No church can do everything, but every church can do something

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Dr. G

Key Ministry DoorIn Part Two of our new blog series Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll share a preferred vision for the future of disability ministry…a future in which every church is intentional in seeking to welcome and include families impacted by disabilities.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:4-8 (ESV)

Paul’s words in Romans 12 describing God’s sovereign design for the church could apply to individual Christians exercising their spiritual gifts in unity in local churches, as well as individual churches with unique giftedness coming together in unity to fulfill God’s larger purposes.

I have yet to encounter a church with a model for effectively serving all families of children with disabilities. Some churches do a great job of welcoming families of kids with intellectual and physical disabilities. Others have fabulous resources for families of kids with autism spectrum disorders. Nathaniel’s Hope, 99 Balloons and our ministry have helped many churches to develop very effective respite ministries. But I can’t think of a single church that’s prepared to demonstrate excellence in welcoming ALL kids with disabilities and their families…nor would I expect to find one.

Why would God allow for such a diversity of churches…in denomination, size, style of worship, discipleship strategy and teaching if this diversity didn’t serve some purpose in helping more people come to know Him through His Son, Jesus? Why then would we think that a disability ministry “program” housed in any individual church could meet ALL of the needs of the families in their service areas in need of Christian community?

large door final.inddWhen we talk about families of kids with mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities, this reality would appear to be especially relevant. With the families we’ve been uniquely called to serve, the challenges presented by the environments in which we “do church” may represent the greatest barrier to regular church involvement. One of the challenges in understanding the epidemic of mental illness in kids is that conditions such as anxiety disorders or ADHD may be disabling in some environments, but not others. The children’s worship service that might be engaging to a child with ADHD may be experienced as distressing by a child with a sensory processing disorder. The child with a severe presentation of autism may need a “buddy” to be able to attend church, while their cousin with Asperger’s Disorder and superior intelligence may be horrified by the prospect of attending a program serving kids with very obvious disabilities.

If every church has a role to play in re-establishing the Kingdom here on Earth, it only makes sense that every church would have a role in expending the Kingdom through ministry to families of kids with disabilities. Here’s an alternative vision that we think captures the reality of how God has resourced and equipped the church…

Every church is intentional and effective in efforts to connect with and include families of children impacted by mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities.

Here’s how that vision might play out…

  • Some churches will have identified disability ministry programs…others will evaluate their ministry environments for the purpose of making them more welcoming to kids with common disabilities and their families.
  • Some churches will establish respite care outreach events…others will rely upon small groups and missional communities to offer “relational respite”.
  • Some churches will launch initiatives to adopt kids with disabilities or to care for kids in foster care who have experienced neglect.
  • Some churches may use their internet campuses to reach out to families impacted by disabilities within their service areas.
  • Some churches may recruit members to become guardians or advocates for children or adults with disabilities.

Church leaders are confronted on a daily basis with limitless ministry possibilities and overwhelming needs. They’re not abdicating their Biblical responsibilities by allocating money and volunteers to pressing needs in their communities not directly related to disability ministry. Every church does something to serve the hungry, the thirsty and the needy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every church has the resources to fulfill their responsibility by opening a food bank. The same could be said of including kids with disabilities and their families at church.

No church can do everything, but every church can do something.

Our crew at Key Ministry looks forward to the opportunity to come alongside churches as they seek to take the next step in welcoming and serving kids with mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities and their families.

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cropped-key-ministry-door.pngOur Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Key Ministry 2.0…Reaffirming our original mission

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Dr. G

Old Key Ministry LogoIn our new blog series, Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll examine the progress churches have made in the past ten years in reaching out to and connecting with families of children with disabilities, trends in the church and the culture likely to impact the disability ministry community in the coming years, spotlight unmet needs contributing to the barriers millions of families face in “doing church” on a regular basis and share what we’ve discerned about where God may be leading our ministry crew in the months and years ahead. 

As a Key Ministry volunteer and Board President/Chairman for the past eleven years, I’ve been conscious of a “burden” for some time that’s never gone away, despite the rapid expansion of opportunities for meaningful ministry our team has experienced in recent years.

When we were founded in 2002, our original mission statement read as follows…

To build the Body of Christ by empowering churches to minister to families of children with hidden disabilities.

We recognized that there were large numbers of families with kids with significant disabilities-disabilities that would not be apparent in a still photograph of the child-that presented major barriers for the children and their families to attending a local church, growing in faith as part of a local church and serving in a local church. These are kids who experience significant difficulties maintaining self-control or managing emotions as a result of a mental health disorder…kids with ADHD, kids with mood disorders, kids with anxiety disorders, kids with autism with average or superior intelligence. They are kids who have been exposed to toxic substances in utero or toxic experiences resulting in difficulties navigating close relationships…kids who struggle with social communication or sensory processing.

These are the kids and families we’ve felt uniquely called to serve. But if we’re to be honest with ourselves, we haven’t been as successful as we’d hoped in catalyzing meaningful change in the church so that leaders recognize the opportunity to reach families with an unmet need for Jesus or develop replicable models of serving families of kids with these conditions that fit within the organizational culture of the local church.

large door final.inddWhere we have been busy…and somewhat successful…is in helping churches serve families of kids with “special needs”. Our point of entry with many of the churches we serve is “that kid”…a family in the church with a child with severe emotional or behavioral issues AND significant intellectual disability. When we’ve been a resource to church staff or volunteers in addressing the needs of kids with more severe disabilities… kids thought of with “special needs”…we’ve sometimes been able to expand the “playing field” into serving kids with a broader range of disabilities.

