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January PATHH Newsletter

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2020 was filled with challenges, new and old, that tested all of us personally and professionally. As a PATHH community, we lost our ability to come together in person to learn, reflect and connect in the way that we used to – whether it was catching up with an old colleague during a break or welcoming new staff and interns to their first training. In our transition to video trainings, PATHH continues to strive to provide a space for clinicians to get the support they need and we hope our newsletter aids in this goal.

This month you’ll find information on professional resilience, new state policies, training information, and client resources. Thank you for all the work you do and please reach out to let us know how PATHH can be support to you in the coming year

Click each link to jump to a specific section of the newsletter.

Our next PATHH training will be on January 22, 9:30am-1:00pm CST. If you are a clinician at a PATHH agency and would like to join our Learning Community, please register here.

Mindfulness Moments

In the coming editions of the PATHH Collaborative Newsletter we would like to introduce mindful moments. Working in this field can be incredibly stressful and it’s vital we all take care of ourselves to best be able to assist and empower our clients. Here at the ChicagoCAC we have been working to incorporate various practices to support each other individually, as a group, and as an organization as a whole. The methods we have been using and hope to continue sharing are from what is called Project SOAR (Strengthening Our Agency’s Resilience). The goal for these mindful practices are to: 1) increase presence, 2) increase socio-affective connections and control, and 3) socio-cognitive connections and control. In essence, to better recognize our own dysregulation, process those feelings, and use calm and rational thinking to respond in the future.

We will be sharing practices in multi-layered ways and encourage thoughtful contemplation about what these practices could mean in your own lives, both personal and professional. These phases will be seen in three: 1) activities for strengthening presence, on an individual level, 2) activities for strengthening socio-affective capacity, working together to promote these benefits for self and others, 3) activities to promote perspective, working together for clearer understanding.

These mindful practices are beneficial in and out of our clinical and advocacy work. Some of the most common questions in group meetings and throughout our professions center around what self-care we utilize. What is your favorite form of self-care? Do you have a routine with practices throughout the week? Do you take self-care days? If you have any favorite practices that you’d like featured throughout this mindful moment series, please email them to kberggren@chicagocac.org.

Advocacy News and Updates

Pre-Trial Fairness Act

The Pretrial Fairness Act was recently passed as part of a larger criminal legal reform bill. The act will reform the criminal legal system for people awaiting trial and end the use of money bond. The act will alleviate the financial burden that money bonds put on innocent families, and it will ensure lack of access to wealth is never the reason people stay in jail. The Pretrial Fairness Act will ensure that poverty is no longer a driver of incarceration.

How does this affect families? A 2016 study found that 56% of detained defendants were parents and 40.5% of those defendants say pretrial detention would change the living situation for children in their custody. A 2017 study found 69% of adults in local jails were parents of minor children. Ending money bond will help keep families intact by allowing parenting defendants who are experiencing poverty to avoid incarceration pretrial so that they can continue to care for their children. What happens to the children of caretakers who are incarcerated pretrial? According to an article about incarcerated mothers, “Some get cared for by family, some end up in foster care—others try to get by on their own.” Once this bill takes effect in 2 years, families will be able to stay intact while a parent who may have been arrested awaits trial unless the parent is believed to be a danger to society.

The act ensures survivors’ safety because a person charged with an offense will not be eligible for pretrial release before conviction if it is alleged that the defendant’s pretrial release would pose a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person.

The bill has not been signed by the Governor as of the writing of this article, but is expected to be signed soon.

For additional FAQs you can check out these resources from the Coalition to End Money Bond, including:

  • Videos about The Pretrial Fairness Act
  • Information about the Coalition to End Money Bond
  • Information about the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice
  • News about The Pretrial Fairness Act

Follow the Coalition to End Money Bond on Facebook and Twitter or listen to this podcast for more information.

Housing Stability & Covid-19

This pandemic has been hard on all of us emotionally, physically, and financially. Many of our clients have struggled with bills and it seems our current rules/regulations on the housing and rent are constantly changing. For more information check out the great resources at Legal Aid Chicago and Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing! If you or a client ever has specific questions about a case, please contact CARPLS for information at 312-738-9200. The current eviction moratorium has been extended until February 6, 2021.

