Financial Institutions Security Task Force

Trauma Response Project

About Trauma Response Project

The Trauma Response Project (TRP) provides information and support to bank robbery victims through peer-to-peer monthly support group sessions. TRP is sponsored by the Financial Institutions Security Task Force and is available to any employee of an Oregon bank or credit union free of charge.  

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Why Peer Support?

Ongoing monthly support groups provide the follow-up educational and therapeutic intervention for individuals seeking continued support. The support group is open to victims at every stage of their healing process (one month post-event to one year or more).

A unique offering of the Trauma Response Project is the education and support for peer leaders. With the knowledge that social support for robbery victims is crucial in reducing post-trauma distress, it is vital to equip interested survivors the tools to share their experiences with others. In supporting individuals in this process, the survivor transcends into the activist.

The format of the group meetings are casual with a focus on being a supportive, safe, and appropriate environment to talk about and learn about how experiencing a bank robbery can effect the lives of financial institution employees.

Common Survivor Reactions

When you see a pebble drop into a pool of water you notice the ripples which are produced by the impact of that pebble. A similar ripple occurs from person to person when a crime occurs.

As an employee, you have been exposed to a crime in your work setting. Even if you were not directly confronted during the incident, you may experience reactions from your exposure to the robbery or attempted robbery.

How people react to these events varies from person to person and is affected by individual factors such as how you usually handle stressful situations and what kind of support you have both inside and outside of work.

Becoming a victim/survivor of a crime, especially a violent crime, is a difficult and traumatic experience.

It is not uncommon for front line staff and other directly effected employees to report the following symptoms following a bank robbery:

• Re-experiencing the event in the form of intrusive thoughts, flashes of memory, increased anxiety and startle responses.
• Withdrawal or avoidance of distressing emotions in the form of overworking, avoiding work or withdrawing from family, friends, and activities.
• Emotional and psychological consequences such as anger, irritability, self medicating painful feelings, and physical effects such as eating and sleep disturbances.

Project Clinician

Angela Lehr, MS, CRC

Ms. Lehr received her Masters of Science degree in Counselor Education from Portland State University in 2001. She has been working with survivors of crime, trauma, and abuse and their families for over 10 years. Ms. Lehr is also a Nationally and State Certified Victim Specialist. She currently runs a private counseling practice providing individual counseling to survivors of crime and trauma.

Lehr provides consultation and training to law enforcement, government agencies, community organizations, and businesses to address the needs of survivors of crime and abuse. 

Questions About the Program?

Please feel free to contact the clinicians directly:

Angela Lehr
(503) 459-6385
angelalehr@comcast.net