Trauma-Informed Approach

Adverse Childhood Experiences & A Trauma-Informed Approach Guest Lecturer: Angie (Geren) Burleson, Project Director for AZ Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium Date: Thursday, April 15th 12-1pm Zoom webinar link: https://tinyurl.com/22raryt7 Passcode: mcc Code: 984 6459 6571 This event is open to anyone who is interested in attending and will be recorded.

Almost everyone is impacted by trauma at some point in their lifetime. According to the CDC, at least 1 in 7 children has experienced abuse or neglect in the past year. A trauma-informed approach nurtures trust, assures a safe environment, and diminishes the possibility of re-traumatizing an individual. The MCC Library is hosting a guest lecturer, Angie (Geren) Burleson, Project Director of AZ Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium. Angie will be discussing trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and how you can begin applying a trauma-informed approach in your daily interactions. *This webinar has been pre-approved as an honors co-curricular academic lecture.

About Angie (Geren) Burleson:

Angie (Geren) Burleson, APP, CHt, is a Community Development Specialist and Polarity Therapist committed to changing the conversation surrounding substance use and mental health by empowering individuals and connecting communities to become recovery ready through a trauma informed lens. Angie’s own struggle with addiction, family experiences, and education gives her a multi-faceted and unique perspective which has inspired her to lobby for public health focused addiction policy, expand peer support, advocate for parents, those in active addiction and recovery alike, and organize educational events. Angie is Founder of Arizona Recovers, a recovery community organization, which provides harm reduction based peer support, community, and prevention and also Project Director of AZ Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium. 

The MCC Library strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Marjorie Leta at marjorie.leta@mesacc.edu.

What is trauma?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defines individual trauma as "an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being."

Trauma has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Trauma is a common experience for adults and children in American communities, and it is especially common in the lives of people with mental and substance use disorders. For this reason, the need to address trauma is increasingly seen as an important part of effective behavioral health care and an integral part of the healing and recovery process."

-Trauma and Violence, SAMHSA

What is a trauma-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.”

- SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach

"training_emergency_responders_final", CDC Center for Preparedness and Response