The best we can do is prevention. Now is a great time to encourage clients to document everything, keep copies of all records, and to take pictures of rental units 2-4 times a year. It is also helpful to better understand their own situation. Some tips below:

  • Determine what type of lease agreement you/your client has
  • These rights and responsibilities are not changed due to immigration status.
  • Lockouts are illegal, landlords cannot lock tenants out for any reason
  • The Sherriff must serve an eviction, the landlord cannot force the tenant out
  • Heat must be functional September 15-June 1 every year
  • No matter what, never stop paying rent as it can lead to eviction

What is an eviction?

An eviction is a three step process. The landlord must give written notice to the tenant which leads to the official court case, and if confirmed, is enforced by the Sherriff. Each of these steps must occur before an eviction can actually take place. If a client has already received their written notice, you can check their court date and time online. The eviction schedule can also be found online. Currently, a tenant declaration is required prior to a landlord giving the official notice. This declaration is saying that the inability to pay is due to the pandemic, the client is trying their best to pay rent, their income has been impacted, and that an eviction would put them at risk of homelessness. The tenant declaration is available here or on idha.org. The current moratorium one evictions is until February 6, 2021 and has been extended approximately one month at a time.

PATHH Expanded Treatment Capacity

Recently the PATHH Program was awarded $40,000 from the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois with the goal of increasing system capacity to serve 40 additional clients by June 2021. Three PATHH agencies, UCAN, Catholic Charities, and Trilogy, one of our newest PATHH partners, were awarded funds to help us with this goal. Congratulations to these agencies and we will continue to update you all on the impact of these funds.

Agency Highlight: Dr. Michelle Cutler, Phd. D. and Associates

This month’s PATHH agency highlight is Dr. Michelle Cutler, Ph. D. and Associates! This private practice has been a PATHH partner since 2017 and is able to provide services through the Crime Victims Compensation Program. Dr. Cutler’s office enjoys being a part of the PATHH collaborative to connect with clients and doing work that lines up with their values as well as connecting with other agencies treating children who have experienced sexual assault. They also enjoy being able to attend the PATHH trainings each month! To connect with any of the staff at Dr. Cutler’s office, you can reach out directly to the therapists via email, phone, or the website at drcutlerandassociates.com. Dr. Cutler’s can be reached at mcutler@drcutlerandassociates.com.  

The clinicians working at Dr. Cutler’s office are all well trained in working with trauma. Most clinicians have taken specific coursework and had years of practicum training with our client population. The clinicians there join the practice because they like to do trauma work, especially with a population that wouldn’t otherwise be able to access quality services. In this private practice setting, it can sometimes be difficult for extensive client supports; however, the clinicians recognize this is an important part of the work. Services are provided at no cost and clients are able to apply using the Crime Victim Compensation Program. Dr. Cutler’s office also has a training program that trains two students each year, where any long term clients are transferred to staff after seeing a student for a year to maintain continuity.

Dr. Cutler’s office primarily sees clients virtually through telehealth; however, services are offered in person for a few clients that have been unable to make progress via telehealth and for very young children that otherwise struggle with telehealth. There has been an increase in attendance for many CAC clients now that transportation is no longer an issue.

Dr. Cutler’s office has a unique partnership with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where several of their clinicians were trained and now teach. Dr. Cutler developed and currently teaches the required Child Trauma course for practicum students. Students are able to see clients on weekend days when providing services in person, extending availability beyond the typical work week. Dr. Cutler’s office provides psychological assessments, family therapy, couples therapy, adult individual therapy, as well as Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). They currently have one Spanish speaking therapist and are excited to announce they now also have a trilingual therapist, besides English she also speaks Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi!

Past Training Highlights

November 20th:Components for Enhancing Clinician Engagement and Reducing Trauma (CE-CERT)

Dr. Jon Ebert has an extensive history with the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and the trainings he leads for our larger PATHH Collaborative. Dr. Ebert has been assisting the CCAC since we first implemented ARC and ever since has come to provide training or case consultations approximately every quarter each year.

            In this model, the first section is called Experiential Engagement. In this portion, we work to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings, notice our own reactiveness, and work to manage the energy we have. The two most common responses to look out for are Avoidance and Over-Engagement. This can be seen in our work such as “escaping” to avoid burnout or sharing what our clients are going through too much to the point of compassion fatigue. In this portion, the main skills to focus on are: 1) intentionality, 2) conscious acknowledgement of experience, and 3) non-reactivity.

