Faith and Spiritual Affairs Conference tackles trauma, grief and healing | Local News

Badey, Perez and nearly 600 other registrants, walk-ins and Facebook-live participants, gathered for the 16th Annual Faith and Spiritual Affairs Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel in Center City on Friday.

The event was sponsored by the city’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS). The gathering connected city faith leaders with experts in behavioral health, substance use disorder, trauma care and more. Mayor Jim Kenney greeted the group via a recording.

The goal of the conference, which leads into May’s Mental Health Month events, is to encourage and inspire the people who help people going through tragedy. The workshops kicked off with a session on “ Healing from the Hurt of Trauma: Informed Care.”

This year, Samantha Grannum of the Faith and Spiritual Affairs division of DBHIDS, said she wanted to “help the faith community to reduce the stigma of mental health.”

When people deal with trauma, “who is going to help those people get their kids to school, do laundry or make meals…and just surround the person in the moment?” asked panelist Laura Hinds, who has a master’s degree in social work and is the founder of Hindsight Consulting Group.

Panelist Dominic Rivera, a high school senior and community and diversity advocate, said that students need a safe places to where they can talk, play basketball and hang out with friends. He recommended the Police Athletic League (PAL) and The Lighthouse.

“It’s good to have a a support system where people are here to help you and to listen,” said Rivera. “Sometimes as a kid you may be down or not feel like doing anything. It might help you to discuss what you like and what you want to do in life.”

Pastor Carl Day of Culture-Changing Christian Worship Center in North Philadelphia, said that sometimes you have to “be humble enough” to “shut up and listen,” to young people,” and let them talk to you about their world.

I’m less worried about young people who have people who have someone who takes care of them, said Hinds, “… I am more worried about those who have no getting them involved, kids who are unsupervised, they are sometimes the most dangerous.”

Philadelphia’s Deputy Commission of Police Krista Dahl-Campbell, a morning panelist said “it is important to deal with trauma, now. If you you have trauma information, than you’ll keep the person from being in the system, again.”

“Trauma is often pushed aside,” said Rivera. “When we push aside our trauma, we pass it on to the next generation.”

There are many kinds of scars and wounds, said Hinds. “We are used to only thinking about the body,” she said. “Some wounds are not only invisible but they are lasting.” There will be more of a legacy of hurt if we don’t address tragedy and trauma. “How do we help people when they are too frozen to get somewhere else, when they don’t have resources to go anywhere? How do we help people instead of taking a hear no evil, see no evil attitude?”

Commissioner Dahl-Campbell advocated having “remote services more in people’s faces,” so they don’t feel so cut off from resources. She added,” Communication is essential at every level of recovery. We need to help people to recover and survive by caring the understanding adults.”

“Trauma is a complete lack of control — a voicelessness,” said Hinds. We need to help victims who survive, their families and friends and anyone affected by violence or tragedy, “to take back their power and believe in their own ability to get their lives back. We want to help them believe in their ability to transcend the issue.”

It is also important for the people who take care of people to take care of themselves, said panelists. Dahl-Campbell said the department lost two officers to suicide. “We need take care of our officers so that that they can take care of the community.”

“People suffer from post traumatic stress disorder everyday — yet they get out there and do their jobs,” said Dr. H. Jean Wright, Deputy Commission, Behavioral Health and Justice Division.

When dealing with issues in their own lives, panelists said they might deal with the problem, allow themselves to feel the pain in their emotions, cry, talk, and then move forward and focus on family and friends, kids, etc.

“Try to make some time for yourself and whatever makes you happy, find a relative to talk to, and make use of any resources when needed,” said Dahl-Campbell.

Too many young people handle difficulties by doing drugs, said a concerned Day.

“So many young people are self-medicating, are addicted to drugs. When I ask some of them what they do all day, they said they jump up to get something to eat — then get fried — then go out, come back and watch a ball game — then get fried. They are using drugs to try to escape the reality of what they live in … We don’t focus enough on drug addiction. Inward renewal is needed on the spiritual side, as well as involvement.”

“It takes a village — we have to work together to talk and listen,” said resources vendor Brenda Shelton-Dunston, director of The Black Women’s Health Alliance. She joined staffers Theda Parker and Badey for the day’s events. “We are responding to the voices of the women on what they need.”

The second week in May is also, “Children and Trauma Week,” said Shelton-Dunston. “Untreated trauma in childhood can create a chaotic advent,” said staffer, Badey.

The conference, which ran from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., included workshops on Dealing with Mental Health in Philadelphia Churches; How to Minister to Grieving Parents; Creating Safe Havens for Youth; Dealing with the Opioid Epidemic.

“Sometimes you have to ask God: Where were you when someone was taking my son’s life? It took me three years to come to acceptance. Acceptance broke me — I have to accept what God allowed. It’s hurtful, but it’s true,” said one mother. She attended the “How to Deal with Grieving Parents Workshop.”