the body keeps the score

Hi, I'm Heather, and I have worked at Cleveland Angels as a Case Manager for three years now. Before I started this job, I had very little knowledge of anything related to foster care or trauma's effect on someone, but knew I wanted to support those who were working through it. To help build some foundational knowledge early on, our staff decided to take part in some continuing education together to deepen our understanding of trauma and how that effects the population we serve. One of the first books we read as a staff was The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk.

So, how does a book about trauma and the brain relate to a the work we do at Cleveland Angels? In the book's very first section we read, "trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body” (21). As we moved through this book I remember thinking to myself “I wish everyone could read this” because it directly relates to the reason why our programs are structured as they are. Love Box and Dare to Dream are both 12 months (+) long experiences, with a trauma informed approach rooted in building healthy, trusting relationships.

As a Case Manager here, I fully recognize that I have not lived the same life, or experienced the same hardships that many of the youth I work with have. I can never fully understand how they feel. According to Dr. Van Der Kolk “Understanding Foster Care is like learning about a foreign country. If you are not from there, you don’t speak the language. Life is upside down for foster-care youth” (342). But what I can do is begin to create a safe space for them, match them with a mentor who can be in the thick of it with them, and introduce them to entire community of people who are here to cheer them on and support them.

Part of my job is going to meet with youth who are newly referred to our mentorship program Dare to Dream. Whenever I go to visit a youth to talk about our Dare to Dream Program I always tell them that in this program, they are in the drivers seat and their mentor and I are along for the ride. That statement is sometimes met with a shy smile or a look of disbelief. Children and youth experiencing foster care often have little to no control over where they live, where they go to school, or the people that come in and out of their lives. This lack of control can lead to youth feeling hopeless for their future or overcome with anxiety about all of things about the world that they do not know. By matching them them up with a mentor who is willing and ready to be a consistent figure in their life, to guide them through mistakes and hard times we give them someone who is going to give them a voice. Maybe you are thinking "how does providing consistency and choices impact them in the long run?” The book touches on this very idea-- “If you want to give them a sense of control, you have to give them power over their destiny rather than intervene on their behalf....You cannot help, fix, or save the young people you are working with. What you can do is work side by side with them, help them to understand their vision, and realize it with them. By doing that you are giving them back control. We are healing trauma without anyone ever mentioning the word” (344).

This brings us back to one of the main themes of this book -- RELATIONSHIPS. This is what Cleveland Angels does so well. Dr. Van Der Kolk says “a fundamental truth is our capacity to destroy one another is matched by our capacity to heal one another. Restoring relationships and community is central to restoring well-being”(38).

This book is a great tool for ANYONE who is going through a hard time, or caring for someone who is coming from a hard place. If we can all be a bit more kind, & lead with empathy and understanding, we can create a safe space where healing can happen.

If anyone out there feels called to learn more about ways to get involved with Cleveland Angels, please contact us here, or you can email me at [email protected]!

Author

Heather Cruz-Holley is a Case Manager at Cleveland Angels.