Ritualistic Abuse Survivors Difficulties Obtaining Services
Neil Brick | September 18 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Direct Service, Experience | Knowledge Level: Beginner
Ritualistic abuse survivors have struggled to obtain adequate mental health and social support services for over twenty years. This problem has been exacerbated by a lack of trained providers and adequate social services to deal with the complex problems ritualistic abuse survivors present. Most clinicians do not receive proper training due to severe trauma topics and their symptomatology not being adequately covered in their master level training programs or in post continuing education training. Very few organizations are available to educate clinicians and survivors about the research in the field. Insurance companies often do not adequately cover services for long term treatment. Social services employees are not adequately trained to work with severe trauma survivors. There is a paucity of training regarding trauma informed services and ways to work with clients suffering from dissociative disorders. Application guidelines often make it very difficult for ritualistic abuse survivors to receive in the timelines given. Survivors may have difficulties getting to offices, getting on the Internet or filling out paperwork. This presentation will include the presenter’s own struggles receiving adequate services over the last thirty years. Issues to be discussed will include the symptomatology of dissociative disorders, attachment disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, economic problems, and social barriers. Solutions to decrease and eliminate these difficulties will be discussed. These will include public advocacy, public education, survivor training, and the building of a research base to help survivors and their helpers move forward to prevent these difficulties in the future.
Presentation Objectives:
• Discuss the four key concepts regarding the lack of education for those working with ritualistic abuse survivors
• Describe reasons why ritualistic abuse survivors have difficulties obtaining services
• Describe ways ritualistic abuse survivors and their helpers can change the present system to increase services for these survivors