Daybreak has transformed its entire organization to become a trauma-informed agency. Our organization has implemented an evidence-based Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) treatment model designed to meet the unique needs of youth who have been victims of violence, abuse, neglect, and other forms of trauma. 

A large majority of our clients have experienced some form of trauma whether it’s physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Many of our clients have three or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and some have been victims of domestic violence, neglect, homelessness, and sex trafficking. The population we serve overcomes a number of hurdles and has turned to substance abuse as a way to cope with the trauma they’ve experienced. By addressing the underlying source of trauma, TF-CBT helps our clients understand and recognize the cause of their own behaviors and helps them heal in a positive manner.Developed by Drs. Anthony Mannarino, Judith Cohen and Esther Deblinger, TF-CBT was originally developed to address the needs of children who experienced sexual abuse, however, over the past 15 years it has been used and studied for many other populations of traumatized youth.

 TF-CBT has six specific components that are addressed in groups and individual work. These six components include: 

• Psycho-Education/Relaxation which helps clients learn about different traumas, and teaches clients relaxation techniques while addressing the biophysical outcomes of trauma and reactions
• Affective Regulation/Modulation which helps clients to differentiate between feeling and thought, as well as identifying ways to manage their feelings
• Cognitive Coping which helps youth recognize negative thoughts they have developed over their lifetime and how these negative thoughts influence their behavior and feelings
• Trauma Narrative I & II where clients write their trauma narrative during individual sessions, identify negative thoughts they’ve had and recognize what has prevented them from healing
• In-Vivo where clients participate in systematic exposure to a trauma trigger while in individual therapy to assist the client in managing their anxiety and fear such as difficulty going to bed, taking a shower, etc.
• Safety which helps clients learn to identify risky behaviors, that it is okay to say no, learn how to get help if they need it, and how to recognize risky vs. safe individuals in their lives.

Over the years, Daybreak has observed a significant lack of evidence-based trauma-informed services for youth ages 12-17 struggling with behavioral health disorders and youth who are involved in various systems of care, specifically in the geographic catchment areas of Spokane County and Clark County, WA. Services for youth that do exist tend to not focus on the core issues associated with behavioral health challenges, which oftentimes stems from unaddressed trauma. Spokane and Clark County have high rates of youth experiencing trauma in the form of violence and abuse, as well as mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations and attempts. 

According to the 2019 Changing Our Forecast Women Helping Women Fund report, one in three youth ages 10-17 reported depression, and in a 2018 Healthy Youth Survey, suicide attempts among youth ages, 10-17 increased by 448% from 2000 to 2016 in Spokane, county. According to the 2017 Spokane Regional Health District Confronting Violence Report nearly half of Spokane’s youth ages 10-24 experience violence each year, domestic violence is the leading cause of homicides in Spokane, and Spokane has higher rates of child abuse than the state of Washington. According to the 2018 Healthy Youth Survey in Clark County, 53% of Clark County 12th graders suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and reported experiencing physical abuse, 51% of Clark County 12th graders suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and reported experiencing sexual abuse, nearly 400 15 year-olds attempted suicide in 2018, 4,592 students ranging from 8th, 10th, and 12th grade reported feeling depressed, hopeless and sad for at least a two week period, and from 2007 to 2016 youth suicide in Clark County nearly tripled. 

Providing trauma-focused behavioral health treatment to this population will improve health outcomes, treatment completion rates, reduce treatment recidivism, suicide, risky behaviors, substance use, and mental health disorders. 

Have more questions about our TF-CBT treatment model? Call 509.624.3227

For more information about TF-CBT visit: https://www.tfcbt.org/about-tfcbt/

Daybreak WISE Family Advocate, Sharon, shares her personal testimony of self-growth and how leading by example can improve one’s personal health journey.

“Are you thriving or surviving?” It’s a question I ask in casual conversations as well as one I ask my clients. But, in late June of 2020, I remember looking in the mirror and asking Sharon, how about you? Are you thriving? 

The world had shut down three months prior and I was beginning to feel frumpy – not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too. No, I wasn’t thriving. I was in survival mode. 

I needed… something… to change.

