Childhood Trauma: We Can Make a Difference

Share Your Thoughts about the Wisconsin CASA Conference!

Fostering Healthy Futures: Health Needs of Children in Foster Care

CASA Experiences Compel a Lifetime of Commitment: Meet Sibylle Tasker, President of the Kids Matter Board of Directors

Childhood Trauma: We Can Make a Difference

The following information is based on Dr. Steven Dykstra's talk, "On Becoming Persons: Our Brains, and Who We Are," from the Wisconsin CASA Conference on October 2, 2010. Dr. Dykstra works with the Mobile Urgent Treatment Team (MUTT) in Milwaukee.

Can we change the past?

Sometimes we wish that we could, especially when we know of children who have experienced traumatic situations.

Dr. Dykstra gave the example of "Gina." Gina witnessed her mother being beaten to death by a boyfriend when she was five years old. She and her little sister waited in the home with their mother's body for hours until officials were notified and responded.

How do we make sense of this horrible situation? How do we help Gina cope with what she has experienced?

Sometimes, we may try to ignore traumatic experiences because we may feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to talk about these types of events with the kids we know and love. The appalling nature of certain events makes it difficult to find the "right" words. However, ignoring the trauma sends the wrong message.

There are things we can do to help.

For example, in Gina's situation, most of us do not initially recognize the remarkable and heroic actions she took in the face of danger. Gina protected her little sister from harm while her mother was being beaten. Nothing can change what happened to her mother, but recognizing Gina's strength and resilience can help her to go on despite the trauma she has experienced.

Dr. Dykstra shared the following formula that shows how we can help our kids maintain a healthy approach to accepting the past while moving forward in life:

What We Are Born With, both in common with others and unique to us
+ What We Experience
+ What We Make of That Experience
Who We Are and What We Become

We cannot change the past, just as we cannot change the circumstances and situations into which we are born. As CASA volunteers and advocates for children, we cannot change or ignore the past experiences of children in foster or kinship care. However, we can help the children we know and love who have suffered from various traumatic experiences by being a presence in their lives and finding strengths within each child.

We can also help by educating caregivers about how children experience traumatic events, which can help restore balance to their lives. The manner in which children respond to traumatic experiences depends largely on their age and development. For some children, "acting out" behavior is a way to express their ongoing emotional distress related to the experience.

Children who have experienced trauma may demonstrate a loss of previously acquired developmental skills, difficulty concentrating, repetitive play (focusing on the traumatic event), frequent sleep disturbances, isolation, or unusually reckless, aggressive, or self-destructive behavior. If you have concerns about a child you know, encourage their parents or caregivers to have them evaluated by a qualified mental health professional. For help, please email adam@kidsmatterinc.org or call (414) 344-1220.

Do you know a child who shows or has shown strength in a time of struggle? How did the child overcome obstacles and persevere through the pain of a challenging experience? How has this knowledge been inspiring to you? Please e-mail kristy.shew@kidsmatterinc.org to share your story, and please change any names or specific details that need to remain confidential. For more information about the impact of trauma on children, please visit the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, www.NCTSNet.org.

Share Your Thoughts about the Wisconsin CASA Conference!

Share Your Thoughts about the Wisconsin CASA Conference!

Did you attend the Wisconsin CASA Conference earlier this month? We would love to hear about your experience!

• What did you like or dislike about the conference?
• What new insights did you gain as a result of any of the informational sessions?
• How will you apply what you learned to your role as a CASA volunteer?

Please send any comments you would like to share to adam@kidsmatterinc.org.

"Fostering Healthy Futures: Health Needs of Children in Foster Care"
Pediatric Grand Rounds Review

At the most recent Pediatric Grand Rounds session, "Fostering Healthy Futures: Health Needs of Children in Foster Care," Dr. Moira Ann Szilagyi spoke about the unique health issues that children in foster care face. Dr. Szilagyi has extensive experience as a pediatrician who specializes in the health needs of children in foster care.

Many children in foster care suffer from complex childhood trauma. This trauma can come from maltreatment, caregiver impairment, exposure to violence, unpredictable environments, and other factors, as well. Children often enter health care facilities with little or no information about any previous health care or even a birth certificate.

Dr. Szilagyi emphasized that for children in foster care who face traumatic experiences, the chronic elevation in stress hormones can alter brain development and make it harder for them to distinguish between emotion and thought. Thus, it is not surprising that many children in foster care deal with chronic health issues, mental issues, developmental issues, and educational issues. All of these problems stem from a similar source: childhood trauma.

Although the systems that serve children in foster care are fragmented and separate -- from child welfare to the courts to the hospitals to foster parents themselves -- we should always attempt to treat and respect these children as if they were our own.

What can we do to help improve the health of the kids we know and love in foster and kinship care?

• We can take the initiative to make sure that doctors see our kids' medical records and histories.
• We can connect the dots between multiple systems (child welfare, hospitals, the legal system, etc.) to help ensure that correct information is being efficiently communicated among them.
• We can ask questions. Are our kids receiving the care they need? Are they receiving available preventative health care?

Dr. Szilagyi and Dr. Sarah Springer have worked hard to provide extensive resources about the health needs of children in foster care on the Healthy Foster Care America website, which is associated with the American Academy of Pediatrics. On the website, you'll find information about the barriers to better health care for children in foster care and what you can do to help overcome them. Dr. Szilagyi has also testified in front of Congress about the unique health needs of children in foster care. Click here to read her testimony. 

