Tuesday, July 7- Day 11

Humility

The palm trees in Trinidad do not stand too tall- at times we do. As we hustled for breakfast comprised of chow mein, watermelon and eggs during a regular morning, the Trauma team remained fluid while adjusting to changed pick up times. We waved goodbye encouragingly to the group heading early to the prison, where the reception was now open, and the remaining team members jumped into the cars of church members who had graciously given of their time during our trip to transport.

Mandated youth awaited un-eagerly at the church where they were they were taught about sexual and drug addictions. Although resistance confronted skilled counselors, their integrity pushed them to remain constant like the waves of the sea hitting the beautiful Trinidad beaches. While small groups were challenging, the youth discussed topics like faith, futures, and unexpected contrition. The team then had an opportunity for counseling serious issues the remainder of the afternoon.

Upstairs two team members worked with young girls from an international organization. The girls were taught Building Self Esteem principles and delightfully drew pictures of their abilities and goals on a Shield that would protect them through bullying and disappointments.While digging through a bag, one of the children noticed a Cookie Monster puppet. "Is that a puppet in your purse?" she gasped. "Yes," we replied, "doesn't every woman have a puppet in her purse?"  Although other schools of learning at Regent might not have a bag of tricks, having more than one tool is effective in promoting dialogue and leading group discussion.

A unique invitation also came from an organization called KIND (Kids In Need of Direction).  Committed to flexibility, some of the team members joined our fearless leader to work with children and the inspiring organizers to create a lasting relationship. "The kids kept asking for a snack because they were so hungry," one of the Regent students recalled during our nightly debriefing, "So one little girl pulled out her Cheetos and gave one Cheeto to each children sitting in the room. Even while starving they shared."  She continued to describe offering store brought bread to supplement their snacks; they were so delighted to have anything as they munched on the bread. Another child shared their last few pieces with kids that needed one more bite.  "I was humbled," the team member shared. Despite the pace, the demands, and overwhelming needs...if we are not humbled by the people of Trinidad, than we are simply standing too tall.

By Paula L.Henderson
BA Public Administration, MS cert in Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management

Monday, July 6-

Investing and Serving

Symptoms of compassion fatigue can include irritability,fatigue, sadness, decreased focus and cognition, sleep disturbance, anxiety, etc.  At this point in this trip, it is not uncommon for the team to feel the effects of long days, lack of sleep, and lots of demanding work.  Compassion fatigue is hitting many of the members and we are having to practice what we have been preaching.  Thankfully, each night the team debriefs the events of the day, as well as reactions and emotions.  This facilitates the health of the team and our ability to work effectively for the rest of our trip.

The GCAT certification trainings at the hotel continue this week with mostly clinicians, starting out with a presentation on adolescent and child trauma.  Right away the clinicians engaged with the presenters, participating enthusiastically in small group discussions.  At the church, the team was busy with a large group consisting of boys from a residential program ranging from age 10 to 17 years, as well as male and female cadets. The team's hands were full with managing the large group and attempting to connect with them.   It took most of the day for the team to feel connected and have the students respond, but we are hoping that they are one of the groups that come back tomorrow.  This  week, Operation Salvation is coordinating counseling sessions for members of the community on some of the days.  Although the number of people who came was few, the team was available to provide encouragement and counsel.

At the prison, we continue to be impressed with the level of insight and openness that developed over the course of the last week.  Dr. Erwin has rotated three different groups of officers who were scheduled to come for three separate sessions.  The first group finished today and showed incredible appreciation for the information presented- giving the team a thank you card.  One of the leaders of the group shared that he felt that the Regent team had invested into them, and he in turn, acknowledges his responsibility to invest and serve in his men.  We were all awestruck by his humility and commitment to the men who endure such incredible difficulty each day. We also were told that the officers have been able to take the stress management and communication skills from the presentations and immediately use them in their families and personal relationships with great results!

Amanda N. Trent, Psy.D.

Sunday, July 5- Day 9

One Nation

Ephesians 2:14, 19- "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility...so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."

Beautiful music once again streamed from Woodbrook Pentecostal church, the praise team dressed sharply in black and white.  Despite the thousands of miles between our homes, there is a sense of unity between the church members and the Regent team.  Rev. Williams reviewed the week's activities and reaffirmed that the breaking down of walls that attempted to obstruct the team's mission was clear evidence of God's power in Trinidad and Tobago.  He spoke of the racism that has been a recent topic for the United States and the increasing "ethnic rivalry" on their island, calling the church to be a mediator.

Dr. Keyes shared a message that morning about integrity.  He recounted the story of David with Bathsheba, contrasting David's actions with Uriah's choice to remain loyal to his standards and what he knew was right.  Our own Jeff Francis was asked to speak  at another church on the island and continued the theme of the family.  He spoke about David as well, focusing on his relationship with King Saul and how we often experience wounds from our earthly  fathers that can only be healed by our Heavenly Father.

