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Govern for Good
Last month, CHS therapists from across the organization came together for TheraPlay training, learning new ways to connect with children through play. The hands-on training gave staff a chance to learn about TheraPlay while participating in a variety of play-based activities they can bring into their work with clients.
For children who have experienced trauma, finding the words to explain what they are feeling or what they have been through can be difficult. Play can give them another way to communicate and connect with the adults around them.
“The language of a child is communicated through play,” said Clinical Director Christie Lueth. “We are able to use their primary communication skill in order to connect with them, show them that we hear them, that we're sitting with them, that we acknowledge what has happened in their lives, and we can do that through play.”
That connection is at the heart of why this training matters. VP of Outpatient Mental Health Services Dr. Tamara Ulmer said TheraPlay gives staff practical tools to better understand children and respond to the experiences that may be shaping their behavior.
“This training is incredibly valuable because it equips clinicians with practical, developmentally appropriate interventions for children and adolescents,” said Dr. Ulmer. “Many of the youth we serve have experienced childhood trauma, adverse life events or disruptions in attachment relationships that significantly impact their emotional, behavioral and social development. By increasing staff competency and confidence in evidence-based, play-based and experiential modalities, we are strengthening our ability to engage younger clients in ways that are meaningful and effective.”
And the learning doesn’t stop when the training ends. Offering specialized training like TheraPlay is part of CHS’s commitment to investing in our staff and continuing to expand the ways we can support children and families.
“CHS is investing in having quality trauma-informed staff and clinicians,” said Christie. “This is something that we would want to be ongoing. That's something that we're hoping so that we can keep this knowledge going for incoming staff so that our children are getting the best treatment possible.”
