In February, David and I spoke to the good people at the Mental Health Alternatives to Solitary Confinement Coalition, meeting at the Urban Justice League in New York City. This group is working to gain appropriate psychiatric care for inmates with severe mental illnesses. We talked about how the Fennell Four-Phase Model (FFPM) can describe the universe of trauma that emerges from violence and crime.

When we talk about violence, we naturally think about the victim’s experience of trauma — how is that person coping with what has been done to him or her? However, for the good of our community, we need to recognize that violence and crime can cause trauma in all parties involved in a crime — the victim, of course, but also family and close friends, but also the perpetrator, his family and friends, and even the law enforcement community which is trying to bring justice to the situation. For example, families of perpetrators are frequently traumatized by the impact of what their loved one has done to harm another. In addition, many criminals have been victims of trauma before they turn to violence.

FFPM describes the phases that any of these parties experience due to long-term trauma. It doesn’t pass judgment on any of the parties – it is a values-neutral, systems-based approach that understands that trauma is painful for all parties in different ways. It acknowledges that trauma-related symptoms change over time and in response to different experiences and circumstances.

It recognizes that if trauma isn’t treated, it is likely to be repeated.

People who have long-term trauma go through four predictable phases. In Phase 1, Crisis, the person is trying to contain the urgency and focus on the things that are necessary to cope with day-to-day life. In Phase 2, Stabilization, the person is carving order out of chaos and developing new norms. In Phase 3, Resolution, the person establishes an authentic new self and develops a supportive, meaningful philosophy. And, in Phase 4, Integration, the person appreciates that the experience is part of his or her life, but not something that defines him or her.

Once we have assessed the person’s Phase we can implement targeted psychiatric, physical and behavioral treatments to help them progress to the next level on the pathway toward Integration. And, by continually assessing and taking into consideration the impact of life events on the experience of trauma, we can limit regression into earlier Phases during times of greater stress.

When we view crime in light of the long-term trauma and Phase model, we open the door to resolution and healing, and development of a safer, more just society.

For more than two decades, I’ve been working individually with people who are trying to navigate the “new normal” of life with a chronic condition, and also training other medical and mental health professionals whose clients are traveling this difficult path. With this blog, I intend to bring much of the information that I share during my speaking engagements and my weekly counseling and professional development sessions to a wider audience through the Internet.

I’ll be talking a lot about the Fennell Four-Phase Model of chronic illness and trauma, which has been used worldwide since the early 1990s. If you’re not yet familiar with the Fennell Four-Phase Model, you can find a brief overview on my website at www.albanyhealthmanagement.com/ourfocus_ffpm.shtml. In this blog, we’ll get further in depth with the philosophy of the model and its utilization in the treatment of chronic illness with Fennell Four-Phase Treatment (FFPT).

I’ll also bring you insight about chronic illness and trauma, particularly as they relate to health conditions, criminal justice and education. I’ll be culling topics from my speaking engagements and news events as they relate to our work. And I’ll invite my colleagues to contribute to broaden the knowledge we collectively gain.

If you have any questions or comments, I’d like to hear from you. Since medical blogs can be a frequent target for spammers, I’ve implemented some extra security steps, including the requirement for all comments to be approved before they are posted. So if you don’t see your comment appear right away, please don’t worry – it’s probably waiting for me get a free moment to review it so I can post it on the blog.

If you have a question for me that you don’t wish to post on the blog, e-mail me using my contact form.

Thank you for reading this far – please let me know if there are topics you’d like to read about or information you are seeking. I look forward to our dialogue and hope you will, as well.