            The second section of this model is called Regulation Rumination. In this portion, we discussed the many neurological functions taking place when we ruminate and how this can have long-term effects. Rumination can cause increased risks and impact our affect regulation, amongst other things. The main skills in this section include: 1) acknowledgement, 2) focused engagement, 3) social engagement, and 4) action oriented, concrete experiential, and specific (ACEs).

            In the third section, we discussed the Conscious Narrative. This includes the antecedent narrative (what you tell yourself before), the concurrent narrative (what you tell yourself during), and the consolidation narrative (what you tell yourself after). The main skills in this section include: 1) conscious director, 2) stewardship of beginning, 3) stewardship of present, and 4) stewardship of meaning making.

            In the final section, we discussed Reducing Emotional Labor. This helps to manage our work in ways that are not overwhelming or causing negative reactions by preventing build up in the first place. The main skills in this section include: 1) curiosity stance, 2) behavioral strategies, and 3) engaging authentically. Tools for reducing this emotional labor can include finding an accountability partner, adding frequent movement or standing into your everyday experience, and focused engagement for 20 minutes at a time that gets you away from the work you normally do in a productive and positive way.

  • Suggested readings by Trainer:
    • The original CERT model article
    • The Choice by Edith Eger
  • Suggested readings by attendees:

December 18th: Clinical Applications of the ARC Model

Trauma impacts development with long lasting effects and to truly work to support individuals that have experienced trauma we must take a systems perspective. The basic framework of the ARC model is Attachment, self-Regulation, and Competency. With these goals in mind, we hope to help our clients with post-traumatic growth. This training helped us work through our own individual cases utilizing the Case Consultation tool (attached below) to work with Dr. Ebert and hear some of his advice for various pieces in the ARC framework. Within this framework we intervene in multiple layers of the system with an ecological understanding. This training touched on working with the various other adults in children’s lives, such as foster parents, GALs, other therapists, and more. The goal is to tailor the framework to the needs of clients and client systems while maintaining a trauma-informed approach. Dr. Ebert will be returning for another case consultation during our March PATHH training.

  • Suggested Readings:
        • Arc Framework
        • ARC Case Planning Worksheet Revised
        • Blaustein, M. & Kinniburgh, K. (2018).  Treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents: How to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation, and competency, Second Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

December 15th 9:30a-11:00a; Crime Victim Compensation Program Training Summary

In December we hosted a zoom training facilitated by the Illinois Attorney General’s office to provide information for CAC staff and PATHH members on the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program. This is the program many of our clients are able to tap into where a victim of a violent crime in Illinois is able to be reimbursed up to $27,000 for assistance—such as therapy services. To apply, one must be 18, meaning a parent or legal guardian can apply on behalf of a child client. This training helped educate on important facts that can benefit clients and make the application process easier to navigate. Here are some of the things the training covered:

  • A social security number is not required in the application process and immigration status has no impact on one’s ability to apply or receive funds
  • These funds cannot be used for funeral receptions, only initial funeral costs
  • Each category of reimbursement request is reviewed independently, just because one category may be ineligible does not mean a client is unable to receive any compensation
  • Compensation does not pay for “pain and suffering”
  • There are no automatic rewards or denials, each facet of the case is reviewed; for example, if a client is affiliated with a gang they will not be automatically denied for such affiliation

For more information check out the Attorney General’s website! To request a training on the Crime Victim Compensation Program for your agency, contact the Attorney General’s Office. Contact the AVN Coordinator/Outreach Specialist Kimberly Murray at kmurray@atg.state.il.us. This training can be tailored to specific audiences as needed.

Upcoming PATHH Trainings

January 22nd 9:30am-1:00pm CST: The Collaborative Change Model
Mary Jo Barret, MSW, is the executive Director and co-founder of The Center for Contextual Change, LTD.  She has been working in the field of family violence since 1974 and has authored the book Treating Complex Trauma: A Relational Blueprint for Collaboration and Change and has coauthored two other books related to incest.  She co-created the collaborative change model, a meta-model for examining trauma.  In the training she will help clinicians examine how to create refuge through the therapeutic relationship and the dynamic spiritual and emotional responses between clinician and client. Please register in advance for this training to receive your personal Zoom code.

