INDIANAPOLIS — May is National Trauma Awareness Month and a new peer recovery program and support group is hoping to create a safe space for survivors in Indianapolis.
As part of the Trauma Survivors Network, IU Health recently began a trauma support group for Hoosiers who lived through a physically traumatic injury. That means any injury from a car crash, fire, fall, or anything of that nature.
Thomas McDorr is the chaplain for the trauma team at Methodist Hospital. He says this is an imperative part of the healing process.
“We all know someone that has been through trauma, whether, like I said, it was a motor vehicle accident, gunshot wound, a fall, we're all connected to people who have gone through trauma," McDorr said. "And the norm is to, like not talk about it right, or to put a silver lining on kind of what happened to them. So it's important to know that there are places and people that exist that can help walk alongside these people on the road to recovery."
Tiffany Davis is the injury prevention coordinator at Methodist Hospital and co-leads the small support group with McDorr. She says this is the start of several initiatives at Methodist in their trauma program.
“When that disruption occurs from the trauma, it doesn't just affect us physically, it affects us mentally and emotionally as well," Davis told WRTV. "And so this is a way to address this patient holistically. And make sure that we're not just meeting their medical needs, but we're also meeting the emotional needs that they have.”
The group meets every second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at Calvary Tabernacle. All are welcomed regardless of the hospital where they were treated.
