Trauma-Informed
Probation
Ms. Sarah Easterbrook BA(H)
Dr. Julian Gojer MBBS FRCPC JD
Mr. Adam Ellis MA BA RSW
Introduction
“Trauma has the potential to be one of the
most significant forces for psychological, social
and spiritual awakening and evolution. How
we handle trauma (as individuals,
communities and societies) greatly influences
the quality of our lives. It ultimately affects
how or even whether we will survive as a
species.”
Peter Levine, 1997
Trauma Research and Probation
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studies focused mostly on youth and female
probation clients in the US
Owens, Rogers and Whitesell (2011) found that
85% of probationers reported at least one traumatic
event in their lifetimes.
-77% experienced more than one event
-many had high rates of mental illness and 1/3
of sample sored in the range of possible PTSD
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even less is known how probation clients are
experiencing and managing trauma-related
symptoms as they navigate through the CJS
The “Crystal Ball” of Trauma
“One of the largest public health
crisis in America is hidden in plain
sight, and it’s about the lifetime of
mental and physical health
problems that have their roots in
something we call childhood
trauma.”
Robert Ross, 2014
TED talk, Iron State Prison, CA
Various Definitions of Trauma
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual VPTSD-Possibly overly restrictive
Disorders of Excessive Stress Not
Otherwise Specified DESNOS-Broadening
the scope
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Complex Trauma
(chronic, multiple layers,
intergenerational)
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Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACE study)
Definition of Trauma
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“An event is traumatic if it is extremely upsetting, at least
temporarily overwhelms the individual’s internal resources,
and produces lasting psychological symptoms.”
Briere and Scott
“ANYTHING that knocks you off your pins, keeps you from
seeing clearly and making healthy choices.”
CAST Canada
“Anything that our system can’t handle or process.”
Peter Levine
“Trauma is the sum of the event, the experience and the
effect.”
SAMHSA 2012
Trauma Continued
According The National Centre for Trauma- Informed
Care (NCTIC):
Trauma is an almost universal experience
among people who use public mental health,
substance abuse and social services, as well
as people who are justice-involved or
homeless.
Cross-sectional view of a Probation
Office Caseload
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4 Case loads for a total of 734 clients
Many are transients living in shelters
Males-617
Females 117
Average length of probation-17.3 months
Average length of conditional sentence-8.7mth
Aboriginal population-4%
Offenses against the person-42%
(“Hurt people hurt people”-Bloom and Farragher, 2011)
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Property offenses-31%
Drug offenses-7%
Our Findings
The case loads were reviewed by each officer for
their own assessments, prior psychiatric reports,
social work reports and other reports.
 Information classified into 5 categories:
1-No PTSD
2-Possible PTSD-when features identified were unclear
but present
3-Probable PTSD-based on all info reviewed
4-Adverse life experiences-did not meet PTSD but had
other serious negative life events
5-Unknown-no data regarding trauma or client unable
to communicate their past history
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Presence of PTSD
None
31
Possible
58
Probable
57
Adverse
37
Unknown
21
Of note, 76% had experienced
some form of trauma.
“What we cannot hold, we
cannot process. What we
cannot process, we cannot
transform. What we cannot
transform, haunts us.”
J. Brobow, 2011
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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Focus on survival and life stabilityprioritization of needs
-Poverty (hierarchy of needs)
-Homelessness
-Unemployment
-Immigration
-Refugees
-Lack of care givers
-Other social and cultural barriers
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails,
and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy
to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons no property will be safe.”
Frederick Douglass
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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Isolation
Shame
Lack of safety
Lack of trust (POs are in a position of authority)
Sense of powerlessness or helplessness going thru
the CJS (SAMHSA, 2013)
Negative experiences from jail. Further retraumatization
“There is no trauma to alleviate until the post-environment plays
its role.”
Sandra Aamodt
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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Epstein (1991) described trauma as
the “atom-smasher” of personality
Lomranz (1990) noted that the
process of reconstructing one’s
sense of identity from trauma can
take many years.
“The heart of trauma is shame and isolation.”
Dr. Robert Stolorow
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
Denial, readiness or lack thereof -to
address emotional scar tissue,
minimization, avoidance
 Client’s view of self-admission is
tantamount to failure
 Stigma- “ I can do it on my own”
 ”Speechless terror” (Van der Kolk & Fisler,
1995)
 Ungrieveable and ambiguous
losses/neglect (CAST Canada)
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know
why it was put up.”
Robert Frost
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Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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Studies have repeatedly found that substance use is
correlated with a history of physical and/or sexual
abuse with intoxicants being used to self-medicate
against the experiential impact of trauma.
Men who experienced 6 or more ACEs have a
4600% increased likelihood of becoming an IV drug
user. (ACE study)
Dual diagnosis –substance abuse, other mental
illness. Which is dealt with first?
“Is alcohol/substance abuse a desperate attempt at
self-healing?”
