Wisconsin Public Television

Series: Trauma-Informed Care In Wisconsin

Many Wisconsinites have experienced traumas in childhood, but their effects are not universal, nor are their burdens evenly distributed among the state's different communities. Depending on the individual, trauma can have a lifelong impact, affecting behavior, relationships and physical, emotional and mental health. The burden of childhood trauma and the toll it takes on individual lives and public health is attracting more attention by health professionals, educators and caregivers. As a result, public and private organizations around the state are incorporating trauma-informed approaches into their daily work with children and adults. These approaches are part of efforts to transform Wisconsin's human services and justice systems in the hope of providing better outcomes for traumatized individuals and communities.
 
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Better Together is a program working to improve the mental health of youth in La Crosse County by educating the community about the impacts of trauma.
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Tyrese Mosbey was shot in the head at a bus stop after school, and the teenager and his family have struggled through the recovery process. Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention Director Reggie Moore discusses the trauma of non-fatal shootings and their impacts on the community.
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As groups of siblings sit around a large campfire, they begin to share stories while eating a few snacks. They're starting to make memories that will have to last them until they can see each other again. And for some of them, that could be for a whole year.
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A new program in the La Crosse School District will allow police to let school officials know when they've responded to an emergency when a student is present.
A push to support trauma-informed programming for children continues in Wisconsin. Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley CEO Greg Lempke-Rochon discusses efforts in the state's northeastern region.
Hundreds of children in Wisconsin's child welfare and juvenile justice systems who have complex behavioral health needs are being sent for care to facilities outside of the state — as far away as New Hampshire and New Mexico.
Children who suffer abuse or neglect or who live in dysfunctional homes often carry the burdens of these experiences into adulthood. Behavioral health professionals call these ordeals "adverse childhood experiences," or ACEs.
A sweeping shift over the past few decades in the practice of behavioral health has come to be known as trauma-informed care, an approach adopted by dozens of counties and tribes in Wisconsin.
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Almost 1,200 health, human services and education providers from 17 states are gathering in Milwaukee for a conference discussing the root causes of trauma and how to help the communities who have experienced or are experiencing such events.
La Crosse County Division of Health Services director Jason Witt discusses what he describes as a child welfare crisis in Wisconsin. Issues related to the abuse of opioids and methamphetamine are contributing to costs, and local governments agencies are seeking more funding.