On our last day of rest before the plunge, the team ventured out for some R and R after church.  One group went to Trincity mall to shop and socialize or to see a movie, while others went to the Botanical Gardens that is next to the zoo.  Later that night a group of team members also went to a local restaurant to watch the U.S. beat Japan in the World Cup!

Amanda N. Trent, Psy.D.

Saturday July 4th, 2015 –

Time to Lime

("to lime" is a Trini term used to describe spending time with your friends and family talking and enjoying food and drink)

It was interesting to see Saturday morning how each of the team members perceived self-care in order to regroup for the following week. Even though we work “without labels” here on the Regent trauma team, members seemed to fall into four simple categories; the beach touchers, the park viewers, the mall retail therapy clients, and the invisible cave dwellers. For the Ph.D.’s who require sub categories, there were the coffee consumers, snack sniffers, and coconut crackers…however…one digresses.

The purpose of self-care is three fold. Firstly, every trauma worker should model what he or she teaches. The very people, who want to change the world, also have difficulties enjoying their surroundings. Simple questions we like to ask ourselves are…do you still laugh? Can you still cry? Have your goals over taken your ability to sleep and/or ability to reason. If there is a pause to any of these questions, it is time to slow down and re-evaluate the weekend. Our team picked their desired activity and returned with a new resolve and calm. They also knocked on the doors of cave dwellers to check for signs of movement.

Secondly, stress produces illness. Regardless of age, it would seem that every front line worker forgets his or her humanity. Very few want to embrace the reality, that if they function without sleep for too long, there will be a permanent health consequence.

Lastly, burn out is real. The common definition of burnout; is being completely exhausted by one’s work. Whether working for the pay, volunteering and or helping others, the greater the need, the deeper the desire to try harder. However, like the airlines quote in compassion fatigue training; “put on your own mask first, before helping another”.

By Paula L. Henderson
BA in Public Administration,
MS cert. Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management

Friday July 3, 2015 –

Laugh while you cry

As the pace began in the beginning of the week, the smell of fear rose like ripe mangoes dangling from the branches in the afternoon sun. Even though the newer teammates wanted to embrace "I can," and "it is possible," the severity of the island's future and a new deep love and appreciation for the joyous locals grasped our hearts, and by Friday…some were spent. Yet the Trinis were determined, and again waited patiently for the Green Cross Training to begin.

As Jenner Cotton, a trauma trip veteran, painted a picture of how healing could look, the participants during the Grief and Loss session engaged. Many, ranging in age, vacillated between laughing with her humorous speaking style and weeping over their own personal loss that quickly surfaced. She reached their heart, enabling them to identify with the material. By the end of the day, teammates who had returned from the other sites provided counseling one-on-one, regarding wounds revealed for the first time in the during the earlier group sessions.

The trauma team assigned to the school appreciated the attendance as it was the very last day of work for the teachers before their summer break. Although the need for compassion fatigue was evident in the eyes of workers drained from daily demands, equally as intense was their desire to help the children. Eyebrows rose along with "aha” sighs, as Dr. Harris gently explained the signs of trauma in children. Her style, driven by her humble passion to help workers, enabled those in the group session to voice their experiences while identifying with each other. They soon realized they were not alone, and became empowered. One of the administrators during the week admitted that in order to attend the session she worked throughout the evening, then slept on the chairs in the same building for a couple of hours to regroup for the course commencing the next morning. It only takes one person to change the system, leaders chimed, and on Friday, those on the front line left anchored by hope.

During the evening, Dr. Vanessa Snyder presented the Compassion Fatigue Educator course for the students still seeking GCAT certification, rolling forward like a college football game in the fourth quarter. Students appreciated her attention to self-care and her patience as she answered numerous, sometimes off-topic, questions followed by a gentle redirect. The remainder of the teams attended Woodbrook Pentecostal church for sessions open to members and visitors, for strengthening relationships within the family. Even though the Pastor and his wife model excellence in every task and love in their relationships, they humbled themselves for their people in order to further promote healing in their community. A sign of a strong church, they say, lay in the life of the church members. Clearly, the breath of God’s life permeates in Trinidad.

By Paula L. Henderson
BA in Public Administration,
MS cert. Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management

Thursday, July 2- Day 6

Minds and hearts

Our work continues this week as it is continuing to be evident that our presentations and counseling are timely.  At the GCAT trainings, the members of the community are coming together as a unified force for the benefit of their country.  Whereas these individuals represent a wide berth of agencies and government departments, they seem to be shifting their perspective about the ability to join together and address the effects of trauma in the Trini population. The participants are immediately putting the techniques related to self-care and compassion fatigue into practice.  One woman shared that she has already used a specific relaxation technique, Emotional Freedom Technique, personally and found it very effective.  At WPC, the team shared with a group of mostly young adults concerning conflict resolution and self-esteem, as well as counseled a few more individuals.  The team at the prison training site are experiencing even more openness on the part of the prison staff to the information that is being presented.  Our willingness to listen and validate their experience of trauma in an incredibly difficult work environment has opened the door for them to receive the tools and information we have brought.

