A new Trauma Resilience Program is now offered at Wellness Circle, a crisis stabilization center in Fairfax, Virginia. The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) has operated Wellness Circle, located on Shirley Gate Road, since 2021. This 16-bed regional facility provides an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization while offering comprehensive behavioral health treatment for Northern Virginia residents who are in a crisis. Wellness Circle offers a level of care that is unique to this area. If an individual is having a mental health or substance use crisis but is not in need of hospitalization, they may qualify for services at Wellness Circle.

“In addition to our large menu of specialized services, the most valuable thing our staff provides to patients is hope,” said Amy Miller, Program Manager for the Wellness Circle Crisis Stabilization Unit. This was reflected by an individual who received services at Wellness Circle remarked that, “even when I asked them to give up on me, their unrelenting hope made me believe I could actually get better.” This person had struggled with severe mental health symptoms including debilitating depression, hallucinations, and daily suicidal thoughts. After engaging in services at Wellness Circle and the Adult Behavioral Health Outpatient Program at the CSB for over seven years, they are now proudly working a full-time job, paying their own rent, and have purchased their own car — noble accomplishments that were not an option for them before.

Trauma Resilience Program

When Millerand her staff began to track trends in the behaviors and needs of the individuals they were serving, the demand for a specialized program that addressed trauma was at the top of the priority list. Specifically, they were consistently noting that individuals in crisis with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) often had a history of one or more traumatic events and likely had undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Trauma Resilience Program launched at Wellness Circle earlier this year. It provides targeted modules and curriculum that address trauma. This Phase 1 trauma treatment focuses on safety, stabilization and a decrease in symptoms such as nightmares or flashbacks. The structure of the program promotes accessibility by running parallel to regular programming. This means individuals are empowered to choose which groups and/or activities will benefit them most in any given moment. According to Miller, what makes this program beneficial is that people can opt in to address their trauma rather than be forced to face their difficulties prematurely.

Alternative Therapies

According to Miller, not everyone who walks through the doors of Wellness Circle responds to traditional talk therapy. Therefore, clinical staff have crafted daily schedules to include a variety of therapeutic environments and activities for individuals to work toward a state of safety and stability. Some of these unique offerings include: a sensory garden, vegetable garden, Zen Garden, therapy dog, dedicated art room, drum circles, music therapy, and a sensory room. In cultivating an environment focused on healing through a variety of approaches, Wellness Circle serves the community by empowering individuals to find what works most effectively for themselves.

Call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for access to behavioral health services at 703-383-8500 (TTY 711). CSB Emergency Services are available 24/7 at 703-573-5679 (TTY 711).