MidSOUTH Virtual Continuing Education Series: Understanding Trauma

Virtual continuing education for individuals working in behavioral health, including alcohol, tobacco, substance abuse treatment, education, mental health, and children and family services.

This event is subject to priority registration. If you have a code, you may register yourself now. If you do not have a registration code, you are welcome to add yourself to the waitlist. Any registration spots avilable after the priority registration period is over will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis for those on the waitlist.

This class discusses the impact of trauma on people’s lives in a variety of different contexts. Traumatic experiences can change people’s brain and health development and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. Trauma also affects how a person learns to build and maintain relationships with other people, including caregivers and helpers. Untreated, this can leave people isolated and in pain, seeking relief in unhealthy coping strategies. Workers who understand this can be more effective with people who need help.

Many people receiving services in the behavioral health field are victims of trauma of one sort or another. The normal response to atrocities is to bury them deep and not talk about them. What tends to happen is that people adapt their lives, often unknowingly, to trauma’s effects. Understanding the impacts of trauma helps workers pivot their strategies for more effective engagement and can create environments that are more equitable and inclusive for people who have diverse backgrounds. This approach creates a foundation for empathic connection and understanding, allowing participants to move towards post-traumatic growth. In addition, this foundational knowledge helps workers assess the impact of their work on their own health and wellbeing.

Learning Objectives:

• Define different types of trauma
• Examine the effects of trauma on the developing brain
• Reflect on why people use unhealthy coping strategies
• Describe the research on trauma and its implications

Fee Breakdown

Category	Description	Amount
Course Fee (Basic)	NO FEE	$ 0.00