What’s “changed” since we’ve been led to enter into this field of ministry is that the disability ministry movement has grown by leaps and bounds in its’ capacity to help kids with “special needs” to attend church. Check out the list of “Ministries We Like” in the blog sidebar to your right and you’ll find many organizations doing great work in this arena. Editor’s note: When I use the term “special needs” I’m referring to kids with intellectual disabilities, kids with syndromes associated with chromosomal abnormalities and kids with medical conditions associated with significant cognitive impairment. We have successful strategies for including them at church (buddy ministries, self-contained classrooms) and reaching out to their families (respite events or relational respite, “proms” or other special event ministries). But we’re just scratching the surface! Kids with “special needs” represent only a small portion of the population of kids with significant disabilities interfering with their ability (and the ability of their parents and siblings) to be active participants in Christian community within the context of a local church. The reality is that most kids and families impacted by disability would NEVER think of themselves as candidates to be served by a “special needs” ministry…they rarely self-identify and will flee from ministry interventions that draw attention to their differences…because they desperately want to fit in with everybody else.

As part of our discernment process, I wanted our Key Ministry team to consider the following proposition…

What need has God uniquely called and positioned us to do that other ministry organizations haven’t been able to address? 

Here’s what we came up with…

Key Ministry provides knowledge, innovation and experience to the worldwide church as it ministers to and with families of children impacted by mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities.

This doesn’t mean that we’re abandoning our work in helping churches minister with kids presenting the most challenging disabilities or patterns of behavior. We may look to partner with other like-minded ministries in addressing those needs, while focusing as much of our time, talent and treasure as possible on addressing needs that no other organization is currently addressing.

I invite you to join with us over the next few weeks as we seek to understand how we might best promote the expansion of God’s Kingdom as part of the tapestry of the movement to fully welcome and include families impacted by disability into the worldwide church.

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600817_10200479396001791_905419060_nConfused about all the changes in diagnostic terminology for kids with mental heath disorders? Key Ministry has a resource page summarizing our recent blog series examining the impact of the DSM-5 on kids with mental health disorders. Click this link for summary articles describing the changes in diagnostic criteria for conditions common among children and teens, along with links to other helpful resources!

Posted in Advocacy, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources, Spiritual Development, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hu Auburn on Kingdom Theology…Faces of the Movement

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Dr. G

Hu AuburnEditor’s Note: Our Board and staff at Key Ministry have recently completed a planning process to discern how we as an organization may best steward our time, talent and resources in the coming years. We recognize that three elements form the basis of our ministry…our unique giftedness, the needs and opportunities for impactful ministry in our current environment, and Kingdom theology. Today, Hu Auburn, pastor and Interim Executive Director of Key Ministry, describes what we mean when we talk about Kingdom theology.

SG

Kingdom Theology 

Hu Auburn

Is this a curiosity or a driving force?  Is this a subject of intellectual interest to be debated in seminary classrooms, or is it a daily determining factor in the decisions and choices that we make?

Kingdom Theology has to do with why we do the things we do.  Whether we consider this something that is simply interesting or something that is crucial all depends on how we view the importance of our motives and intentions.  Thus, I would like to begin by thinking with you about matters of motivation, and then think more about how Kingdom Theology shapes those motives.

All of us hope that much of the time we will do the right thing.  We also hope that much of the time others will do the right thing.  Otherwise we would be living in the midst of uncertainty and chaos.

I suspect that most of us would say, “Actions are more important than motives.  The important thing –ultimately – is that someone does the right thing, regardless of the motivation behind he act.  While it would be nice if we all had pure motives, what we wind up doing is more important than why we do it.”

I certainly understand such thinking.  However, as a pastor, I have spent my life work trying to help people understand that why they do things is not as important as what they do. Instead, it is ultimately far more important than what they do.

I understand why people would be focused on “the bottom line” – the things we  decide to do. After all if we waited until our motives were pure, we would never get anything done! Yet, such “bottom line” thinking is also short-sighted.  In exchange for short-term outcomes, we may sacrifice long-term transformation.

For instance, consider a prosperous, “successful” middle class person living in the suburbs, who not only contributes financially but also volunteers their time, serving lunch in a soup kitchen.  Certainly most of us would say that he or she is doing “the right thing.”

But, why are they doing this?  There could be a wide variety of motivations.

They could be serving because –

  • they feel bad that they have so much and others have so little.
  • they are fulfilling a court order for “community service.”
  • they need a tax deduction for charitable contributions.
  • they had once been homeless themselves, through other’s help turned around their life, and now want to give back to others.
  • they had heard a sermon about Jesus’ concern for the “outcast” and feel that, as a Christian, they are obligated to get involved.
  • they want the homeless to be cared for in the inner city, so they don’t wander out into the suburbs looking for handouts.
  • it is an expectation of their employer.
  • they feel guilty when they think of the poor and homeless.
  • they want to feel good and serving others makes them feel good.
  • they can impress others with their compassion.
  • a friend talked them into it and they don’t want to disappoint their friend.

