Episode 1: Our Trauma-Informed Journeys

Summary: <p><strong>Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Jerry Yager</strong></p> <p>Matt, Curt, and Jerry introduce themselves and talk about their journey to the trauma-informed paradigm. They discuss how this knowledge has influenced their thinking and careers as service providers and leaders.</p> <p>Jerry’s question of the week. What do we know that helps children, families, and adults heal and grow. How does your organizational environment support it? Please put your thoughts in the comment section!</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-874 alignleft" src="http://connectingparadigms.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/jerry.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="190"></p> <p>Dr. Jerry Yager is a Clinical Psychologist, currently in private practice, with more than 30 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of traumatized children and adolescents. He specializes in working with children and adolescents who exhibit self-destructive behavior and have severe mental illness such as clinical depression, bipolar mood disorder, post-traumatic distress disorder and psychosis. Before moving to private practice, Dr. Jerry served as Director of Training &amp; Community Education at Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, and was the Executive Director of the Denver Children’s Home, which shares a mission with Denver Children’s Advocacy Center to provide high quality mental health care for low-income children whose problems would otherwise go undiagnosed and untreated.</p> <p>Dr. Jerry received his Doctorate in Psychology from Nova University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a ChildTrauma fellow with the ChildTrauma Academy, under the leadership of Dr Bruce Perry, and conducts professional training in Colorado, nationally and internationally. Dr. Jerry has served as the president of the Colorado Association for Family and Children Agencies. He is a clinical consultant for Devereux Cleo Wallace Behavioral Health Services, Lutheran Family Services, Tennyson Center and Denver Children’s Advocacy Center. Dr. Jerry currently is a member of the Colorado Court Improvement Project and Colorado’s Systems of Care steering committee. He chairs a Trauma-Informed Schools consultation team for the State of Colorado. Dr. Jerry has testified in court as an expert witness on the developmental impact of abuse and neglect on children and adolescents and has testified at the Colorado State Legislature for bills related to children and adolescents’ crime victims’ rights. Dr Jerry was honored at the 2016 National Crime Victim Law conference as the Child Advocate Victims’ Rights Partner of the Year.</p> <p><img class="wp-image-200 alignleft" src="http://connectingparadigms.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/portrait_square-300x300.png" alt="" width="230" height="230">Matt Bennett, MBA, MA, has a master’s degree in community psychology and executive development (nonprofit management), as well as a master’s in business administration in health care. Mr. Bennett specializes in the delivery of trauma-informed care, quality improvement, results-based leadership, and M</p>