The only way change happens is if something outside of you changes, or something within you. I decided a walk could accomplish both.

As an avid student of the mind-body-spirit connection, I decided to experiment by being my own case study. What if I synced my thoughts, actions, and faith with an intention that felt… stretchy? A goal outside of what felt comfortable but would ultimately expand my comfort zone once achieved? Could I cure bodily aches and pains as well as the encroaching depression and anxiety? Could I simultaneously strengthen my immune system and increase my confidence?

I dusted off an old marathon training schedule, put the 16-week plan on the calendar, and announced my goal to my family. The bonus? My husband agreed to join me.

“The Mileage Project” quickly became meaningful as I realized a couple of big benefits. For starters, I’m forever challenging parents and guardians to lead by example. “Choose a couple of big goals to work toward. Challenge yourself. Be excited about what’s possible,” I encourage. Yet, I wasn’t leading by example. Somewhere along the way, I had settled into complacency. It was time to give my brain some love by disrupting the day-to-day.

The other big benefit? I realized I could leverage this project to transform a personality trait in myself. I declared that by the end of this, I would be the girl who finishes what she starts. (This was an opportunity to test my belief that personality isn’t permanent.)

Over the next four months, my husband and I collected miles as we explored the many trails throughout Spokane. We walked in all types of weather and temperatures. (We even attempted a 15-mile walk in the Northtown Mall when the smoke made the air quality too dangerous to walk outside. 15 miles. In a mall. Insert eye-roll. Three miles in, we were in a big argument and we called off the walk.)

During our walks, we talked, laughed, argued, brainstormed ideas, dreamed, and set future goals together. Some walks were quiet. Some took us way too long because the scenery begged to be photographed – like, along the entire route.

Finally, we reached Week 16. On a frosty Saturday on November 7th, our daughter dropped us off at the Military Cemetery Trailhead on the Centennial Trail. We started walking at 6:10 AM. From there, we simply followed the Centennial Trail east, ending at the State Line at 4:10 PM where our daughter met us with her truck stereo speakers blasting the lyrics, “We are the champions!” My mile tracker said 28.06 miles in ten hours.

And while we were super proud of ourselves that night for our success, we were rewarded extra the next day when we woke up energized, with zero soreness and no pain. Well, except for the half-dollar-sized blister on my husband’s foot.

Focusing on movement made my body aches and pains disappear. My depression and anxiety were left strewn along those 409.16 miles. Immune system strengthened? So far, I haven’t been sick since February 2020. My confidence grew as I practiced showing up for myself, reinforcing I could trust myself. I fueled momentum in becoming someone who completes what I start. And, while it wasn’t something I was striving for, a fun bonus is that, in the process, I lost 20 points.

The best benefits? Besides deepening the intimacy and connection in our marriage, it increased connection and built trust with my clients. I demonstrated self-care, imagined what’s possible, and worked toward a big goal. I changed my narrative from “Meh, I’m getting by. You know, surviving,” to, “Whoot! Life is amazing! I’m thriving!”

Time to put the next adventure on the calendar…

Getting to know Sharon:

As a Family Support Advocate, Sharon partners with parents and guardians who have a child or youth with mental health challenges. She helps parents and guardians gain a deeper understanding of their vision while helping to strengthen their relationships within their family, as well as strengthen their ties to the community.

Wraparound with Intensive Services or WISe is a part of Daybreak’s outpatient program. WISe teams include a Care Coordinator, a Youth Support Advocate, a Family Support Advocate, and a Mental Health Therapist. These teams meet with families and youth throughout various places in the community, where they feel most comfortable, whether that’s at a coffee shop, while on a walk, or within a home.

Sharon has a passion for helping people transform. She sought an opportunity in a field where she could invest in helping families transform in the areas where they wanted to heal and grow. “It is in the time invested in listening, engaging in conversation, and asking meaningful questions in which I am most fulfilled,” says Sharon. “It’s rewarding to be part of the process as parents discuss a challenge and then light up as they brainstorm possible solutions.”

