What can readers expect to learn from you?
At this point in my career I am doing less direct practice, and more teaching, training and consulting. My focus has really shifted to helping individuals, organizations and systems put their knowledge of trauma, ACES and resilience into practice. What does being trauma informed actually look like in our day to day interactions, on the job, or in our community? Over the last few years there has been a positive increase in the amount of awareness in our communities on understanding the impact of trauma, ACES and resilience. Training has become more frequent and accessible, but I have noticed that many people are still stuck on what to do next. What do I do with all of this knowledge? How do I actually change my response? What does being trauma informed actually look like in practice? This is the area that I am now focused on, and hope to share with this community. As coordinator of the Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network (TICN), I have the opportunity to work with a wide range of organizations and systems on this process and hope to share some of our successes and challenges that we have encountered along this journey.
What are you hoping to learn from this community?
I am hoping this community will be an opportunity for organizations, systems and individuals to share their own journey on becoming more trauma informed, sensitive and responsive. What has this process looked like in your organization, system or community? What bumps have you hit along the way? How have you navigated barriers and challenges? What were some positive outcomes? I want to hear some concrete and not so concrete ways individuals and organizations have transformed their practices, policies and physical environments. The opportunities to learn and collaborate are endless.
How did you get involved in the trauma informed / community resilience building movement?
I feel like I have been doing this work for a long time, but just never called it “being trauma informed”. As a child and family therapist, I worked from the perspective that behavior was often a symptom of something bigger, that we should be thinking about what is going on underneath the behavior and be curious about what may be contributing to it. I often became frustrated in meetings with professionals from other systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, courts etc.) who appeared to focus more on the child’s presenting negative behaviors and not taking into account the child’s complex history and earlier experiences. It wasn’t until I read the work and saw presentations from Bruce Perry and Dan Siegel in the early 2000’s, when I began to really understand how trauma impacts the developing brain. In 2013, I had the opportunity to be part of brand new coalition called the Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network to work towards advancing this knowledge and creating a more trauma informed and resilient community.
Why are you passionate about this work?
I am passionate about this work because it makes sense and is the right thing to do. As an educator in the field of social work, I am especially passionate about this topic for emerging social workers. Being trauma informed is not only understanding the impact and prevalence of ACES, but it is about being kind, understanding, patient, having empathy and compassion and recognizing the importance of community. It’s about understanding your own “stuff” and working hard to take care of ourselves. It absolutely aligns with our social work values and ethics, and should be embedded in all of our courses.
When you’re not wearing your professional hats, what are you doing?
In addition to all of my professional hats, I am a mom to an awesome 7 year old. Trying to take care of myself and focus on my own wellness is an on-going battle. Some weeks are definitely better than others. On those good weeks, I try to be outside as much as possible (running, walking by the river, kayaking, being with my dogs). I also try to travel as much as possible. On those weeks when I’m struggling, I’m reminded of just how important it is to connect with friends, family and co-workers and to just breathe.
Melissa McGinn, MSW, LCSW, is currently Greater Richmond SCAN’s Community Programs Coordinator and Coordinator of the Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network. Melissa is responsible for the management and coordination of all SCAN’s prevention programs, training, and consultation on becoming a trauma informed organization. Melissa has been an adjunct professor and field liaison at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work for over 10 years. Most recently Melissa worked at the Virginia Department of Social Services, re-establishing the Child Welfare Stipend Program at four universities across the state. Melissa spent the first 14 years of her career as a child and family therapist specializing in the treatment of complex trauma, working primarily with children in the child welfare system, in community based and outpatient settings.
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