Why CUPS staff are Brain Story Certified
Why CUPS staff are Brain Story Certified
Those who follow CUPS know our mission: to support vulnerable Calgarians living with the adversity of poverty and traumatic events become resilient in all areas of their lives.
While that sounds straightforward, it’s really not that simple at all. That’s why we rely on Brain Science to guide our operations and how we work with clients — and why CUPS staff are Brain Story Certified.
Brain science reveals that lifelong health is determined by more than just our genes: our experiences at sensitive periods of our development can change the brain in ways that increase or decrease risk for later physical and mental illness, including addiction. This is the premise of the Brain Story Certification course.
This amazing, in-depth course dives into the science of brain development. It puts scientific concepts into a narrative that is salient to both expert and non-expert audiences. The Brain Story synthesizes decades of research and reflects a body of knowledge that experts agree is useful for policy-makers and citizens to understand.
We know there is no one-size-fits-all solution when dealing with poverty and trauma. Each CUPS client has a different story and each client needs a different level of support. Having CUPS staff equipped with a deeper understanding and the best, evidence-based tools available, we are able to make the greatest impact in the lives of our clients and the greater community.
Being Brain Story Certified means that CUPS staff can:
Explain how brains develop and how social interactions shape development.
Describe the effects of stress on brain development and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on physical and mental health outcomes, including addiction.
Identify evidence-based approaches for children in the prevention, intervention and treatment of childhood adversity.
Describe the basic neurobiology of both substance and process addiction.
Identify evidence-based approaches for adults in the prevention, intervention and treatment of addiction.
Identify ways to build the foundations of resilience in children and families.
Developed by the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI), the course is free, self-paced and available online. Whether you work with vulnerable populations or not, I challenge everyone to become Brain Story Certified.
You will see mental and physical health challenges in a new light.
-Carlene Donnelly
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