DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Mental health professionals, educators, healthcare workers, and community leaders gathered at Decatur Memorial Hospital for specialized training designed to help them better understand and respond to trauma.
The free trauma-informed care training, offered through a partnership between Decatur Memorial Hospital and Heritage Behavioral Health Center, focused on recognizing the effects of trauma and equipping participants with practical tools to support individuals facing difficult experiences.
According to Memorial Health Community Health Consultant Sonja Chargois, the training stems from concerns identified through the hospital’s ongoing Community Health Needs Assessment.
“Memorial Health does every three years a community health needs assessment where we assess what our community needs best, and mental health has been one of the priorities that has landed at the top of our priority list for the last six years,” Chargois said.
As a result, Memorial Health has offered trauma-informed care training annually for the past six years.
“We recognize that when it comes to our mental health, we must know how to handle one another so that we are effectively serving our community to the best of our abilities,” Chargois said. “When we’re better educated on how to respond, recognize, and realize that trauma exists in all our lives, we show up better in handling one another and in the work we do.”
Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognizes how past experiences can affect a person’s behavior, emotions, and interactions with others. Organizers said understanding those impacts can help professionals and community members create safer and more supportive environments.
Chelsea Mueller, senior clinical director at Heritage Behavioral Health Center, helped facilitate the training and said the first step is helping people understand what trauma looks like.
“A big chunk of what we’re doing today is information gathering and just awareness in general of what trauma reactions can look like,” Mueller said. “The first section of the training really focuses on what it looks like when somebody is experiencing a trauma reaction, and how that can impact how they communicate with other folks.”
The second half of the training focuses on practical responses and helping participants learn ways to make people feel safe and supported.
“What can we do as professionals or community members, knowing that folks have been through something that has impacted them significantly, how we can help them feel safe and secure in the work that we’re doing,” Mueller said.
Organizers emphasized that trauma is not limited to major life events and can affect anyone. Chargois noted that experiences ranging from childhood adversity to car accidents can leave lasting impacts.
“The first thing in recognizing it is the fact that we all have some sort of trauma that we’ve lived through, whether it’s a childhood trauma or something you’ve experienced as an adult,” Chargois said.
The training also highlights the importance of trauma-informed care beyond hospitals and counseling offices. Participants included people working with homeless populations, school districts, and other community organizations.
“We have people in our class today who work with homeless individuals. We have people in our class today who work with our school district,” Chargois said. “So we have a very multidisciplinary group serving in different sectors.”
Mueller said the lessons apply to nearly every profession because trauma affects how people navigate daily life, healthcare systems, and relationships.
“Most folks have experienced at least one significant event in their life that they would consider traumatic,” Mueller said. “Understanding that this is an unfortunate and normal experience, and knowing a little bit about how we can interact with folks like that, is needed in every profession.”
The need for trauma-informed approaches has become increasingly important as communities continue to grapple with mental health challenges, substance abuse, and suicide prevention efforts.
“Suicide is a reality. Addiction is a reality. People choosing to check out of life early is a reality,” Chargois said. “Being trauma-informed can help someone make a different decision.”
According to Memorial Health, the goal of the training is to reduce stigma surrounding mental health care while helping professionals increase client engagement, improve outcomes, and strengthen overall community wellness.
“The goal behind this training is to decrease the stigma around those seeking care for mental wellness,” Chargois said in a statement. “Participants will learn practical tools for how to approach their work in a trauma-informed way and increase client engagement, outcomes, and community wellness.”
Heritage Behavioral Health Center President and CEO Mary Garrison said the organization is proud to continue the partnership.
“Heritage is honored to partner with DMH to continue to elevate mental health awareness and trauma-informed care in our community,” Garrison said in a statement.
Organizers hope the training will ultimately create a more compassionate community.
“I would love for our community to be more trauma-informed,” Chargois said. “When we’re more informed, we’re going to handle each other better. And that’s critical. If we’re all working to be trauma-informed, then we all do that together. And that builds a healthy, safe community.”
Additional trauma-informed care trainings, including virtual options, are planned throughout the year. Information about upcoming sessions is available through Memorial Health and Heritage Behavioral Health Center. For more information on both in-person and virtual trainings, email chargois.sonja@mhsil.com or register here.
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