Day 11: Training Day, Part III

Today the staff members of the Smiles Foundation gathered together for additional workshops designed to enhance their work with meeting the urgent needs of the impoverished families of Cihei, Oradea and the neighboring gypsy communities. Staff members included operational staff administrators, social workers, residential counselors and educational support staff, all of whom were excited to have the opportunity to develop the skills they have used to support and stabilize the lives of the people they feel called to serve. R. LaVerne Washington conducted the first presentation of the day as she addressed the rising problem of alcoholism in Romania, including a look at the cultural implications of the use of alcohol, the bio-psychosocial factors that predispose individuals to alcoholism and the treatment implications for this culture and its unique challenges. The workshop presentation involved interactive learning as well as focused group discussions, where the staff addressed specific cases and discussed various treatment approaches that can be utilized to stabilize individuals and families struggling with substance abuse issues.

The latter part of the training day involved a workshop presentation by Dr. Merrill Reese on grief and loss. Time was delegated to allow the Romanian staff to share the many cultural differences surrounding the issues of grief and mourning. This laid a foundation for members of the Trauma Team to build upon, while attempting to assist them in their understanding of the various emotional states associated with grief and loss and in gaining the valuable insights surrounding the concept of mourning. The presentation included various treatment approaches intended to empower individuals struggling with complicated grief issues using different integrated therapeutic methods that could be implemented in assisting those who experience loss. Members of the Trauma Team exercise their leadership skills by facilitating these various focus groups and offering consultation on specific challenges surrounding specific cases. Our Romanian colleagues did not hesitate to share how different the concepts are in light of their cultural stance and tendency to see expressed emotions as a sign of weakness. However, the members of the foundation staff readily embrace the new concepts and continue to gain insight into how they can be more effective in their work of assisting persons who experience loss return to emotional health and wellness.

--R. LaVerne Washington