In all likelihood their service in the soup kitchen is the result of a combination of the motivations above – and possibly a number of others.  What difference does it make – as long as they do the right thing?  In the moment it makes little difference.  Praise God for those who are willing to do the right thing – whatever their reasons.  However, there are two places where the motivation makes a HUGE difference.

First, why we do what we do makes a huge difference in our ability to sustain those actions, those services, and those commitments.

If we are serving in a soup kitchen out of guilt, that guilt is likely to wear off rather quickly.  If we are serving so that we feel good, it won’t be long until some of those being served are not as grateful as we think they should be.  If we are serving because of a court order or an employer expectation, how likely are we to continue when the circumstances change?  If we are giving for a tax deduction, will we give if the law changes?  If we are serving to impress others, it will not be long until we need to find something else to keep impressing them.

There are countless examples of people – and churches – being called to a certain ministry – taking it on with great enthusiasm – and not being able to sustain the commitment to really be used by God to make a difference.

Second, why we do what we do can dramatically impact how we view ourselves and how we view others who are a part of those actions, services, or contributions.

When serving the poor, it is very easy (without intending it) to view those served as less than us.  We who have, are giving to those who don’t have.  Very subltely we put (or keep) ourselves in a position of power.  It is very, very easy to reinforce an inferior/superior relationship.  The result is that in providing much needed and valuable aid or relief, we are reinforcing a culture that encourages dependency and often perpetuates those things that have caused the needs.

When our church began housing homeless families over night (for a week four times a year) as a part of Interfaith Hospitality Network, we were faced with a decision:  Do we designate our best rooms  (which are naturally used all the time) or our least attractive rooms (that would be much easier to set aside for this use).  Are these families the objects of our compassion and care (thus being “less than us” and whatever we have would be better than nothing) or are they our valued guests, that we have the privilege to host?  That is a “Kingdom” decision!

Kingdom Theology provides a dramatically different kind of motivation for our actions.  It is also multi-layered.  Here are some of the motivations –

  • When we as Christians offer ourselves in service to others – we are in essence offering ourselves in service of Christ Himself.  (See Matthew 25, “If you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me.”)
  • All of the people that God has fashioned are both “gifted” and “disabled.”  All of us have shortcomings, and all of us have ways to bless.  In the eyes of God we are all beautiful.  None are inferior or superior.
  • All of the people that God is calling to Himself in the church are important for the health, strength, and vitality of the faith community.  Our life together is diminished if we exclude those the world labels as “disabled.”
  • Serving for the purpose of receiving accolades or recognition has its rewards now; serving for the sake of honoring Christ and building His Kingdom has eternal significance.
  • Serving others, because we are following the example of Christ, results in the construction of Christ’s Kingdom and brings us ever closer to the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the return of Christ.

Among well-meaning and well-intentioned Christians there are several motivations that seem to be a part of launching disability ministries.

The first is compassion.  Jesus calls us to reach out to “the least of these.”  In our culture today, the disabled are often considered “the least of these” – those who aren’t able to be as productive, as connected, as “successful” as the rest of us.  Perhaps the disabled children, youth and adults of today are similar to the “widows and orphans” of the Bible.  Compassion is certainly a godly trait, but here it usually only results in limited short-term outcomes.

The second common motivation is justice.  The disabled as a community have often been discriminated against, misunderstood and judged, even ridiculed and  systems/attitudes have been constructed that uphold those systems.  As Christians we are to battle and destroy – in ourselves and in society those systems and powers that oppress and discriminate.  Perhaps the community of those with various disabilities today are the lepers or the Samaritans of the Scriptures.  Once again, a passion for justice is a godly trait, but one that in disability ministry is hard to sustain.

It is rarely easy to do the right thing – regardless of our motivation.  Yet, we at Key Ministry have found that a commitment to Kingdom Theology provides the best foundation and motivation to conduct a disability ministry that is effective and redemptive for all who are a part of it.  It is an investment in a ministry that builds up the body of Christ, not one that drains its resources.  It is a work that has both short term successes, and also eternal payoff.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,” declared Jesus, “and all these things shall be yours as well.”

Key Ministry is committed to “Kingdom Building” – not ours, but Christ’s.  We are convinced that that focus will allow everything to find its proper place and purpose.

May we each seek to both do the right thing – and do it for the best possible reason!

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5a5dc08bd8f56eed33136e5d654147e3Hu Auburn attended Princeton Theological Seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1971.  In August of 1975, he became the Senior Pastor of Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village, Ohio, where he served until his retirement in 2008. Hu was formally appointed to the position of Pastor Emeritus at Bay Presbyterian in 2009.

Under his leadership, Bay Presbyterian began the Bay Food Ministry, Bay Presbyterian Church Nursery School, Bethel Bible Series, the Stephen Ministry, an Evangelistic Calling program (“Good News” Teams), a Healing ministry, a Christian Counseling program, Sacred Music Series, a Special Needs Ministry, Kids’ Church ® (an urban children’s church-planting ministry), the Genesis Church Partnership between one of our choirs and six urban congregations, and global partnerships in Guatemala, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.

Hu was a founding Board member of Key Ministry, and has served the ministry as Interim Executive Director since January, 2013. His new book, Grandkids Camp is available here.

 

 

Posted in Controversies, Spiritual Development | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Mom, I feel like Cinderella”-Cindi and Joe Ferrini…Inclusion Fusion Library

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Dr. G

ferrini“Mom, I Feel Like Cinderella.”

