Montgomery, Ala.– The Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) is pleased to announce the addition of 19 new Nationally Certified Trauma Trainers in the state of Alabama, which includes seven ADMH staff members. ADMH was one of 10 communities chosen nationally to participate in the trauma-informed care experience.
The certification was provided by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation. The training, “How Being Trauma Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses,” helps educate criminal justice professionals about the impact of trauma and how to develop trauma-informed responses.
The four-hour highly interactive training is tailored to community-based criminal justice professionals including, community correction (probation, parole, and pretrial services officers), court personnel, police, behavioral health care providers and other human service providers. During the training, professionals increase their understanding of trauma, create an awareness of the impact of trauma on behavior and develop trauma-informed responses.
“Trauma informed responses can help to avoid re-traumatizing individuals, and thereby increase safety for all, decrease recidivism, and promote support recovery of justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness and substance use issues,” says Nicole Walden, ADMH Director of Substance Abuse Treatment. “Partnerships across the systems can also help to link individuals to trauma-informed services and treatment for trauma,” she continued.
SAMHSA recognizes the majority of people who have behavioral health issues and are involved with the justice system have significant histories of trauma and exposure to personal and community violence. Involvement with the justice system can further exacerbate trauma for these individuals.
Traumatic events can include physical and sexual abuse, neglect, bullying, community-based violence, disaster, terrorism, and war. Such experiences can challenge a person’s capacity for recovery, pose significant barriers to accessing services, and result in an increased risk of interacting with the criminal justice system.
For more information about receiving training for your agency or your community, please reach out directly to one of these individuals below.
| Jill Bates AIDS Alabama Phone: 205-427-9104 Email: jill.bates@aidsalabama.org | Camille Jones Social Worker Birmingham Municipal Court 801 17th Street N, Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-254-2447 Email: cdjones890@yahoo.com |
| Yakima Burch Treatment Services Coordinator Aletheia House 201 Finley Avenue W, Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-324-6502 Email: yburch@specialkindofcaring.org
| Stacey Lee Program Coordinator Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-451-6788 Email: Stacey.lee@mh.alabama.gov |
| Pamela Butler Coordinator of Peer Services Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 205-383-8467 | Dana McCreless Q/A Program Administrator Community Justice Programs University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology 401 Beacon Parkway W, Homewood, AL Phone: 205-917-3780 ext. 248 Email: danamccreless@uabmc.edu
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| Luciana Coleman Program Manager Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-242-1709 | Debbi Sims Metzger Program Manager Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-322-0160 Email: debbi.sims@mh.alabama.gov |
| Keisha Kennedy Director of Behavioral Health Aletheia House 2100 16th Avenue S, Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-229-7534 | Denice Morris Program Manager Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-242-1707 Email: denice.morris@mh.alabama.gov
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Stephen Bailey Davis Director of Community Justice Programs University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology 530 Beacon Parkway W, St. 300 Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-427-9870 |
Madalyn Roberts Social Worker Birmingham Municipal Court 801 17th Street North, Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-254-2447 |
| Meta Eatman Alabama Pardons and Parole Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-305-1426 | Yvonne Thomas Director Connecting Creative Communities 7753 1st Avenue S, Birmingham, AL Phone: 317-501-7209 Email: yk1qt@yahoo.com
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| Gloria Howard Chief Operating Officer Aletheia House 2100 16th Avenue S, Birmingham, AL Phone: 205-533-6014 Email: ghoward@specialkindofcaring.
| Tunja Tolbert Outreach Specialist R.O.S.S. 716 37th Street S. Birmingham, AL Phone: 334-207-0061 Email: ross4us.trtolbert@gmail.com
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| Brooke Whitfield Program Manager Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-399-5215 | Bethany Tyree Clinical Director CED Fellowship House, Inc. 4209 Brooke Avenue, Gadsden, AL Phone: 256-458-4463 Email: bethanyttyree@yahoo.com |
| Nicole Walden Director, Substance Abuse Treatment Services Alabama Department of Mental Health 100 North Union Street, Montgomery, AL Phone: 334-353-7248 Email: nicole.walden@mh.alabama.gov |