Felitti et al, 1998
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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MENTAL HEALTH: clients with complex needs
Over-diagnosis of mental health? Or are they
actually suffering from repeated childhood and later
abuse, trauma and neglect. (Dr. Charles Whitfield,
2011)
New research is now proposing a CAUSAL
relationship.
Probationers are more likely to report psychosis,
mania, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Data from
the 2001 United States National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Crilly,
Caine, Lamberti, Brown and Friedman, 2009
Trauma-Clients’ Perspective
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In the literature, there are gender differences in how much
attention is given to trauma, more of the focus is on women
vs. men (Gilfus, 2002)
Masculinity-What it means to be a man?, masculinity, what
constitutes weakness, vulnerability, “I can do it on my own.”
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The Chivalry Hypothesis –McGill University study 2014
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Culture and stigma
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
Frederick Douglass
Trauma-Probation Officers’
Perspective
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Misuse of language, multiple labels and acronyms–
”client” vs “offender”
Way questions are posed to clients
Own discomfort re: questions
Own views of trauma and failing to acknowledge or
look for it, or the opposite -only seeing trauma in
clients when clients may not acknowledge it, or too
much positivity
“Once you label me you negate me.”
Soren Kierkegaard
Trauma-Probation Officers’
Perspective
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Our own blind spots, internal bias and beliefs i.e.
“that client will never change.”
Some traumatized individuals may attribute an
archaic parental role to their PO. Problematic if
parent was previously abusive or failed to
acknowledge past abuse. (Sandler and Sandler 1998)
Taking clients’ behaviour personally. i.e.
dishonesty. “He lied to me” or should client
reoffend
Failing to separate person from their behaviour
“I don’t coach hockey players, I coach people.”
Mike Babcock
Trauma-Probation Officers’
Perspective
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Misunderstanding clients behaviour
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Being judgemental
``Chronically traumatized individuals may have only
intermittent ability to access certain information, they may
be very ``forgetful,`` they may appear to ``space out``
regularly, and they may retreat within themselves when
confronted with painful emotions or reminders of their
traumatic experiences. It is common for such individuals to
have difficulty remembering what was discussed between
sessions, or to forget safety plans or coping skills.”
Luxenberg, Spinazzola and van der Kolk, 2001
Trauma-Probation Officers’
Perspective
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Rigid thinking and inflexible
attitudes
Working to the letter of the law
Youth probation officers who perceived their
clients as noncompliant were actually more likely
to use confrontational and coercive approaches,
including threatening enforcement and sanctions.
Schwalbe and Maschi, 2011
Trauma-Probation Officers’
Perspective
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Countertransference (emotional reactivity). Does it
affect recidivism?
Lack of awareness as to their own behaviour yet
clients often hypersensitive and hyper-vigilant
“relational flashbacks”
Impatience with pace of clients, lack of change, can
last for years
We are not clinicians yet often are the first that
they disclose past trauma too. Then what?
Vicarious trauma, job burnout
“Knowing your own darkness is the best
method for dealing with the darkness of other
people.”
Carl Jung
Trauma-Informed Care
A philosophical approach for service providers:
 To meet unique needs of clients
 To avoid re-traumatization
 Promoting strength in survivors
 Educating providers
The 3 Rs:
1-Realize impact of trauma
2-Recognize how it affects everyone
3-Respond appropriately
Flora Matheson and Robin Cuff (2015) “Women, Trauma and Incarceration” &
Jean Tweed, Trauma Matters, 2013: Guidelines for Trauma-Informed Practices
in Women’s Substance Use Services
Trauma-Informed Care
Scope of the Issue
The majority of people have experienced at
least one traumatic event in their lifetime,
and up to a quarter will develop PTSD.
(Hidalgo and Davidson, 2000 & Davidson, Hughes,
Blazer and George 1991).
Failing to address the unseen scars from childhood can
hinder adults’ capacity to meet their potential.
Adams, 2010
Trauma Informed Care
UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS
Awareness of high incidence of trauma in
clients
Need for sensitivity
Focus on the client and not the crime
“In settings like substance use disorder treatment and
jails or prisons, where it is very likely that the majority
of clients are dealing with the mental health
consequences of trauma, it is best to apply traumainformed principles, as a “Universal Precaution,” at
every client encounter possible and at every level of
care, whether or not trauma screening is available.”
Nicole Miller, 2011
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Moving from “What is wrong with you?” “to What
happened to you?”
“Ask not why the addiction, but why the pain?”
(Dr. Gabor Mate)
Substance abuse and criminality are seen as
attempts to cope with trauma and its aftermath
Survivors are not doing the best they can do, they
are doing what they know how to do.
“You are as sick as your secrets.” AA saying
Trauma-Informed Probation
Build on existing Supervision Strategies
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New language, moving from “offenders” to clients
Way questions are asked i.e. past sexual abuse
Resilience as opposed to weakness
Strength vs. deficit lens
Separate Person from Behavior
”Continuous appreciation of the client’s bravery is a
central task for the trauma-specialized clinician.”