And no, that was not a good thing…. Kristina, our second born was healthy, smart, helpful, and compliant. She was often there to help our son Joey (3 years older than her) when he needed his shoes tied, face washed, or teeth brushed. The problem was – she was only about 7.

Joey’s special needs made it such that he needed a lot of help for us just to “get out the door” and often, she was very willing to help. But this one particular day, I had asked her to do a number of things, right in a row, and not with much chance to comprehend it all. That was when she said, “Mom, I feel like CINDERELLA. Not the pretty one, but the one who had to do all the work.” Ouch.

Sometimes it takes the mirror of reality for us to stop and change our course. That comment did just that for me. I became keenly aware of the fact that she needed to be a kid. I know I didn’t expect her to “take over” my job of caring for our son with special needs, but I was happy for her help, and at that moment I could see I’d lost the ability to see that I was asking too much.

From that moment on, I made some changes. Perhaps the changes I made, will be helpful for you with your children, but also with your extended family, friends, and others in your life.

Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini speak nationally for Family Life “Weekend to Remember Get-A-Ways” and have written Unexpected Journey-When Special Needs Change Our Course. They have 3 grown children (one with special needs) and are grandparents. They enjoy staying connected to the outside world via social media and their website! This presentation is from Joe and Cindi’s return appearance for Inclusion Fusion 2012. The title of this presentation is We Are FAMILY!

Special needs care for ONE person in a family affects all the others. In this video, the Ferrini’s share ideas to help all children in the family feel included and “special” in everyday life, and touch briefly on the part extended family can play.

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cropped-key-ministry-door.pngOur Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!

Posted in Families, Inclusion Fusion, Parents, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Would your church miss you if you weren’t there? Barb Dittrich

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Dr. G

Empty PewI’m sharing a post today from our friend and ministry colleague Barb Dittrich that raises an issue that touches families with and without kids with disabilities.

We had a very healthy discussion in our Key Ministry Board meeting earlier this week about the necessity of community…in particular, the community that God intends for us when we have the opportunity to worship, serve and “do life” together in the physical presence of other Christ-followers. In our increasingly “virtual” world, we also need a place where we matter to other people…where we can experience Jesus’ love in tangible ways during times of adversity, and celebrate with others when we experience life’s joys.

In sharing this post, I don’t mean to bash the church. I have lots of friends in ministry who serve others tirelessly with insufficient resources and very little encouragement or gratitude. I haven’t personally experienced what’s described in this post in the church that my wife and I attend. Barb post attaches a voice to the most common objection I hear from friends who were actively involved in church at one time but drifted away. We need to get community right.

SG

Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg all of you to agree with each other. You should not be divided into different groups. Be completely joined together again with the same kind of thinking and the same purpose.

~ 1 Corinthians 1:10, ERV ~

Would your church miss you if you weren’t there?

It’s easy to become frustrated or angry with “The Church”. Too few of us are able to find a church home where we are accepted, loved, and included, along with our unique children. Statistics are questionable, but anecdotally, less than 25% of churches nationwide provide any sort of Sunday School accommodations for children with physical or cognitive special needs. Over the years, I have probably heard as many stories of families being asked to leave a church because of their challenged child as I have stories of remarkable inclusion.

When families raising a child with a diff-ability do find a church home, it is often still extremely imperfect. Suffering from “compassion fatigue” or lacking in resources, families are frequently heartbroken when their church does not reach out to them in crisis. Sadly, those who do find an inclusive congregation or one with special needs programming can also be inclined to walk away from the church when they feel ignored in their darkest hours.

Yet, what if we flipped that concept on its head?

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he was trying to mend all sorts of false teaching and divisions between this new congregation. His first letter attempted to bring these fledgling believers back to what is important in an effort to unite them. Paul stressed love and the value of each part of the Body of Christ.

With that in mind, what might happen if those who feel the need to be served actually extended themselves to serve? What if rather than expecting the church to reach out to us, we realized that we are the church and reached out to those around us? How would a congregation look if we asserted ourselves as the disability community, educating those who have no clue how we face challenges in our ordinary lives? What if we showed the mercy and compassion of Christ by educating those in our church who feel ill-equipped to figure out how to include us and our children? What might it look like if we were instrumental in growing our local church into an inclusive community where people weren’t all just pigeon-holed into a women’s ministry or youth ministry or singles ministry, but were instead integrated into a loving community mutually attuned to the needs of all its members?

Now, that would be revolutionary! Imagine how we would put people at ease with disability when they see us serving right alongside them with our unique kids. Suddenly, people wouldn’t see the challenge as much as the child. Our fellow church members might actually get to know us, so they might be more inclined to help when we do experience a crisis. We might find all that we are craving in spiritual community… if we just served instead of having to be served.

I know. I may have offended you with this notion. However, before I apologize, let me tell you that the Lord doesn’t excuse those of us dealing with special needs from service. In fact, He tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:22 (ERV), “No, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are actually very important.” The church needs our families or the Body is not complete. We point people to hope that lays beyond our circumstances.

Get in there and roll up your sleeves! Reflect God’s glory to churchgoers who need to see you involved. Then you can feel certain, your church will miss you if you aren’t there.

PRAY: Father, forgive me for my sense of entitlement. Lifter of my head, focus my eyes on Your glory and Your commands. Help me to get beyond my own circumstances and serve just like Jesus did. Holy Spirit, go ahead of me and beside me as I venture into church community. I can only do it by Your power and Your guidance.

