About Sue Shaw
Hi, I'm Sue.
I would love to teach your company about trauma; how it affects your staffing and retention, where it comes from, and what to do about it.
Eight years ago, my son asked me to take in one of his classmates who did not have a home. In trying to assist this young man in navigating his mental health, abuse history, the schools, his reactions to being labor trafficked, the police, and the justice system; I saw some of the same behavior from him that I had seen in people with disabilities. He does not have disabilities. I had been told that behavior was a part of disability. I began to realize that behavior is a way of getting needs met. In many cases trauma history is the basis for adaptive behavior, more than behavior is a result of a disability. I also realized I had experienced trauma beginning many years before. I learned about trauma firsthand, then went back and did the research.
I now teach about trauma and NEAR (Neurobiology of Trauma, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilience) Science with stories, and the perspective of someone who has experienced trauma and supported people who have experienced severe trauma. I began a journey to teach my current company about my experiences with trauma informed support. I have taught our management staff to recognize trauma in our employees. We have developed systems that support staff to feel safe and supported in their jobs. I have been asked to teach others. I now teach businesses, churches, and schools about trauma and to support those who have experienced trauma.
I have spent most of my working life supporting adults with disabilities and extensive behavior needs. I love to teach and mentor staff who work as caregivers. In 1991, I opened the first two 24-hour Medicaid waiver-funded homes in Missouri. As staff, we were told that when we moved people out of habilitation centers their extensive behavior would go away. It didn’t. I was a 23-year-old house manager who didn’t know what to do as chairs flew through the house, let alone how to support those living there or the staff trying to support them.
I later learned that 80-90% of people with disabilities have experienced trauma. Among staff who support people, about 70% have experienced childhood trauma themselves. Furthermore, 40-85% of staff supporting people with disabilities experience secondary trauma in the workplace.
I have a degree in Sociology, English, and Religion from Cornell College. I am certified to teach Mandt, Mental Health First Aid, and CPR & FA. I have taught all of the staff at the St. Louis Arc about Trauma. I have also trained for Vocational Rehabilitation, The Crisis Intervention Officers Team (CIT) in Missouri, The Arc Summer Conference, Experiential Education Conference, churches, and schools. I will be teaching a series through ANCOR this summer and at the CQL Conference in October.
As I continue to learn, I have been able to assist businesses to focus on building trauma informed systems within their business to better support their staff.
70% of staff who support people have experienced childhood trauma, and 40-85% of staff supporting people with disabilities experience secondary trauma in the workplace.
Professional Background and Personal Experience
As I had children of my own, I moved into being a staff trainer for staff who support people with disabilities. I also became the children’s minister at my church. I later left that position to support my father-in-law on hospice in my home. After he passed, I took a job as the Associate Director of an agency which supported 45 people with extensive behavior and medical needs across 17 community homes. I also worked in the hospitals, teaching advanced CPR (BLS) to nurses and doctors. Additionally, I spent time in local elementary schools, training P.E. teachers how to teach cup stacking to their students by running their classes for a day.
In October of 2016, my son asked me to take in a classmate who no longer had a home. We are still seeking justice for him. I have had eight more young adults stay in my home since. All were referred by our neighborhood Facebook page because someone reported that they needed help. Many have experienced significant trauma. Two have ACEs scores of 8-9. Five are from other countries.
I have been given the opportunity to continue to develop curriculum to teach staff and management about trauma. I am learning something new every day!