For several decades, Dr. Sandra Bloom has been an international writer, speaker and expert in the field of trauma. She has had significant influence throughout the world in trauma-informed care and in particular has had a major impact on hundreds of organizations in helping them become trauma-informed. Her extensive research and her Sanctuary series of books have been circulated all over the globe.
In the past 2 years, Dr. Bloom and her associate Sarah Yanosy have developed a new trauma-responsive program called PRESENCE. It is an online trauma-responsive program that has been developed in a way that is contextual to organizations. It features 5 different tracks of video training that is divided into a number of 10-minute sessions. Assuming that an organization wants to be certified as one that is trauma-informed and trauma-responsive, they would contract with Creating PRESENCE for the entire series. Every staff member of the organization would then take the Introductory Track which would be followed by 4 different tracks, relative to different roles within the organizations. Since most of the organizations that would be interested in PRESENCE typically deal with individuals who have a trauma history, the specific tracks available would be as follows: Leadership Track, Clinical Track, Direct Services Professionals Track and an Indirect Services Professionals Track. Via PRESENCE, everyone from the custodian to the senior leadership of an organization could have extensive training available to them.
The term PRESENCE is an acronym for the conceptual areas that will be covered within each track. These concepts are Partnership and Power, Reverence and Restoration, Emotional Wisdom and Empathy, Safety and Social Responsibility, Embodiment and Enactment, Nature and Nurture, Culture and Complexity and Emergency and Evolution. As you can see this is a very in-depth, comprehensive program which will help any organization change their trauma lens and develop new alignment around trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care for both their staff and their clients.
This model allows for contextualization and creativity depending on an organization’s needs. Coaching and certification are a part of the program. Both groups and individuals can take the PRESENCE tracks if they do not want to be certified and just want the information to be available to those interested. There is great flexibility in this training.
Lakeside has had the privilege of working with Dr. Bloom to produce, administrate, promote and provide all the management services for PRESENCE. It is such a great fit to all of our other training within Lakeside Global Institute.
We are truly excited that this model – which is the culmination of Dr. Bloom’s work – is now available to organizations, groups and individuals. For more information please visit the Creating PRESENCE website here.
We believe this model will create many new opportunities for organizations, professionals and systems to be better informed, prepared and aligned to provide trauma-informed systems of care. We hope many will go to the Creating PRESENCE website and see how this program can help you and/or your organizations.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
