Vuln. Child

838 Words2 Pages

Thinking about the System of Care philosophy and any possible ways to improve the intervention, Telger felt like they already do a great job. However, she is constantly trying to improve herself by continuing her education, which The WARM Place helps fund and assist with. She stressed that people need to know that continuing education is extremely important. When I described our Vulnerable Child I and II class with her and how we learn about TBRI and nurture groups, she seemed to understand the importance of taking a year to teach the material thoroughly for participation in camp. She mentioned that she feels like a well oiled machine after 20 years of working for The WARM Place and would not change much about the intervention and treatment process. Telger believes that it is important to get help quickly but because the help they offer is in a group setting, people sometimes need a month or two to get ready to face their grief in front of a group. She mentioned that although The WARM Place focuses on grief, she would like to study and learn more about trauma itself.
Literature Review
With homicide rates increasing, child witnesses to parental homicide rates are increasing. According to the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, 60% of adults report experiencing difficult family circumstances during childhood and 26% of children in the United States will witness/experience a traumatic event before the age of 4. According to the same organization, people who have experienced trauma are 15 times more likely to attempt suicide and 3 times more likely to experience depression. The trauma of witnessing a parental homicide is emotionally draining and leaves children scarred (Zeanah & Burg, 1984). Ko...

... middle of paper ...

...ell being in terms of their adaptive and coping strategies.
Oliver is very lucky in the sense that John is seeking treatment for himself and his son promptly after the initial traumatic experience. Oliver also learned a lot from his mother who was a psychologist. It seems that Lilly instilled autonomy, hope, and a sense of resilience in Oliver. While Oliver was traumatized by witnessing the murder, it is important to remember that John needs to seek treatment as well. He now has to play both mother and father roles for Oliver and make many life changes in terms of work and business trips. The psychologist who works with Oliver and his father needs to prepare Oliver for any possible testimonies he may be required to make in order to incarcerate the perpetrators. The journey to recovery will be long but it is crucial for Oliver’s well-being as a child and as an adult.

Open Document