PHO: The Neurobiology of Trauma, Attachment and Substance Use: How relationships built during the COVID-19 pandemic offer hope and healing

PHO is hosting a series of webinars led by the Public Health Nursing Practice, Research & Education Program (PHN-PREP) to provide information to public health nurses involved with home visiting. When a person is exposed to chronic stress, trauma, violence and/or neglect, brain development is impacted in a significant way. This, in turn, influences daily functioning and the ability to develop in a typical manner. Science demonstrates that adversity has a direct correlation to both emotional and physical health that can be passed on to future generations. Understanding how the early attachment relationship between a child and their caregiver is foundational for self-regulation provides insights into its connection to substance use. This webinar looks to answer how this can relate to an individual’s role as a home visitor and how to help support families to begin the healing process and recover.

Intended audience: Public health nurses, family home visitors, and supervisors working in the Healthy Babies Healthy Children or Nurse-Family Partnership progra

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of trauma interrupt the developmental process, facilitating a much deeper understanding of the principles of trauma-informed interactions.
2. Understand how attachment is foundational for self-regulation, learning about its direct link to substance use.
3. Understand how our stress response system impacts people’s ability to function, relating not only to clients but to nurses and home visitors.
4. Recognize caregiver trauma/compassion fatigue and how to apply the principles of trauma-informed care to not only the client and their children but to oneself.

Register Here