Trauma has an extensive impact on the lives we serve here at Mary Lee’s House and in order to effectively provide an integrated system of care, we must address the affects of trauma.
What is Trauma Informed Care? Trauma Informed Care is how we, as a system and community, can undertake these concerns. We can shift the philosophy and approach from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?”
Mary Lee’s House takes TIC beyond the work of our frontline staff, it reaches our space, our services, and our interactions.
Mary Lee’s House put in extensive work into ensuring our space is Trauma Informed. You can find examples of this within our color choices of yellows, greens, and blues, lifelike trees, greenery, and animals for comfort. MLH also utilizes therapeutic artwork and murals that cover the walls of our space including the artwork of the children who have received services in MLH to remind them that they are not alone.
All of Mary Lee’s House services are offered under one roof to reduce the amount of traveling from one place to another across Hillsborough County. Our five agencies are able to collaborate services to ensure the child’s needs are met to guarantee a successful outcome.
Mary Lee’s House has multidisciplinary, child-serving professionals whose interactions with children and families are rooted in training and evidence based approaches such as the utilization of Adverse Childhood Experiences study to reduce trauma. Our Individualized services to address family needs are offered in English/Spanish to include multicultural resources (dolls and books). Every interaction between clients reflects a sensitivity to the needs and personal goals of the client using a trauma informed approach where appropriate and ethical boundaries are maintained at all times.
With a strenuous job and high turnover rate for frontline staff, it is important to maintain a healthy workforce to maintain healthy interactions with our children and families. It is imperative to practice TIC with our children and workers. Several TIC practices our agencies implement for wellness and self care: mindfulness, managing compassion fatigue, secondary trauma trainings, Agency Wellness Committee activities and promote self-care, and trainings to incorporate TIC into all aspects of staff practices.
MLH is dedicated to providing the best care for the children and families that pass through our doors!