Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Lord.
Janice, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Several licensed clinical social workers from around the area were at my home in late 2005 (none of us remember the reason for the gathering) and the topic turned to the lack of qualified trauma therapists in the area, particularly those willing to see clients for no or reduced fees. We were keenly aware of that, while traumatic events happen everywhere, more are likely to happen to people living in poverty and without insurance or ability to pay. We decided that very day to start a non-profit trauma therapy organization to fill that gap. We conducted a needs assessment and determined that the area from South Dallas west to East Arlington, had the greatest number of traumatic incidences and the fewest licensed therapists with trauma expertise. Thus we opened our office in Duncanville with a $5000 donation and two grants. Four of us began seeing clients’ pro-bono, even though we had other full-time jobs. Our two criteria for free therapy were that clients had experienced a traumatic event such as a homicide, vehicular crash, rape, assault, or child abuse, and that they had no insurance or ability to pay for therapy.
Obviously, the need outgrew our capacity in no time. So we began scouring the area for trauma therapists, even if they were already affiliated with an agency or were in private practice. We asked them to take only one client or family at a time for us on a pro-bono basis, In exchange, we would provide them three free hours of trauma therapy education each month, thus helping them reach their annual training requirements for licensing at no cost.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been amazingly smooth, but not always in our preferred timing. We now pay some of our therapists and always need more funds to hire more as our waiting list lengthens. For example, right now, our funding to serve families in which a person has died by suicide are depleted. It is a wonderful program, beginning with the Medical Examiner’s Office through therapy services until both the client and the therapist agree that the time is right to close the case. Our motto is “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes,” which” may also include group therapy, specialized play therapy for children in the family, or enlisting services of other programs for needs beyond the scope of our mission. We do not take insurance because of the service limitations it requires.
Trauma Support Services of North Texas (TSSNT) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The mission of Trauma support Services of North Texas is to provide personalized, compassionate care for those affected by trauma. We are known for taking very challenging cases, with our greatest referral sources being other agencies and practitioners who feel that their trauma therapy expertise is limited. Nearly all of our clients are experiencing “complex trauma reaction,” meaning that their trauma began in childhood through abuse, incest, or neglect and now has culminated in their most recent trauma, perhaps the death or serious injury of a loved one in a car crash. Many agencies might assist them with crisis intervention and crime-related paperwork. However, we go well beyond that to work with them not only on their current grief and trauma but all the way back to their original traumas and how it is still affecting them.
We are also extremely proud of our trauma therapy education program, which, last year, was renamed TSSNT’s “Trauma Care Institute.” We provide high quality training for therapists throughout the state in an effort to develop a more trauma-informed therapeutic community. We are able to offer most of those therapist trainings for free.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
That’s a tough question because there have been so many! I believe my organizational moment was when we hired our current Executive Director, Lisa De La Garza. She is a very competent leader with high energy and clear direction. That has allowed me to serve on a totally volunteer basis, doing what I think I do best, which is trauma therapy, and otherwise, stay behind the scenes as a cheerleader.
My personal best moments are when I see my clients move from despair and hopelessness into fulfilling lives. My heart swells each time. That achievement has a little to do with the quality of my therapy but a great deal to do with their strength and resilience that simply got covered up for a while. For example, six years ago I began seeing a young woman who had been nearly killed by her abusive husband, and he then took his own life. When we finished therapy, she had rediscovered her power an enrolled in a community college. In May, I received a university graduation announcement from her, where she was to receive her bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Contact Info:
- Address: Administrative Office: ,210 S. Cedar Ridge Drive, Ste C-100, Duncanville, TX 75116
Therapists located throughout the MetroPlex. - Website: www.tssnt.org
- Phone: 972-709-4904
- Email: janice@tssnt.org
Image Credit:
TSSNT
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