Today the team that I was part of worked with Operation Salvation- a coalition of churches and other community organizations in the Morvant/Laventille area of Port-of-Spain "with a vision for community transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ".  One of their leaders had approached Dr. Keyes last year and asked him to come with a team to offer help to Laventille, a community filled with an incredible amount of trauma in the lives of children and families including crime and violence, with multiple shootings and murders.  Additionally, overcrowding, poverty, domestic violence and child abuse make teaching in this area incredibly challenging.

Our role this week has been to meet with multiple groups of teachers and give them information about the effects of trauma on children and how it shows up in the classroom.  The trainings also give them practical tools in order to provide a positive and affirming learning environment despite the difficult behaviors and emotions that their students display.  Another important piece of the presentation is informing the teachers and school officials about compassion fatigue, which is a type of PTSD for individuals who see and hear others' traumas over and over.  Social workers, first responders, counselors, ministry workers, and these teachers are at a higher risk for experiencing trauma-based symptoms due to their helper's heart and the overwhelming amount of trauma that they witness in their community and students' lives.

We were escorted by a task force within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service who have been designated to work within this specific community and who are dedicated to seeing change.  I was struck by the police officers' and teachers' will to hope for change in their community.  One officer described his previous work as part of a SWAT team, but now he is committed to working with "minds and hearts."  The teachers talked passionately about their students and how they give and give each and every day.  Most of these teachers both work and live in Laventille and so have experienced their own traumas, making our discussion about compassion fatigue and self-care all the more relevant.

It is a privilege to work with such inspiring individuals who then turn around and bless us with their hospitality and appreciation.

Amanda N. Trent, Psy.D.

Wednesday, July 1, Day  5

Impacting a Nation

Everything happens for a reason; that's what some people say.  Although the plans that we may have seem to be well thought out and even inspired by God, we can be sure that it is the Lord's purposes that prevail.  At Woodbrook Pentecostal Church, the group prepared to talk with a good size group of students who were scheduled to come from a highly respected school- Queen's Royal College.  The presentation centered on addiction and conflict resolution; however, the group of students ended up not coming.  Instead our team rounded up a small group of church youth who had come to help and had a discussion about the effects of addiction in their families and community.  We believe the right people were there.  Later in the day, a woman in a wheelchair came for counseling.  She had been in multiple accidents, one resulting in serious burns all over her body and one causing her leg to be permanently injured.  She shared about her feelings of survivor's guilt, humiliation, sadness, and anger.  She felt dismissed by her family and the society, as Trinidad is not disability-conscious as far as access to public places.  In fact, she had just had to use a bucket outside to relieve herself because event the church did not have restrooms that were wheelchair accessible.  Despite the fact that she had plenty to be bitter and angry about, her overall spirit and attitude was one of perseverance.  She shared that she was working to coordinate a symposium for health care workers and other community members to raise awareness about issues regarding individuals with disabilities.  All she needed was a listening ear and the encouragement that she is a survivor and not a victim, that she possesses great resilience.

The teachers at another Laventille school praised Dr. Harris' information, again confirming that the team's arrival was timely.  In contrast to the other schools we had visited, today's school was brand new and gleaming, though the team had a traumatizing time in the elevator on the way up.  They were the first ones ever to be rescued from the school's elevator!  Good news- the team members were unharmed and were able to address their traumatization while in the elevator waiting to be rescued.

Every night we debrief after dinner, sharing with the rest of the team where we went, what experiences we had, and our own reactions to what we saw.  Tonight the two Trinidad natives, Osanne and Lemuel, shared their own insights into the impact that Green Cross is having in their country.  Trinidad and Tobago is in a pivotal time, and the fact that GCAT was invited in is testament to God's provision.  The comment was made that our work is gaining a "foothold" in this country and people, setting many of us up for future ministry and work.  Certainly, assisting in the development of the new chapter of GCAT in Port-of-Spain represents an astounding shift particularly in regards to governmental officials.  It was truly humbling to realize that we are part of something much greater than the two weeks that we are in Trinidad.  Rather, the words of encouragement and training will continue to impact individuals and agencies, and the leaders of the country, long after our team has returned home and gone back to life as normal in America.  I am reminded that my work in America goes beyond what I see day to day, and that our interactions with others can have a lasting effect.

Amanda N. Trent, Psy.D.