Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry Program SPIRITUAL CARE AUSTRALIA - MELBOURNE Spirituality and Trauma Compassion In Time of Crisis 1.

Victorian Council of ChurchesEmergencies Ministry Program

SPIRITUAL CARE AUSTRALIA - MELBOURNE

Spirituality and Trauma

Compassion In Time of Crisis 1

The VCC

• Began in 1977 as a result of Hail Storm in Red Cliffs near Mildura

• Local Clergy and laity door knocked farms and conducted risk assessment

• 1993 DHS agreed to VCC being leader for faith community response to disaster

• 2006 DHS approached VCC to coordinate Chaplains for the Commonwealth Games (if an event took place)

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History of Chaplaincycompliance & trainingHistorically, people who have been appointed Chaplains, particularly in

a military setting, have been clergy or ordained ministers of religion.

Today, Chaplains are not always ministers of religion, instead those who hold to a faith and have a desire to help people who may be suffering.

Irrespective of previous education, Chaplains need to be provided with adequate training, in order to develop the appropriate skills required for the responsibility.

Farkas et al (2005, p. 566) state that ‘the religious community is now aware that the appropriate provision of spiritual care in the context of disaster is a learned skill and not one you can assume to be present in all clergy.’

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Involvement with Jill Meagher event

• Triggered by Melton Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire.

• Conduct Outreach – door knocking homes on Black Hill Road.

• Provide emotional psychological and spiritual support to affected residents.

• Provide feedback to Shire as to how residents are coping with change in their landscape.

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Spirituality Defined

• According to Zohar (2004 pg 29), spirituality comes from the Latin word spiritus, which means ‘that which gives life or vitality to the system.’ This definition suggests that which gives life, also gives unique definition to our humanity.

• Vis (2008), Blank (1995), Koenig (2006) and Farkas (2005) identify spirituality as the ability to make meaning in ones life, to have purpose, and connection with self, others and the universe.

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Trauma

trau·ma 1. A serious injury or shock to the body, as from

violence or an accident.2. An emotional wound or shock that creates

substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person, often leading to neurosis.

3. An event or situation that causes great distress and disruption.

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Spirituality in the contextof traumaWhen people experience trauma, there are

cleavage plains (splits) in the construct of their situation and potentially their reality. A person’s worldview is dramatically altered by the event and their interpretation of how that event now shapes who and what they are (Gordon, 2007). Positive coping occurs when one is able to sort through the impact of the disrupted worldview. Therefore, ‘the experience of trauma cannot be simply seen as a cognitive, behavioural, psychological, or sociological encounter” (Parlots 2002 in Vis 2008).

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Impact of Trauma on Individuals

• The majority of those who encounter a disaster, are able to integrate the event into their daily life with minimal impact. Buckle et al (1998 p 36) states, ‘we have met relatively few people who have been so traumatised that they have been psychologically disabled or deeply affected that they have not been able to contribute to their own recovery.’

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Outcomes of exposure to trauma on spirituality

According to (Shaw et al, 2005 pg 6), some people, who previously have not prescribed to a faith or belief, through a traumatic event, can begin to discover spirituality, helping their psychological recovery. However, it is also important to recognise that for some, these life questions, meaning questions, connection issues can also shatter ones original faith or belief structures (Perez et al, 2007 pg 347).

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Spiritual Care

The goal is to provide support that allows the survivor to reestablish their own sense of spiritual wellbeing in keeping with their culture.

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What does spiritual care look like?

• Presence• Silence• Conversation• Showing empathy• Listening• Meaning making of event – important• Gentle appropriate physical touch• Can be prayer and scripture reading – upon request by affected person• Can be church tradition symbols – upon request by affected person• Provision of physical space for the affected person to do what they need

to do.

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Spiritual Care – “more than a process”

• We get caught up in process and method as defined by others, (systems, agencies).

• Spiritual care is about meaning making and meaning structures

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Mazlow’s not so new theory

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• Developed byAmbraham Mazlow in1960’s• Based on research fromchimpanzees• Ideological perspectiveof Individualism in USA

Mazlow’s new theory

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Mazlow’s new theory

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•Sixth level Self Transcendence•Further discovery from Abraham Mazlow identified in

his diaries and early writings before his death that were not published.

•Implications for future emergency management planning

My proposed adjustments

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BELONGINGBELONGING

SAFETY & SECURITYSAFETY & SECURITY

PHYSIOLOGICALPHYSIOLOGICAL

SOCIALSOCIAL

SELF ESTEEM

SELF ESTEEM

SELF ACTUALISATION

SELF ACTUALISATION

SELF TRANSCENDENCE

SELF TRANSCENDENCE

Victorian Council of ChurchesEmergencies Ministry

Level 4, 306 Little Collins StreetMELBOURNE 3000

9650 4511

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