Oct 18
Play time can be hard for any child, but is especially difficult for trauma-affected children. Children that have been affected by early childhood trauma and severe stress are often given any number of labels to describe the symptoms of that trauma or adverse childhood experience: PTSD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention …
Sep 13
One of the most common questions I get from the trauma-affected children I serve is, “Why did God allow [insert really awful, tragic experience] to happen to me?” I imagine it’s a question that most pastors, ministers, chaplains, and those Christians who share their faith with others face. It’s fundamentally a relational question, not a …
Sep 09
Relationships are of vital importance to our experience as human beings in community with one another. A secure, loving and supportive relationship is the foundation on which we branch out and explore our world… not just as small children, but even as adults! Think of those times when by situation or circumstance you felt compelled …
Jul 28
![IMG_1711[1]](http://www.intermountainministry.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_17111-150x150.jpg)
This week, Intermountain hosted twenty youth and adult volunteers from Van Orsdel United Methodist Church. The group had visited last November, while the Van Orsdel Commons and chapel was still in construction, and I invited them back to do VBS… and they said YES! The group came and shared a modified version of the VBS curriculum by Group …
Jul 19
Most churches and fellowships look for opportunities to impact their communities and the world for the better. They do this through any number of ways: social justice initiatives, mission work at home and overseas, prison ministry, youth outreach, parenting classes, recovery ministries… the list goes on and on. One of the questions I am regularly …
Jun 13
Parenting a child with emotional disturbance or another mental health issue, being a foster parent, and adopting a child from a trauma background… all of these can seem like living in tornado alley! (view the video and you’ll understand the reference!) I am so thankful for my friendship and partnership in mission with ML Rutherford, …
May 17
NOTE: This is a guest post from Tracie Dahl, LCPC, Middle School Therapist with Intermountain School-based Services (Helena, MT). It has been edited for use in a church setting by Chaplain Chris Haughee. 13 Reasons Why is about to drop its second season on May 18th. Since Season 2 is no longer adapting Jay Asher’s 2007 YA novel and …
May 15
Five Minutes with Chris Haughee: Helping Kids Heal covenantcompanion.com/2018/04/16/five-minutes-with-chris-haughee-helping-kids-heal/ By Guest AuthorApril 16, 2018 Chris Haughee is a Covenant chaplain working at Intermountain Residential, an intensive residential program for children who demonstrate behavioral challenges with campuses in Helena and Kalispell, Montana. Chris and his family attend Headwaters Covenant Church in Helena. Who are the children …
Apr 27
NOTE: Having spent a good portion of the last year focusing on trauma-informed ministry interventions, trainings, and writing resilience-based curriculum, I was drawn back to this post from April 2017. I hope you enjoy this “flashback!” –Chaplain Chris + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Maybe …
Mar 26
The most crucial and necessary first step to becoming a church that welcomes children with emotional disturbance from past trauma is to adopt an attitude of humility. It’s the humility that asks, “What must have happened to that child?” or “I wonder what I might have done to cause this child to react that way?” …
Click here to subscribe to our RSS feed with your favorite email client and be alerted to new articles.