Photo Image Courtesy of 123RF

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Barb Dittrich is a passionate advocate for the needs of families impacted by disabilities in the church. The mother of three children, two of whom have a variety of special needs, Barb founded SNAPPIN’ MINISTRIES (Special Needs Parents Network) in 2002 and currently serves as its Executive Director. The organization she leads was one of three finalists for WORLD MAGAZINE’S Hope Award for Effective Compassion in October of 2009, in conjunction with the American Bible Society. With a unique vision for serving parents of children with special needs, she has led the SNAPPIN’ MINISTRIES team in developing an innovative parent mentor curriculum. She blogs at Comfort in the Midst of Chaos.

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Understanding traumatic stress responses in children and families…The Twelve Core Concepts

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Dr. G

Editor’s note: In this final installment of our blog series: Trauma and Kids…A Primer for Pastors, Church Staff and Parents we summarize what we’ve learned in this series about traumatic stress response in children and families by sharing Twelve Core Concepts framed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

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In putting together this series of blog posts addressing trauma and kids, one source of information I have relied upon above all others has been the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). The network has articulated twelve core concepts about the impact of traumatic stress in children and teens that nicely summarize the topics we’ve addressed in this series. The twelve concepts are listed below…

  • Traumatic experiences are inherently complex. Every traumatic event—even events that are relatively circumscribed—is made up of different traumatic moments. These moments may include varying degrees of objective life threat, physical violation, and witnessing of injury or death. Trauma-exposed children experience subjective reactions to these different moments that include changes in feelings, thoughts, and physiological responses; and concerns for the safety of others. Children may consider a range of possible protective actions during different moments, not all of which they can or do act on. Children’s thoughts and actions (or inaction) during various moments may lead to feelings of conflict at the time, and to feelings of confusion, guilt, regret, and/or anger afterward. The nature of children’s moment-to-moment reactions is strongly influenced by their prior experience and developmental level. Events (both beneficial and adverse) that occur in the aftermath of the traumatic event introduce additional layers of complexity. The degree of complexity often increases in cases of multiple or recurrent trauma exposure, and in situations where a primary caregiver is a perpetrator of the trauma.
  • Trauma occurs within a broad context that includes children’s personal characteristics, life experiences, and current circumstances. Childhood trauma occurs within the broad ecology of a child’s life that is composed of both child-intrinsic and child-extrinsic factors. Child-intrinsic factors include temperament, prior exposure to trauma, and prior history of psychopathology. Child-extrinsic factors include the surrounding physical, familial, community, and cultural environments. Both child-intrinsic and child-extrinsic factors influence children’s experience and appraisal of traumatic events; expectations regarding danger, protection, and safety; and course of posttrauma adjustment. For example, both child-intrinsic factors such as prior history of loss, and child-extrinsic factors such as poverty may act as vulnerability factors by exacerbating the adverse effects of trauma on children’s adjustment.
  • Traumatic events often generate secondary adversities, life changes, and distressing reminders in children’s daily lives. Traumatic events often generate secondary adversities such as family separations, financial hardship, relocations to a new residence and school, social stigma, ongoing treatment for injuries and/or physical rehabilitation, and legal proceedings. The cascade of changes produced by trauma and loss can tax the coping resources of the child, family, and broader community. These adversities and life changes can be sources of distress in their own right and can create challenges to adjustment and recovery. Children’s exposure to trauma reminders and loss reminders can serve as additional sources of distress. Secondary adversities, trauma reminders, and loss reminders may produce significant fluctuations in trauma survivors’ posttrauma emotional and behavioral functioning.
  • Children can exhibit a wide range of reactions to trauma and loss. Trauma-exposed children can exhibit a wide range of posttrauma reactions that vary in their nature, onset, intensity, frequency, and duration. The pattern and course of children’s posttrauma reactions are influenced by the type of traumatic experience and its consequences, child-intrinsic factors including prior trauma or loss, and the posttrauma physical and social environments. Posttraumatic stress and grief reactions can develop over time into psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), separation anxiety, and depression. Posttraumatic stress and grief reactions can also disrupt major domains of child development, including attachment relationships, peer relationships, and emotional regulation, and can reduce children’s level of functioning at home, at school, and in the community. Children’s posttrauma distress reactions can also exacerbate preexisting mental health problems including depression and anxiety. Awareness of the broad range of children’s potential reactions to trauma and loss is essential to competent assessment, accurate diagnosis, and effective intervention.
  • shutterstock_217464205Danger and safety are core concerns in the lives of traumatized children. Traumatic experiences can undermine children’s sense of protection and safety, and can magnify their concerns about dangers to themselves and others. Ensuring children’s physical safety is critically important to restoring the sense of a protective shield. However, even placing children in physically safe circumstances may not be sufficient to alleviate their fears or restore their disrupted sense of safety and security. Exposure to trauma can make it more difficult for children to distinguish between safe and unsafe situations, and may lead to significant changes in their own protective and risk-taking behavior. Children who continue to live in dangerous family and/or community circumstances may have greater difficulty recovering from a traumatic experience.
