Welcome back, PATHH Community! This month’s newsletter features information on problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in children, readings and videos suggested during PATHH trainings, a highlight of the work of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, resources for clients and job openings and various PATHH agencies. We hope to see you at next week’s consultation where we can come together to support the work of our fellow therapists.
Our next PATHH training will be on March 26, 9:30am-1:00pm. Dr. Jon Ebert will be returning for another Case Consultation utilizing the Attachment, self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Framework. Go here to register.
We are still looking for another therapist to present a case, if you’re interested please contact Jan Waters at jwaters@chicagocac.org.
Each of the links below will jump you to the relevant section of the newsletter.
- Mindfulness Moments
- Advocacy News and Announcements
- Agency Highlight
- Past Training Highlights
- Job Postings
Mindfulness Moments
Last month we began talking about the benefits of Project SOAR (Strengthening Our Agency’s Resilience.) These practices can benefit all of us by preventing burnout in the work that we do. This month, we’d like to focus on a few activities for Phase 1: Increasing Presence. This phase helps us practice individually to start prepping our minds and bodies to be able to practice with others. These activities also help support our empathy and compassion for others. These activities are also examples to give ideas, but other similar practices would work well, too.
Activities:
For more information we encourage you to check out this resource:
Valk, S. L., Bernhardt, B. C., Trautwein, F. M., Böckler, A., Kanske, P., Guizard, N., Collins, D. L., & Singer, T. (2017). Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training. Science advances, 3(10), e1700489. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700489
Advocacy News and Updates
Typical Sexual Behavior vs. Problematic Sexual Behavior
Typical sexual behavior is developmentally expected and occurs throughout childhood. It is easily modified when caregivers provide psychoeducation and limits.
Typical sexual behavior can be described by the following characteristics:
- Exploratory in nature
- Occurs spontaneously on an intermittent basis
- Occurs with other children of similar age and developmental level
- Typically between children who have familiarity with each other
- Mutual agreement from involved children
- An example includes children of the same age playing doctor and looking at each other’s private parts.
Problematic sexual behavior can be described as:
- Developmentally inappropriate
- Potentially harmful to self or others
- Not responsive to setting limits or providing psychoeducation
- Compulsive or repetitive, occurs on a frequent basis
- Occurs with children who are of a significant different age or developmental level
- Intrusive, involves intimidation or coercion, and causes harm/elicits fear in other children
- An example includes a child attempting to coerce another child into adult-like sexual contact.
*Information from National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Agency Highlight: Mujeres Latinas en Acción
Mujeres Latinas en Acción is a Latina-led organization to empower Latinas and their families while supporting them as they heal and thrive. They primarily provide domestic violence or sexual assault services and have been a part of our PATHH collaborative since 2013. So far, they have enjoyed being part of the PATHH collaborative and attending the monthly trainings. PATHH has provided an additional supportive space that helps to network with other providers and bring enhanced resources to the community.
For many of their survivors, the trauma is further complicated by previous victimizations. Some families also have other barriers such as language, immigration status, poverty and the social climate that discriminate immigrants. Many families are also struggling with economic difficulties, and the impact of being treated unjustly due to their ethnicity, and in many case, due to being undocumented immigrants. Racial justice and the intersectionality of other justice work is very important in the therapy work at Mujeres.
With the pandemic, Mujeres has been able to continue providing some services in person while also providing remote services via phone calls. This spring they will also be adding 2 new staff onsite to work with parents of CCAC clients seeking DV services.
To connect with Mujeres or to make referrals for their domestic violence services, please contact Michelle Pernini at (773) 890-7671 or mpernini@mujereslat.org. For referrals for sexual assault services, please contact either Helena Sugano at (773) 890-7659 or helena@mujereslat.org, or Maritza Reyes at (773) 890-7656 or maritza@mujereslat.org.
Past Training Highlights
January 22nd: Collaborative Change Model, Mary Jo Barrett, MSW
For the month of January we were led by Mary Jo Barrett, MSW. Ms. Barrett co-founded the Center for Contextual Change and co-created the Collaborative Change Model. Ms. Barrett is the current Executive Director of C4 and it was a pleasure hearing from one of our PATHH Partners! The training began with a moving example from her time as the first contracted home visitor with DCFS, where she originally formulated the Collaborative Change Model.
