school staff quite regularly. I usually take my Trauma Basics curriculum and reduce the trauma content, almost nothing on ACEs (depending on the population that they are serving). I focus on brain science (whether its trauma or stress, we all flip our lid) and then about chronic toxic stress. But the majority of the time I talk about building resilience, which is good for kids away from their families in a new environment as well as the global good that resilience heals trauma. It is almost the opposite of trainings that I do for first responders, which focuses a lot on science and neurobiology (what is going on in their head when you encounter someone in the community) and less on what to do with them. 

Your insight that a lot of people in your audience might be very close to their own lived experience of trauma is good thinking. Also, maturity plays a large part in how to frame the information. I remember training about 6 months ago with YMCA after school staff. I always include the "what happened to you" question as a key component of TI care. One of the program managers pulled me aside later and said, "I don't really want these 18-22yo staff, who are working in areas of high trauma/poverty/crime, to ask the kids who they are serving, "what happened. Because they aren't going to know what to do with the answer." 

Have fun, and good luck!

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