  • Traumatic experiences affect the family and broader caregiving systems. Children are embedded within broader caregiving systems including their families, schools, and communities. Traumatic experiences, losses, and ongoing danger can significantly impact these caregiving systems, leading to serious disruptions in caregiver-child interactions and attachment relationships. Caregivers’ own distress and concerns may impair their ability to support traumatized children. In turn, children’s reduced sense of protection and security may interfere with their ability to respond positively to their parents’ and other caregivers’ efforts to provide support. Traumatic events―and their impact on children, parents, and other caregivers―also affect the overall functioning of schools and other community institutions. The ability of caregiving systems to provide the types of support that children and their families need is an important contributor to children’s and families’ posttrauma adjustment. Assessing and enhancing the level of functioning of caregivers and caregiving systems are essential to effective intervention with traumatized youths, families, and communities.
  • Protective and promotive factors can reduce the adverse impact of trauma. Protective factors buffer the adverse effects of trauma and its stressful aftermath, whereas promotive factors generally enhance children’s positive adjustment regardless of whether risk factors are present. Promotive and protective factors may include child-intrinsic factors such as high self-esteem, self-efficacy, and possessing a repertoire of adaptive coping skills. Promotive and protective factors may also include child-extrinsic factors such as positive attachment with a primary caregiver, possessing a strong social support network, the presence of reliable adult mentors, and a supportive school and community environment. The presence and strength of promotive and protective factors—both before and after traumatic events—can enhance children’s ability to resist, or to quickly recover (by resiliently “bouncing back”) from the harmful effects of trauma, loss, and other adversities.
  • Trauma and posttrauma adversities can strongly influence development. Trauma and posttrauma adversities can profoundly influence children’s acquisition of developmental competencies and their capacity to reach important developmental milestones in such domains as cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships. Trauma exposure and its aftermath can lead to developmental disruptions in the form of regressive behavior, reluctance, or inability to participate in developmentally appropriate activities, and developmental accelerations such as leaving home at an early age and engagement in precocious sexual behavior. In turn, age, gender, and developmental period are linked to risk for exposure to specific types of trauma (e.g., sexual abuse, motor vehicle accidents, peer suicide).
  • Developmental neurobiology underlies children’s reactions to traumatic experiences. Children’s capacities to appraise and respond to danger are linked to an evolving neurobiology that consists of brain structures, neurophysiological pathways, and neuroendocrine systems. This “danger apparatus” underlies appraisals of dangerous situations, emotional and physical reactions, and protective actions. Traumatic experiences evoke strong biological responses that can persist and that can alter the normal course of neurobiological maturation. The neurobiological impact of traumatic experiences depends in part on the developmental stage in which they occur. Exposure to multiple traumatic experiences carries a greater risk for significant neurobiological disturbances including impairments in memory, emotional regulation, and behavioral regulation. Conversely, ongoing neurobiological maturation and neural plasticity also create continuing opportunities for recovery and adaptive developmental progression.
  • Culture is closely interwoven with traumatic experiences, response, and recovery. Culture can profoundly affect the meaning that a child or family attributes to specific types of traumatic events such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, and suicide. Culture may also powerfully influence the ways in which children and their families respond to traumatic events including the ways in which they experience and express distress, disclose personal information to others, exchange support, and seek help. A cultural group’s experiences with historical or multigenerational trauma can also affect their responses to trauma and loss, their world view, and their expectations regarding the self, others, and social institutions. Culture also strongly influences the rituals and other ways through which children and families grieve over and mourn their losses.
  • Challenges to the social contract, including legal and ethical issues, affect trauma response and recovery. Traumatic experiences often constitute a major violation of the expectations of the child, family, community, and society regarding the primary social roles and responsibilities of influential figures in the child’s life. These life figures may include family members, teachers, peers, adult mentors, and agents of social institutions such as judges, police officers, and child welfare workers. Children and their caregivers frequently contend with issues involving justice, obtaining legal redress, and seeking protection against further harm. They are often acutely aware of whether justice is properly served and the social contract is upheld. The ways in which social institutions respond to breaches of the social contract may vary widely and often take months or years to carry out. The perceived success or failure of these institutional responses may exert a profound influence on the course of children’s posttrauma adjustment, and on their evolving beliefs, attitudes, and values regarding family, work, and civic life.
  • Working with trauma-exposed children can evoke distress in providers that makes it more difficult for them to provide good care. Mental healthcare providers must deal with many personal and professional challenges as they confront details of children’s traumatic experiences and life adversities, witness children’s and caregivers’ distress, and attempt to strengthen children’s and families’ belief in the social contract. Engaging in clinical work may also evoke strong memories of personal trauma- and loss-related experiences. Proper self-care is an important part of providing quality care and of sustaining personal and professional resources and capacities over time.

Updated June 5, 2016

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600817_10200479396001791_905419060_nConfused about all the changes in diagnostic terminology for kids with mental heath disorders? Key Ministry has a resource page summarizing our recent blog series examining the impact of the DSM-5 on kids with mental health disorders. Click this link for summary articles describing the changes in diagnostic criteria for conditions common among children and teens, along with links to other helpful resources!

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, PTSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kelli Ra Anderson…Faces of the Movement

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Dr. G

Kelli AndersonI’m very pleased to introduce you to an author, speaker, ministry leader and mom for this week’s segment in our ongoing, Sunday night Faces of the Movement series. 

