Introduction to the science of stress and why library staff might want to work toward being trauma-informed

1. BecomingTrauma-
Informed
“Why Should We Care?”
Bryce Kozla
Youth Services Librarian
Washington County Cooperative Library Services

2. Housekeeping
Duration: 2 hours
Presentation followed by reflection and
conversation
Feel free to stand up or take a short break
if you need to
Fidget toys—feel free to use!
Ask general questions throughout
I may not have all the answers but I’ll
try!

3. We can make
anything
trauma-
informed!
This presentation!
Our spaces and services!
Our interactions!

4. Question: Who here’s ever been stressed?

5. Empathy
ability to regard someone else as a
human being, just like you are
bear witness to someone else’s struggle
throughTHEIR frame of reference
“Wow.That sounds really tough.”
TIME andVALIDATION

6. Trauma and
stress

7. What is
trauma?
Event or series of events
Experienced as harmful or life
threatening
Lasting effects on the individual's
functioning and mental, physical, social,
emotional, or spiritual well-being

8. Vicarious
Trauma
 Continuous exposure to the lived experiences of
trauma and violence.
 listening to individuals recount their victimization
 hearing about or responding to the aftermath of
violence and other traumatic events day after day
 responding to mass violence incidents that have
resulted in numerous injuries and deaths

9. Vicarious
trauma:
effects
feeling emotionally numb or shut down
being easily distracted
loss of a sense of meaning in life
worrying excessively about potential
dangers
increased irritability; aggressive,
explosive, or violent outbursts and
behavior
avoiding work and interactions with
patrons

10. Stress:
the
Neurobiology

11. Stress
Responses and
the Brain
Brains are wired to expect things that
happen often to continue to happen
Stress response = self-preservation due to
prolonged or habitual stress
We cannot always know who is affected by
trauma
There is not need to fear someone because
of a traumatic background

12. Keeping an
interaction
from
escalating
Stay calm, warm, positive, informative
 “I notice that you are doing X, I wonder if
you are feelingY?”
“I notice you are doing X, would you like
some water?”
Re-engage the left and right hemispheres
Be kind to yourself

13. Adverse
Childhood
Experiences
(ACEs)

14. Resilience

15. TheTrauma-
Informed
Approach
“A program, organization, or system that is
trauma-informed:
realizes the widespread impact of trauma and
understands potential paths for recovery;
recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma
in clients, families, staff, and others involved
with the system; and
responds by fully integrating knowledge about
trauma into policies, procedures, and practices,
and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization”
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4884/SMA14-4884.pdf

16. Becoming
Trauma-
Informed
Recognizes the signs and symptoms of
trauma
AddressesWHAT the library provides and
HOW the library provides it
Acknowledges the need to care for the
workforce

17. TheTrauma-
Informed
Approach
is an
Engagement
Tool
Critical for survivors but is also beneficial
for those without trauma history
Reach a large part of our service
population we may not be reaching
already
Every consideration is an opportunity for
either re-traumatization or healing

18. It’s a lot!
But you can do
it!
Stress can affect everyone
Being trauma-informed helps everyone
EVERY consideration we make is an
opportunity for re-traumatization or
healing.We may as well try to be healing!
Becoming trauma-informed is a process
and can feel like an uphill battle at times
Check out the training modules on the
extranet for more

19. Thank you!
Bryce Kozla, brycek@wccls.org
Trauma Informed Care and Libraries:
https://extranet.wccls.org/content/trauma-informed-care

20. Small group
discussions/
individual
reflections
Pick a topic
Think on these questions:
"How does this information relate to my
personal/professional experiences?“
"what examples of these concepts do I
see in my library?Where are there
opportunities?“
"What steps, large or small, can I take to
help my work or my library become more
trauma-informed?"