When asked to give advice to families who have youth who are struggling, Sharon shares, “The greatest skill a parent possesses is their ability to listen and ask effective questions. Active listening while demonstrating empathy is powerful… All people want to be seen, heard, and made to feel important, including our children. Asking meaningful questions can demonstrate to our family members that we care about their experience of the world…The right questions can mean the difference between an engaging conversation and a youth who chooses to disengage.”

How meditation can help you cope during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Meditating has increased in popularity as people have discovered the many benefits it has to offer. Meditation is a routine process where you train your mind to focus, direct attention or awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.

Many people have found it to help develop their concentration, reduce stress, and redirect unwanted thoughts or feelings. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, meditating can be a very healthy coping alternative rather than turning to drugs or alcohol. It offers an outlet for those struggling with substance abuse and mental health, as well as other COVID-19 related health effects.

Here are three benefits from meditation that can help you during COVID-19:

Stress Reduction

One of the most common reasons people choose to meditate is to lower their stress levels. Our days can be busy and sometimes we have little time to ourselves or a moment to catch our breath.  

COVID-19 has created a shift in our culture and has caused us to adapt in many areas of our life including work, school, recreation, etc. Many people are working from home, have been working in high-stress essential jobs, or have recently been unemployed. Additionally, we have had to make monumental changes when it comes to educating our youth and future leaders.

Did you know that 188 countries have imposed countrywide school closures, affecting more than 1.6 billion children and youth due to COVID-19? More than two-thirds of countries have introduced a national distance learning platform. 

All of this heavily affects our health and can significantly increase stress. Yet, finding a small amount of time each day to practice particular habits could help alleviate the stress we experience from COVID-19.

Control Anxiety

Minimizing stress can help reduce anxiety. During the pandemic, anxiety has been on the rise and many people are fearful for their futures. 

A survey conducted by ILO, named ‘Youth and Covid-19: impacts on jobs, education, rights, and mental well-being’ found that “half of the young population is subjected to anxiety and depression causing circumstances and more than a third are uncertain of their future career prospects because of coronavirus pandemic.” 

Many youth and young adults are unsure of what is next and even adults are struggling to cope with drastic changes at work. 

Mindfulness meditation can help reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as phobias, paranoid thoughts, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and panic attacks.

Improved Emotional Wellbeing

Meditation can also help improve self-image and lead to a more positive outlook on life. It can improve focus, increase imagination, creativity, patience, and tolerance. Feelings of being overwhelmed or of being out of control are common, especially during COVID-19.

Finding time to work on yourself and be mindful of how you are feeling is important. 

For online meditation resources, visit the links below:

Personalized Wellbeing Guidance

Guided Meditation

Online Yoga Classes

Project Beauty Share provides personal hygiene, cosmetics, and beauty products to non-profit organizations who serve women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness, and poverty to help restore hope and dignity in their lives.The organization serves groups of women who have been marginalized in their community. Many of the women Project Beauty Share has helped, have been displaced, have escaped violent situations, or simply fell down without anyone to help to get back up. Project Beauty Share facilitates donations to local shelters, homes, and organizations.New and barely used products can be donated and their warehouse will professionally clean and repurpose those products, as well as distribute them to organizations with the greatest need in the community.

Our Partners in Self-Confidence:  Daybreak has been partnering with Project Beauty Share since 2016. Our Life Enrichment Program opened the doors for our clients to go out into the community and help volunteer, learn trades, and work alongside industry leaders. Every week our clients visit Project Beauty Share and have the opportunity to volunteer. Working in their warehouse, they help organize and clean donated beauty products. Not only do the clients feel good about helping their local community, but they are also introduced to the inspiring and kind-hearted Project Beauty Share volunteers who are helping young girls, just like them. Additionally, the organization has been instrumental in maintaining our beauty and cosmetic supply for our clients at our Spokane Residential Inpatient facility.  

Their Beauty Impact: Project Beauty Share has helped our clients not only look good, but feel good! For some of our clients, they have never felt good about the way they looked. They’ve struggled with their body image and a lot of them have extremely low self-esteem or eating disorders. They never had the opportunity to play with makeup or enhance their appearance in a way that boosted their self-confidence. A majority of our clients come from rough backgrounds where they have little to no encouragement to succeed and they are constantly told they amount to nothing. However, Project Beauty Share has shined a light on many of our clients. The organization has given them no small amount of joy. After visiting Project Beauty Share, our clients have an improved appreciation for their beauty, their self-esteem has increased, and they look forward to working on their inner beauty, as well as stepping into who they are.