Kelli Ra Anderson has launched a Special Needs and Disability Ministry Leaders Forum on Facebook that has become an essential resource for over 400 ministry leaders. Tonight, she shares on the topic Parting the Sea. Here’s Kelli Ra…

Sometimes God parts the sea to accomplish His plan. Or sometimes He divides a river. Or He diverts a stream. But big splash or small, He waits for our partnering “yes” and He looks for our first trusting steps of obedience, before we begin to make sense of His bigger plans.

Three years ago I felt God’s nudge to do something that made little sense. As a long-time journalist I knew better than to write an article before pitching it to an editor. And I knew the chances of getting published when you don’t have an inside track are slim to none. But God was pretty insistent: interview leaders of the most influential special needs ministries around the country about how hidden disabilities are being addressed in the Church, and get the resulting article into the hands of pastors all around the country.

In true-to-God fashion, He pulled it off in a big way that could only have happened His way. The feature story was quickly accepted by a national publication for lay-leaders and pastors. That was the good news. However, over the next two years, one crazy snafu followed another, resulting in one crazy delay after another.

Finally, one morning over coffee, I surrendered. Whether it got published or not, the story and its purpose was His and I was okay with that. The very next day I received an email: the story was going to finally appear in the next issue.

God’s timing was perfect. The story’s release coincided with the yearly Southern Baptist Convention at which the president of Joni and Friends distributed copies of the article. After the story was published, invitations to speak on the topic exposed me to a whole new world of special needs ministry leaders and their struggles.

But God wasn’t done. He prodded me to do one more thing that made little sense: to start an online forum where these same ministry leaders could experience a much-needed daily exchange of information and encouragement that was previously only possible during yearly conventions and the occasional local seminar.

As a technophobe who can barely navigate her way around email, and hopelessly untrained in marketing, networking and social media, the idea of somehow bringing hundreds of total strangers together on a web page I didn’t know how to create was simply absurd. Funnier still was the fact that at the time, I wasn’t even involved in special needs ministry. But God was insistent.

So I rolled up my digital sleeves and hammered out a very basic Facebook page. Then, I picked up the phone and spoke with the handful of special needs ministry leaders who had so graciously allowed me to interview them years before. Within weeks, news of the site began to circulate around the country and people were joining!

Today, one year old this month, SNADLEADERS (Special Needs and Disabilities Ministry Leaders Forum) has almost 400 members and is still growing. It has proved to be a supportive and informative site where leaders (both newbies and well-seasoned), can ask their questions, offer their input, empathize over shared frustrations, and cheer one another on in the name of Christ.

It should have come as no surprise. God has a long and glorious history of asking His people to do the absurd or to undertake the improbable. He utterly delights in parting the seas, and rivers and streams of our lives if only we will say “yes” to His partnership and to step into the water.

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_184221Kelli Ra Anderson is a journalist, blogger, podcaster, and author of her recently published 60-day devotional, Divine Duct Tape, that comes from her own experience as a mother of three teens (two with Asperger’s Syndrome).

Her heart for encouraging parents of faith with special needs children has lead to her involvement in the award-winning daily blog for parents of special needs children, Not-Alone.org, the creation of her blog (kellira.com), speaking opportunities, co-leading a special needs ministry, and the creation of an online support community for special needs ministry leaders (see Facebook, SNADLEADERS).

Kelli currently lives in St. Charles, Illinois with her husband of 23 years and middle school band director, Adrian, their three teens, Johnathan, David and Sarah, one large Golden-doodle and two long-surviving cats. When not pounding the keys on a computer, Kelli can usually be found digging in the dirt, experiencing new culinary adventures in the kitchen or seeking out God’s therapy in the great outdoors.

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The importance of “being present” for one another…Inclusion Fusion Library

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Dr. G

HukillJim Hukill has been a leader in the disability ministry movement before I became aware that there was a disability ministry movement…a true “founding father.” For the past sixteen years Jim has served as Executive Director of Lift Disability Network, the successor organization to the Christian Council on Persons With Disabilities. He’s back this year to speak on the topic…Exchange of Presence.

Before the age of two, Jim was diagnosed with a neuro-muscular disease, a form of Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that has steadily weakened the muscles of his body and has left him dependent on the use of a wheelchair. However, the limitation of Jim’s physical body has not dictated the limits of his life. Jim says, “If you dream big dreams, you will live bigger realities”. With a life expectancy of less than ten years and a diagnosis of life-long respiratory problems, Jim has experienced living well beyond this early prognosis. Today he celebrates more than five decades of “life-miracles” and bigger realities.

What does it mean for Jesus to have come and dwelt among us? What does abide have to do with His physical presence in the human experience? Does Christ’s example of being present in the world set a precedent for us as his followers in regards to how important relationships are as an exchange of life with each other? In this video…The Exchange of Presence, Jim discuss the importance of presence in each other’s lives and within the disability community’s exchange of life with the church. He concludes by sharing a practical example of what an exchange of presence looks like in the inclusive church.

Here’s Jim…

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cropped-key-ministry-door.pngOur Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Leadership, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When kids with developmental disabilities experience trauma…

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Dr. G

shutterstock_152765987Welcome to the eleventh installment of our Fall 2013 blog series: Trauma and Kids…A Primer for Pastors, Church Staff and Parents. Today, we’ll look at the unique challenges associated with helping kids with developmental disabilities following exposure to traumatic events.

