and advocacy for family members from homes in which domestic violence is present. Here is one family’s story highlighting how treatment services can work. Jase and his mother, Katherine, were referred to The Rainbow Project after
at least two years of ongoing domestic violence between Jase’s father and Katherine. At the time of referral, Jase, 6, was suspended from school for physically attacking his gym teacher after being given a time-out for back talk. Katherine reported similar physical behavior from Jase at home and noted he would use similar language to his father when doing so. Initially, the therapist developed a safety plan with the mother, which involved a coordinated effort with advocates at DAIS. Jase’s therapist at The Rainbow Project used TraumaFocused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with him. This began with skills building and psychoeducation about trauma (specifically domestic violence) and its effects. After that, the therapist worked with Jase to write a trauma narrative, which helped Jase become desensitized to his traumatic experiences in incremental segments. Once the narrative was completed, the therapist helped Katherine prepare to listen to Jase, sharing his narrative, so it could be done
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in an appropriate and supportive manner. After completing the narrative, the therapist helped Katherine with handson skills building around parenting, which was customized around Jase’s unique needs. After approximately 10 months, Jase was doing much better in school, and Katherine reported feeling increased confidence in her parenting of him. Shortly thereafter, the family was discharged after achieving their treatment goals.
With the support from the community and trauma-informed practices, it’s possible to strengthen children’s inherent resiliency and help them recover from trauma. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.” —Fred Rogers