Suggested/Cited Readings:
- Perry, B.D. The neurodevelopmental impact of violence in childhood. Chapter 18: In Textbook of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry, (Eds., D. Schetky and E.P. Benedek) American Psychiatric Press, Inc., Washington, D.C. pp. 221-238, 2001
- Awareness and Attunement in the works of R.D. Laing: D. Laing Collection
- Collaborative Change Model
- Barrett, M.J. (2014). Treating Complex Trauma: A Relational Blueprint for Collaboration and Change (Psychosocial Stress Series). Taylor & Francis Ltd.
- Trepper, T., & Barrett, M.J. (1987). Treating Incest: A Multiple Systems Perspective. Routledge
- Trepper, T., & Barrett, M.J. (2014). Systemic Treatment of Incest: A Therapeutic Handbook (Psychosocial Stress Series). Routledge
February 26th 9:30a-1:00p; Trauma and the Mind-Body Relationship, Matthew Sanford
For the month of February we were able to bring in Matthew Sanford for an interactive training on the Mind-Body Relationship. We focused on the connection between the brain and the body and how trauma may interrupt this connection. There will be a five week training coming up. For more information, check out Matthew’s website.
Suggested Readings/Articles/Resources:
Upcoming PATHH Trainings
March 26th 9:30am-1:00pm | Trainer: Dr. Jon Ebert, Case Consultation
Please register in advance for this training to receive your personal Zoom code.
April 23rd 9:30am-1:00pm | Trainer: Dr. Jon Ebert; PSB in Youth
May 28th 9:30am-1:00pm | Trainer: TBD
Job Postings
Association House:
- Clinician-Counseling: Responsible for providing intake, therapy and case management services for adults, adolescents, and children with moderate to severe mental illness or dually diagnosed. Uses intensive outreach strategies to engage participants in services. Conducts comprehensive mental health assessments to determine service needs. Requires master’s degree and three years of experience in the mental health or substance abuse field preferred.
Catholic Charities:
- Therapist 1 – CDPH Trauma Informed MHS: Effectively engages individuals and families in the therapeutic process, completes mental health/substance abuse assessments, handles all client complaints and crisis situations in consultation with supervisory chain. Position to serve all ages targeting Englewood, Roseland, and South Chicago.
- Bilingual Therapist – CDPH Trauma Informed MHS: Effectively engages individuals and families in the therapeutic process, completes mental health/substance abuse assessments, handles all client complaints and crisis situations in consultation with supervisory chain. Position to serve all ages targeting Englewood, Roseland, and South Chicago.
- Bilingual Therapist 1 – YFTS Round Lake: Effectively engages individuals and families in the therapeutic process, completes mental health/substance abuse assessments, handles all client complaints and crisis situations in consultation with supervisory chain. Position to serve all ages targeting Englewood, Roseland, and South Chicago.
CCAC:
- 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.
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.
- Clinician (Virginia Frank Child Development Center): Carries a caseload involving any or all of the Agency’s services for both teletherapy and in-office work, including individual, family, couple and group treatment modalities. Provides early childhood mental health consultation to early childhood programs. Requires experience working with young children in early childhood development and/or education.
Lotus Trauma Care:
- Trauma Therapist: Join our team as a contract trauma therapist and maintain your treatment styles. Make yoru life as a private therapist easier without compromising yoru impact with the community. Join our team as a Contract Therapist while living your passion. Apply by emailing your CV and Cover Letter to worsham@lotustraumacare.com.
Mujeres Latinas en Acción:
- Domestic Violence Therapist: Serves as liaison between Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and Mujeres for coordination of services. Supervises Mujeres’ Domestic Violence Counselor. Provides crisis intervention, individual counseling and therapy, group counseling, case management, and community referrals to adult survivors of domestic violence identified and referred by staff at CAC. Position located onsite at CAC.
Sarah’s Inn:
- Intervention Counselor: 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, 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.
- 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.
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!