CASA Experiences Compel a Lifetime of Commitment: Meet Sibylle Tasker, President of the Kids Matter Board of Directors

When Sibylle Tasker had an opportunity to work with Kids Matter as a member of the Junior League of Milwaukee, she was already well aware of the important impact that the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program makes in the lives of children.

Sibylle worked with the CASA program while in college, helping coordinate volunteer activities for CASA children. After college, she continued to volunteer with advocate programs, including serving as an advisor for the Stanford University chapter of CASA.

Sibylle Tasker (right) with Kids Matter Executive Director, Susan Conwell at the 2009 Kids Matter Holiday Party.

In Milwaukee, she became involved with the Junior League. At the time, Sibylle said, the Junior League was looking for a non-profit with which they could partner and "elevate to the next level." After a thorough search, the Junior League selected Kids Matter for their community partnership.

The partnership with the Junior League created a position on the Kids Matter Board of Directors. With her prior experience with CASA, Sibylle was an ideal candidate for the seat. She worked with Executive Director Susan Conwell in finding a new office location for the expanding Kids Matter programs.

After the three-year partnership between the Junior League and Kids Matter ended, Sibylle was asked to stay on the Kids Matter Board of Directors. In 2007, Sibylle was elected the president of the board, a role she currently holds.

As board president, Sibylle says that her job focuses much more on the behind the scenes operation of Kids Matter, which includes building partnerships and bringing in funding for Kids Matter. One of the things that Sibylle loves about the work is the opportunity to meet new people and talk about how they can help children.

"If you would have told me 15 years ago I would have been involved with fundraising, I would have cringed, but I really enjoy that side of things." Sibylle said. "I like to approach it from a networking perspective; I love talking to people and I love making connections."

While she has been involved with CASA in one form or another since college, Sibylle said that it was a coincidence that she got her start with CASA. Sibylle did not have much experience with child advocacy before college, but once she got involved, she found she really enjoyed the work.

"It was just the luck of the draw in college. My sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, had a partnership with CASA and it was how I got involved. I enjoyed working with kids, but I didn't have any previous experience."

Sibylle said that getting involved with this kind of work has gotten her out of her comfort zone, and she gets to meet people that she normally wouldn't meet. She said that as a child, she wasn't exposed to different groups of people, and that was frustrating to her.

"The work I have done has pushed my boundaries on many different levels, and it is something I want my children to experience," Sibylle said. "It has become important to me to expose my kids to volunteerism, because it wasn't something I wasn't exposed to when I was growing up."

Sibylle said another important lesson she has taken from her work is the power that people can bring to a situation.

"People downplay the difference people can make," Sibylle said. "When people talk about elections and voting, they say, 'my vote doesn't make a difference.' But when it comes to CASA, one person does make a difference in the life of a child. Even if it is one dollar of donations or one volunteer attorney takes on another case, one little thing, one gift, one outing has such a huge impact on a child's life. It leaves me speechless."

Getting that message out to people is what motivates Sibylle. It is what keeps her coming back to the CASA program. She wants to inspire people to take action and help out their community.

"I think people are missing a passion, but if we can get them motivated, even if it is just to donate some money, find a connection or resources, we are accomplishing something."

Opportunity to Learn about Cultural Competence, Poetry, and Healing

On Thursday October 14, from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, UW-Milwaukee will host Dr. Rafael Campo, who will share his poetry and prose in a program entitled: "Cultural Competence: Poetry and the Importance of Voice and Healing." The event will take place in Bolton Hall, Room B52. It is free and open to the public.

Dr. Campo is a teacher and practitioner of internal medicine at Harvard Medical School. He serves mostly members of the Latino and LGBT communities.

This event is co-sponsored by the Medical College of Wisconsin and is part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

Dates to Remember

Opportunity to Learn about Cultural Competence, Poetry, and Healing: Thursday, October 14

Wisconsin Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (WIPSAC) Webinar: Thursday, October 14

Free CASA Continuing Education: Pediatric Grand Rounds, Friday, October 22

Wisconsin Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (WIPSAC) Webinar: "Caseworker-Perceived Caregiver Substance Abuse and Child Protective Services Outcomes"

October 14, 2010 12-1 PM

This webinar examines whether CPS caseworkers' perceptions of caregiver substance abuse influences their perceptions of the severity of harm that child experiences and CPS outcomes.

For more information about this event, click here.

CASA Training Schedule

Do you need to refresh your memory on a specific topic that is covered in CASA training? The new session starts Wednesday, Oct, 13, and CASA volunteers are welcome to attend any of these training sessions:

Oct. 13: Introducing the CASA Volunteer Role

Oct. 16: Introducing the Law, the Child Protection System and the Courts

Oct. 20: Developing Cultural Competence

Oct. 27: Understanding Families

Nov. 3: Understanding Families and Children

Nov. 10: Communicating as a CASA Volunteer

Nov. 13: Gathering Information, Reporting and Monitoring

Nov. 17: Pulling It All Together

Please contact your CASA Supervisor if you have any questions about any of these sessions or if you would like to attend! Click here to see a printable CASA training schedule.

Give to Kids Matter Through Community Shares!

It's that workplace giving time of year again!

We would be honored if you would choose to donate to Kids Matter Inc. We are a proud member of Community Shares. Click here to see if your employer supports workplace giving though Community Shares.

Free CASA Continuing Education Opportunity: Pediatric Grand Rounds

On Friday, October 22, from 8:30-9:30 AM, Professor David J. Pate, Jr., PhD, from the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, Department of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will speak about "The Father's Role in Child Well-Being and Health: Low-Income Black Men Parenting in Milwaukee." This session will take place in the Briggs and Stratton Auditorium at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.