February 26th 9:30am-1:00pm CST: Topic TBD with Matthew Sanford from Mind, Body, Solutions

March 26th 9:30am-1:00pm: Topic TBD with Dr. Jon Ebert from Case Consultation

Job Postings

Sarah’s Inn:

  • Community Advocate: Provide counseling, advocacy and direct service to victims of domestic violence and their families including crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, general and legal advocacy, referral, domestic violence education and support and education group services. In addition, develop partnerships with community programs and alliances to provide education and build widespread support for victims and their families.
  • Counselor: Provide counseling, advocacy and direct service to victims of domestic violence including crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, general and legal advocacy, referral, domestic violence education and support and education group services.
  • Legal Advocate – 4th District, Maywood: Provide legal advocacy and direct service to victims of domestic including Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA) education, emotional support, general advocacy, referral and domestic violence education.
  • Partner Abuse Intervention Program Counselor: Provide psycho-educational training and counseling to perpetrators of domestic violence in order to penetrate the cycle of violence and increase the safety of victims and their children.

JCFS:

  • Clinician (West Rogers Park): Be part of an exciting, innovative, cutting edge program to help couples and families experience a better future. Provide direct clinical services to children, families, and adults, across a broad range of presenting needs including divorce, trauma, family systems, and behavioral issues.
  • Clinician (Skokie): Be part of an exciting, innovative, cutting edge program to help couples and families experience a better future. Provide direct clinical services to children, families, and adults, across a broad range of presenting needs including divorce, trauma, family systems, and behavioral issues.
  • SEL Coordinator: In addition to supporting students, the SEL Coordinator is a resource for school staff. This portion of their role includes, but is not limited to: routine collaboration with classroom and classroom support staff; collaborating on SEL classroom activities and planning; co-planning and facilitating professional development for staff; participating in teams and professional development with a strict focus on creating systems and structures that improve the school experience and increase student SEL development.

Youth Outreach Services:

Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center

  • Bilingual Therapist: Provides individual, family and group therapy and case management to clients within agency policies and procedures and practices. Assesses for social service needs of clients and makes appropriate referrals.

YWCA

  • Bilingual Therapist – Sexual Violence Support Services (3): The Therapist is responsible for providing crisis intervention, short- or long-term therapy and group counseling for children, adolescents and adult victims of sexual assault/abuse and their non-offending significant others. The Therapist actively supports the promotion of synergy across YWCA programs and in Racial Justice work.
  • Therapist – Sexual Violence Support Services (3): Providing crisis intervention, short-term or long-term therapy and group counseling for children, adolescents and adult victims of sexual assault/abuse and their non-offending significant others.
  • Bilingual Case Manager – Sexual Violence Support Services: The Case Manager assists victims of sexual violence and their non-offending significant others in assessing basic needs and assists them in acquiring resources that promote self-sufficiency and well-being. The Case Manager actively builds and fosters effective working relationships with other SVSS staff members, community partners, and promotes synergy across YWCA programs.
  • Health and Wellness Therapist: Provide individual and group short-term and longer-term counseling/therapy. Facilitate group services and workshops for members. Deliver telephone and in-person crisis intervention, information, and referral as needed. Monitor member intake and caseload, conducting individual and group intake screening when appropriate. Furnish advocacy referrals for members to legal, medical, & social services systems as needed.

Client Resources

Basta! (Enough!) DV Services
Healthcare Alternative Systems offers individual counseling, safety planning, and domestic violence classes for survivors. Services are free and offered in Spanish and English. Services are by appointment only. For more information, please call (7330) 254-5141 or visit www.hascares.org.

Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center

Hope and Healing Group (English and Spanish)

Please join us at our educational support group that offers children ages 8-12 and caregivers information on healing from the crisis of sexual abuse and hope to heal as a family. You can choose the dates that work best for you and drop-in at any time. These groups are held weekly on Zoom beginning in February, for more information please contact Rhiannon Reaves at rreaves@chicagocac.org. Hope and Healing will also be starting a Spanish group January 21st on Thursdays via Zoom 6:00-7:30pm. For more information about the Spanish group please contact Rachel Hudgens at rhudgens@chicagocac.org.

Caregiver support group info

Do you know of any caregivers that are interested in extra support? Check out the parent support group through Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center on Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm via Zoom, for more information please contact Portia Patillo at ppatillo@chicagocac.org or 872-356-1678.

