| TigerNews
| Indoctrination into a Field of Discovery: A Field Report from BR This would be my first time taking Trauma First Aide® (TFA) to the field. I had no expectations, nor concerns. I was secure in knowing my personal skills, along with the competence and support of the additional team members. My mission: observe TOP in action, contribute wherever and whenever needed and access if TOP is for me. The week prior to arriving in Baton Rouge, I had attended a TOP TFA-Orientation (TFA-O) in San Rafael, Ca. It was the first of its type and encapsulated SE in a clear concise format suitable for the field. TOP reported on the previous trips to New Orleans and gave insight as to the state of the environment among the people we’d be working with (case workers of Catholic Charities). The week in Baton Rouge began with introductions and education, followed by two days of individual sessions and a 3-day training. A common thread among the employees was the overburden of cases, compassion fatigue and a lack of resourcefulness within themselves. They all had their stories about life before and after Katrina. All had been affected in some way, be it their personal lives or tireless work of helping others. The ripples of Katrina had been felt nationwide, some distant, others closer to home. TFA included education about the nervous system that proved to be invaluable for the individuals receiving sessions. The combination of didactic and somatic experience cemented the concepts. The people that I encountered in Baton Rouge are a kind and generous people, hungry for the nourishment that our community provides; a nourishment they’ve experienced in their own community, but became displace by Katrina. My rewards came in the way of knowing that the participants understood their experience and would integrate it into their work. This is evident in a report that I had received from a case worker whom I’ll call Anne for confidentiality. After having her first individual session in the morning, Anne had met with a couple that had been evacuated from New Orleans. They hadn’t been getting along with one another since Katrina- “constant bickering” they reported. Anne worked with the couple, applying similar skills that she had experience earlier that day in class and her individual session. The next day Anne arrived for her second and final session with a big smile and proceeded to report: The couple had returned latter in the day. I was surprised to see them, as they were not scheduled. I was sure our meeting went well, but upon seeing them I feared that something was wrong. To my surprise, they had returned to give thanks. They had just spent their best day since Katrina. During the last day we had given opportunity for participants to present cases and discuss possible applications based on the TFA model of settling the nervous system. One participant asked, “How do we sneak TFA into those most difficult situations?” They determined that the process begins with putting a face on it. Sensitivity and friendly gestures are recorded and felt- that the work need not be practiced overtly with everyone and that they become a resource in any case. Katrina is a metaphor for trauma and although I didn’t encounter any acute states, the affects of the aftermath were ever present. There’s now a possibility for calm and hope where there was none. Regarding TOP/TFA, my bag is packed.” David Adams was a new TOP Volunteer on his first field project.
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