Briere and Scott, 2013
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Reframing
-our perceptions of client behaviour
-their need for control and what that might look like
-empowerment
-accountability
-strength where they might see weakness
Clients who were previously seen as resistant, demanding,
manipulative and difficult to work with, and/or treatmentresistant, are now seen as responding to past trauma.
Briere and Scott, 2013
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Redefining relapse/substance abuse
-addiction best attempt to cope,
connect on the heart level, honor their
suffering (Dr. Gabor Mate)
-re-framing substance abuse to social
disorder
“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The
opposite of addiction is connection.”
Johann Hari, Chasing the Scream, 2015
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Trauma given equal weighting to male clients as to
female clients.
-male victims of sexual abuse are more likely
to commit violent crimes than female victims
of sexual abuse. (Calderwood, 1987 and
Frazier,1993)
-anger and violence can be viewed as a
possible symptom of trauma exposure.
Being trauma-informed, “can begin to be understood
as a safety issue rather than the “abuse excuse” or
something that only applies to female offenders.”
Miller and Najavits, 2012
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Trauma becomes both a CRIMINOGENIC
factor & a RESPONSIVITY issue.
PTSD itself contributes significant criminogenic risk factors such as
substance abuse, relationship problems, poor performance at work
and school. Anti-sociality seen as a symptom of trauma, and, also
places the individual at risk of further re-traumatization, risk-taking
behavior and accidents. (Dr. Colin Cameron, 2014)
Cannot lower risk without dealing with trauma. Forensic hospital in
Assen, Netherlands. Dr. Renate Deker and Ellen Van Den Broek,
2014
“Hurt people hurt people.”
Bloom and Farrahger, 2011
Trauma-Informed Probation
Redefining Recidivism
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Compulsion to Repeat the Trauma
-clients that offend sexually
-clients that offend against their intimate
partners
“Individuals may victimize others in ways that
replicate their own traumas, either literally or
emotionally.”
Luxenberg, Spinazzola and van der Kolk, 2001
Trauma-Informed Probation
Enforcement Redefined
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Not as a punitive measure
A process of self-empowerment
Incentivizing behavior
Problem solving
Supportive counseling
Persuasion
This approach has been found to be helpful for youths on
probation.
Skeem, Louden, Polaschek, & Camp, 2007; Vidal
and Skeem, 2007
Trauma-Informed Probation
The Trauma Informed Lens
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Developing sense of self and belonging, we all want
to be heard, seen, to know we matter
Accountability
Every interaction therefore is then seen as an
opportunity for meaningful engagement (SAMHSA,
2013)
EMPATHY, feelings as important as facts, magical
phrase
Shame “is the swampland of the soul.” Carl Jung
Empathy is the antidote to shame.
Brene Brown
Trauma-Informed Probation
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Hope: “Although not typically described as
therapeutic goal, the installation of hope is a
powerful therapeutic action.” Briere and Scott, 2013
Non-judgement and safe space for discourse
Resilience: The client’s story is important and serves
to validate identity-Become the hero of your own
story
It is not about learning to work WITH people but
HOW to be with people (CAST)
Often what is required is for the trauma-exposed
individual`s personal healing and recovery is just one
individual who is caring and non-judgemental.
Fisher, 1999; Royster, 2006; Saakvitne, 2000
“Not every story has a happy ending, ...
but the discoveries of science, the
teachings of the heart, and the
revelations of the soul all assure us that
no human being is ever beyond
redemption. The possibility of renewal
exists so long as life exists. How to
support that possibility in others and in
ourselves is the ultimate question.”
Dr. Gabor Mate, 2008
Moving Forward-Administration
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Build on great work POs are already doing
Consider a shift in paradigm from “Working with Offenders” to
a “Trauma-Informed Supervision” style
Trauma-Informed training for probation officers i.e. TraumaInformed Checklist
Trauma as both criminogenic and a responsivity issue
May have to consider reducing caseloads to allow more time
for advocacy, relationship building with community service
providers and active supervision (SAMHSA)
More time to complete assessments
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you
look at change.”
Max Planck
Conclusion
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Probation officers are often the first contact with the
traumatized individual and can become part of the circle of
support and healing of the client.
Better client rapport, focus on being effective than right.
SMART ON CRIME vs. TOUGH on crime.
Same end result, but better way to get there, build on what
we know.
Believe in peoples’ inherent abilities to heal and change.
Addressing public safety often focuses on criminal behaviors,
however managing trauma can be the first step in this
endeavor.
Personal healing benefits all of society and lowers recidivism.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us.”
R.W.Emerson
Lou Giorla, Commissioner of Prisons,
City of Philadelphia, 2015
“We who stand in authority understand
that love and respect as well as the
spirit of hope and forgiveness must fill
both the keepers and the confined.
Otherwise peace and justice cannot be
achieved.”