Program for Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior

Please join us for our PSB program for children ages 7-12 and their caregivers to understand normative behaviors and problematic sexual behaviors in children as well as appropriate and effective response to PSB. We can receive referrals from parents/guardians, DCFS, mental health and other professionals, daycare providers, and police/law enforcement professionals. Current group format is weekly via Zoom. For more information or to refer a child, please call Rhiannon Reaves at (312) 492-3764.

Story Space:

This psycho-education group for children ages 5-10 years old uses picture books and self-expression activities to address trauma and nurture the development of caregiver and child relationships. This program will begin February 4, 2021 and run for six weeks and meet once a week while giving take-home resources and activities to continue practicing the skills we cover. The goal of Story Space is to offer an age appropriate space for these young survivors to process their experiences and emotions through storytelling activities that incorporate counseling modalities to promote healing and resilience. Drop-ins are welcome through the 5th session. For more information, please contact Adelia Davis at adavis@chicagocac.org.

S.H.E. Space group:

S.H.E. Space is a trauma-informed shared healing experiential group. Participants are invited to enjoy weekly space and time out to explore issues that are important to them. When: Thursdays from 6-7p (ages 13-15) and Fridays from 5-6p (ages 16-18) starting January 7th/8th via Zoom. This group will be facilitated by Jaleesa Pirtle, LCPC of Metta Life Care, LLC. Contact Rhiannon Reaves at rreaves@chicagocac.org for more information.

Advocate Health Care

Foster Care SBP:

We provide specialized assessment and therapy services, at no-cost, for children ages four to fourteen who display a range of SBPs. As part of our initial services, we provide SBP assessments to explore their level of functioning, the nature and extent of their SBPs, identify co-existing conditions, and inform treatment recommendations. Our services focus on identifying and addressing the conditions and needs of the child, treating sexual abuse they may have experienced, creating and maintaining a safety plan, and providing treatment to directly address and manage the SBPs.  Caregivers are an important part of our services and their participation is vital. Eligibility is children ages 4-14 years. Intake: 1-800-216-1110 or CTTP@advocatehealth.com.

Stewards of Children Workshop for Adults:

Participants will learn prevention methods, participate in discussion of key factors of child sexual abuse, view a powerful video including testimony from survivors of child sexual abuse, have the opportunity to voice their concerns, discuss options, and consider protection policies. Each presentation is 2 hours for between 5 and 25 participants and include a Video Presentation and Discussion. Please contact CTTP@advocatehealth.com for more information.

Children’s Research Triangle

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) Groups:

The group is a psychoeducation group and we’ll be creating opportunities for discussion in order to help parents process some of their challenges in parenting their children. Although the group starts next week, we welcome referrals through January 29th. It has been our experience, that caregivers have children that fall in both age ranges and even the curriculums focus on these particular age ranges, we do discuss how parenting of children across the different ages needs to be adjusted. Parents often bring up how to parent teens for example and we incorporate that into our discussions. Please note that it is very important for us to have the caregiver’s e-mail address and cell phone number as we communicate with parents via e-mail and text to give reminders. Both groups meet for an hour at a time each week for 10 consecutive weeks. For more information, please contact Patricia Peña, LMFT at ppena@cr-triangle.org.

  • STEP group in English will begin on Tuesday, 1/19/2020 from 1-2pm. 
    • The English group curriculum focuses on caregivers with children ages 0-5.
  • STEP group in Spanish will begin on Thursday, 1/21/2020 from 12-1pm.
    • The Spanish group curriculum focuses on caregivers with children ages 6-12.

Data Updates

Last year was unlike any other and while we are still working to understand the impact on access to mental health services for victims of abuse, we’ve included some data on what we know already. Originally we saw a significant decrease in reports and services around the time the pandemic hit the hardest in Illinois and with the closure of public schools. Since that time, linkages to PATHH partners and others services has increased close to standard levels. Reports and families served finished lower than those of 2019, but overall a pretty fantastic recovery in the midst of moving all services remotely and with the uncertainty that was the year 2020!

If you have any upcoming trainings, group information, outside referral information, or the Agency Spotlight that you would like us to have/share, please send it to kberggren@chicagocac.org. We’re excited for this newsletter and appreciate any feedback to make the future newsletters better!

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To report suspected abuse in Illinois, call 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873). If a child is in immediate danger, also call 911.

Outside of Illinois, call 1-800-422-4453.

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