Written by: Diana Hembree and Weslei Gabrillo

Over the last three years, the Resilient Beginnings Network’s coaches and faculty provided expert guidance and support to help participants understand how to identify trauma in their patients and in themselves and work toward healing together. They also discussed how trauma-informed practices could transform the health care workplace — and any workplace, in fact. Here are some highlights from three of our faculty — clinical social worker Ken Epstein, PhD, a former longtime clinical director at the University of California at San Francisco; Tufts Medical School professor and pediatrician Bob Sege, founder of HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences); and Dr. Irene Sung, the former chief medical officer for behavioral health at San Francisco Department of Public Health. The videos were created by Health+Studio in collaboration with the Resilient Beginnings Network team.

Video: Dr. Ken Epstein on The Three C’s

Dr. Epstein has worked with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and many other large organization to implement trauma-informed practices. Now in private practice, Epstein bases his talk on what he calls the three C’s: connection, collaboration, and coherence. “Let’s start with connection,” he says in his interview. “What you see now is a workforce that’s often disconnected and alienated in silos. And when we include connective practices for our workforce, they feel like they are doing something that has meaning, and that begins to heal our workforce. So simple things like checking in with people by asking them how they’re holding up — not how they’re doing, but how they’re holding up, which assumes that there’s adversity but doesn’t  go any deeper than that. And that lets somebody be able to tell you what’s going on in their life and their workplace.”

Video: Dr. Irene Sung on the power of reflective practice

Dr. Sung has often talked about the journey toward a healing organization, part of which involves reflection. “Reflection is really the opposite of reactivity. You know, we are often in places, especially when we’re under stress, in which we just kind of react to whatever stimuli comes to us. Reflective practice says, wait, let’s take a moment before reacting and reflect and think about what’s going on.  One things healthcare providers should really know is that organizations can’t transform without taking time to reflect.” Listen to Sung’s talk on how reflective practice can transform even the most jaded organization (below).

Video: Dr. Bob Sege on the power of love, fun and community for children with ACEs

Dr. Sege started HOPE to let parents know that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can mitigate or even reverse the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). “Just as children’s brain respond to trauma, it also turns out that their brains response to love and positive experiences,” Sege said. “And pediatric care settings are a great place to foster positive childhood experiences. We help kids and families identify and promote the positive experiences they already have and look for community resources to do so. Because parents really want to do the best for their child, and creating these positive childhood experiences is not just good for the kids, it’s fun for the whole family.” Listen to Dr. Sege’s talk about HOPE (below).

                          

                           

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