“Project Beauty Share is so much more than beauty products,” says Daybreak’s Life Enrichment Director, Catherine Reynolds. “It is truly the connector. When the young girls at Daybreak are helping to sanitize makeup, they take a sense of pride in their workmanship. The giggles and excitement when discussing beauty products and looking at unique packaging or fun eye shadow pallets, you can’t help but smile. The girls learn how to work together in a small group and love sharing their treasures with each other. the beauty is truly in the giving and sharing.”

Equine Therapy, also known as Horse Therapy, Equine-Assisted Therapy, or Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between individuals and horses. This type of therapy can involve activities such as feeding, grooming, haltering, leading, or riding a horse and it often coincides with our client’s individual treatment plan.

As with adults, children can experience challenges such as trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. Equine therapy offers them a therapeutic environment that can feel less threatening and more inviting than a traditional counseling office. Often times, it can be difficult to open up and process painful emotions and experiences our clients have gone through. However, Daybreak has partnered with Embrace Equine Ministry, a nonprofit located in Idaho that serves anyone with a desire to learn how to restore, renew, or rebuild healthy, trusting relationships. Embrace provides group sessions as well as opportunities for one-on-one time with session leaders and the wonderful group of women have given our clients the opportunity to work on issues such as emotional awareness, assertiveness, social skills, confidence, trust, empathy, impulse control, and problem-solving skills. 

 What makes Equine Therapy Unique?

Through Daybreak’s Life Enrichment program, our Spokane Inpatient clients have been able to visit Embrace every Tuesday and spend a couple of hours working with the horses and alongside each other. Some say it’s one of their favorite things during treatment, while others simply enjoy the time with the animals.

 Embrace offers a non-judgmental and unbiased atmosphere

As much as we as humans and counselors try our best to offer a safe space for clients to explore deep emotional hurts and painful experiences, it can be uncomfortable for clients to openly share their thoughts. Building trust and therapeutic rapport can take time. Having a horse present can offer a sense of peace, as they only will react to the client’s behavior and emotions with no threat of bias or any judgment of their emotional experience.

Embrace works on client feedback and horse interaction

Horses are keen observers, vigilant and sensitive to movement and emotion. They often mirror a client’s behavior or emotions, conveying understanding, and connection that allows the client to feel safe. Embrace works with the clients to ask what they felt or experienced before, during, and after each exercise. This helps our clients learn not only about themselves but what other people may be experiencing. By using the horse’s behavior and interactions for feedback and opportunities to check-in and process what is happening in the moment, our clients gain a sense of self-awareness.

Embrace helps clients manage vulnerability

Clients might find themselves vulnerable when trying to open up about emotional challenges, past experiences, or life transitions. The horses at Embrace can offer a reference point to use for processing. It may be easier for clients to process using the horse as an example, or to align their experience with the horse’s experiences in the moment if something feels too painful to speak of. 

Daybreak truly appreciates it’s Life Enrichment partners and the support our clients receive from them during their treatment. To learn more about our Life Enrichment program, click here.

Daybreak’s Outpatient Program in Vancouver was featured on Help.org and was listed as one of the top rehabs in Portland, OR. 

About Help.org: 

Help.org is a health and wellness organization created by a collective group of health experts and consumer advocates. Help.org is dedicated to providing information on fact-based, in-depth research, and trends on healthy living. It is a source of information for mental health, nutrition, and more. “Launched in 2013, Help.org was started to provide people with trusted, real-world, evidence-based health and wellness information from healthcare providers and professionals. We use personal patient perspectives and insights from those to promote healthy living.”

Help.org Mission: 

To educate consumers and to serve as a voice for consumer advocacy and wellness. We believe everyone should be empowered to make the well-informed decisions on safe, dependable services and products.

To learn more about Help.org, click here. 

Thank you Help.org for Daybreak’s feature. We appreciate all you do to promote health and wellness.