In the last three years, I’ve spoken with two good friends who have children with autism spectrum disorders who were victims of sexual abuse. I found myself experiencing great frustration from my inability to refer them with confidence to anyone with extensive skill and experience in addressing the after-effects of abuse in kids with disabilities.

Unfortunately, I’ve learned that the need for treatment services for kids with developmental disabilities is greater than I’d ever imagined. A school-based research study found that children with disabilities are 3.4 times more likely to be maltreated than nondisabled peers. A hospital-based study reported that kids with disabilities were more than twice as likely to become victims of sexual abuse compared to peers without identified disabilities. A recent meta-analysis of the research literature reported that children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than children without disabilities to become victims of sexual abuse. Children with intellectual and/or mental health disabilities appear to be at the greatest risk, with a 4.6-fold greater risk of experiencing sexual abuse compared to age-matched peers.

I can easily think of a number of reasons why kids with developmental disabilities are at greater risk of experiencing traumatic abuse…

  • Perpetrators will seek out children who lack the language/communication skills to report abuse, or the adaptive coping skills to avoid/escape an abusive situation.
  • Kids with developmental disabilities are often more dependent upon adults for assistance in activities of daily living, including bathing, toileting and personal hygiene. They may be less likely to recognize inappropriate touch, or to be believed by authorities when they report inappropriate touch.
  • Many kids with developmental disabilities are served in institutional settings where staffing and supervision are frequently inadequate. I’m shocked that in this day and age, kids with severe disabilities may be left unattended for extended periods in public schools, and many schools serving kids with disabilities lack cameras and basic security monitoring to ensure learning environments remain safe from children abusing other children.
  • Families of children with disabilities experience high levels of stress and neglect, physical abuse and emotional abuse are often perpetuated within families. Sexual abuse is more commonly perpetrated by individuals outside the family.

So…what are some things we might suggest to parents of kids with disabilities seeking to protect their children from becoming victimized…or seeking to help their children after traumatic experiences have occurred?

First, parents have a responsibility to teach their children about appropriate and inappropriate touching and to the extent that their children are capable, provide them with language that will allow them to communicate any inappropriate touch they might experience. Second, parents need to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

In terms of seeking help, if there’s not a clinician in your area with expertise in dealing with trauma in kids with developmental disabilities, I’d probably start with a clinician experienced in treating kids with developmental disabilities in general, followed by a clinician who treats kids who have been victims of trauma. I’d keep in mind that more people are likely to be involved in the evaluation of a child with developmental disabilities…teachers, therapists, aides, caregivers. For children with intellectual or language delays, modifications can be made in the application of trauma-focused CBT so that kids may still benefit from treatment.

Next: The twelve core concepts for understanding traumatic stress responses in children and families

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600817_10200479396001791_905419060_nConfused about all the changes in diagnostic terminology for kids with mental heath disorders? Key Ministry has a resource page summarizing our recent blog series examining the impact of the DSM-5 on kids with mental health disorders. Click this link for summary articles describing the changes in diagnostic criteria for conditions common among children and teens, along with links to other helpful resources!

Posted in Advocacy, Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, PTSD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What do we know about medication in kids with PTSD?

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Dr. G

ZoloftWelcome to the tenth installment of our Fall 2013 blog series: Trauma and Kids…A Primer for Pastors, Church Staff and Parents. Today, we’ll look at the available data examining the use of medication for kids and teens with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

There’s no magic pill to help relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress in children and teens.

Two serotonin reuptake inhibitors…sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are FDA-approved for the treatment of PTSD in adults. There are no medications specifically approved to treat PTSD in kids. There have been three small double-blind, randomized controlled trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and one controlled trial of imipramine in children and adolescents with PTSD or acute stress disorder. One study showed no benefit to medication. One compared trauma-focused CBT plus medication to trauma-focused CBT plus placebo in 24 kids who experienced sexual trauma in which no clear benefit was evident from medication, even though 60% of the kids in the study were diagnosed with depression in addition to PTSD. Another randomized study in 26 children who experienced PTSD following traumatic burn injuries showed benefit on parent, but not child-reported PTSD symptoms following treatment with sertraline.

There have been small, uncontrolled studies of risperidone, clonidine, propranolol and guanfacine showing positive results to medication for PTSD symptoms…again, none of these studies employed a placebo-control group.

Quoting a review article from clinicians at the University of Cincinnati…

The extant data do not support the use of SSRIs as first-line treatments for PTSD in children and adolescents. There is limited evidence that the brief use of antiadrenergic agents, second-generation antipsychotics, and several mood stabilizers may attenuate some PTSD symptoms in youth. However, controlled trials of these agents in children and adolescents with PTSD are needed.

Given what we know about the presence of other mental health conditions among kids who have experienced trauma, it’s not unreasonable for prescribers to take the limited available data about medication and PTSD into consideration when kids require treatment for other conditions. At the same time, there’s no evidence that medication should be considered as an initial treatment for kids with PTSD, especially in light of the data supporting other demonstrably effective psychotherapeutic treatments.

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600817_10200479396001791_905419060_nConfused about all the changes in diagnostic terminology for kids with mental heath disorders? Key Ministry has a resource page summarizing our recent blog series examining the impact of the DSM-5 on kids with mental health disorders. Click this link for summary articles describing the changes in diagnostic criteria for conditions common among children and teens, along with links to other helpful resources!

Posted in Key Ministry, Mental Health, PTSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment