Instructor: Karine Silverwoman

Fundamentals of Trauma Informed Practice is an experiential course on trauma, vicarious trauma, and trauma-informed practice designed to give support workers a greater understanding of trauma and tools for working with persons and communities that have experienced trauma. Participants will gain confidence working with trauma on a micro, mezzo and macro level and will broaden their understanding of trauma experienced by the helping professional.  This course will create a learning environment that is designed to model and embody a trauma-informed practice and will integrate an anti-oppressive lens which deeply consider the connection between social justice, oppression, and trauma.

Meet your Instructor:

Karine is an experienced Social Worker (MSW, RSW), therapist, consultant, educator, and personal trainer. Her work is informed by over 20 years of working in the social work field and engagement in social-justice activism.

Karine has extensive training in trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, clinical supervision and leadership. She is particularly passionate about working with front line workers, managers, first responders, and community activists to deepen their skills, align with their values and find meaningful strategies to support them in the work that they do.

She has worked in a wide variety of settings and roles including Director of Counselling at Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, street outreach worker, mental health counsellor on an LGBTQ+  health team, youth worker, creative writing facilitator and an owner of a LGBTQ+ trauma informed body positive gym.

As an educator, she has taught at Toronto Metropolitan University School of Social Work and George Brown College Social Service and Assaulted and Women’s children program. She also offer workshops and educational sessions through the Ontario Social Workers Association and have done presentations for Sick Kids Hospital, Planned parenthood, Osgoode Law, Sistering and more.

She is a Queer parent, a deep listener and come from an intersectional feminist, disability affirming, and anti-colonial approach.  Karine’s work and life reflect a  strong belief that we must approach the world and one another with compassion, care, attention to justice and reflection.

Who is taking this course?

This course is ideally suited for frontline staff working in shelter, respite and residential settings but the techniques can be applied by anyone who is interacting with at-risk populations. Anyone having face-to-face conversations with vulnerable populations will benefit from this session.

Learning Objectives for Participants:

• Deepen understanding of trauma.
• Deepen compassion and curiosity.
• Make the connections between trauma and oppression.
• Deepen self reflection around the impacts of trauma.
• Enhance and Broaden Practice tools to work with trauma

Learning Objectives for Managers:

• Enhanced service provision
• Increased levels of empathy amongst staff
• Improved team cohesion
• Improved access to programming and awareness of potential barriers to service

Cost: (Member) $100, (Non-member) $110