2023 | Winter Issue

Opening 2023 with a Focus on Climate and Culture, an Essential Element of Trauma Informed Care

In this blog, Mandy Davis, Director of Trauma Informed Oregon, discusses how Climate and Culture help all the other Essential Elements of trauma informed care cohere, and how an organization can know it has a trauma informed climate and culture.

Read Mandy's blog »

Moving Workforce Wellness into Organizational Culture

Christy da Rosa, Research Assistant with Trauma Informed Oregon, discusses how organizations can support work-life balance and self-care by integrating wellness activities into the working hours of their teams.

Read Christy's blog »

Walking the Walk: How Organizational Climate and Culture Unite Words With Actions

This blog from Dalia Avello, Professor of Practice with Trauma Informed Oregon, reminds organizations to ensure there is space for compassionate learning and improvement as they embed trauma informed care principles across their policies and procedures.

Read Dalia's blog »

The TRUE Model: A Starting Point for Building a Trauma Informed Organizational Workplace Culture

LaFreda Ceasar, MSW, Vice President of Equity and Culture Talent with New Narrative, introduces the TRUE model, a guide to building organizational culture through Trust, Relationships, Ultimate Feedback, and Equity."

Read LaFreda's blog »

7 Ways for Leaders to Spark Happiness at Work, in Ourselves and Our Team

Harmony Major, CRP, CHHC, Owner of Energetic Harmony, implores leaders to consider their use of language, get to know their team members as people, and solicit and act upon feedback to reduce stress among team members."

Read Harmony's blog »

2022 Training of Trainers: Overviews of Events with Communities of Color, Spanish Speakers, and a Large Health Care Provider

In this blog, three different authors and Training of Trainers facilitators from Trauma Informed Oregon share what they learned from their training of diverse cohorts of future trainers in trauma informed care.

Read TIO's blog »

Isha Charlie McNeely Moving On from TIO

A great part of this work is the people we get to work alongside. Here are some updates about these amazing people. Isha Charlie McNeely has been with TIO since 2016, and is now moving on. TIO is better at what we do because of Charlie. We will miss working with her daily, but her influence will always be present. From Isha Charlie:

I’ve had the pleasure of working for TIO since 2016. I started as an intern, then became the Director of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Outreach and Leadership Team, and eventually became the Training Coordinator. During this time I also led our monthly young adult advocacy council. I have seen TIO grow in the best of ways and live up to the high standards that attracted me to working for this organization. It has been amazing to see a team “walk the talk” and really serve the community and state in a way that prioritizes the most vulnerable and unseen populations on every level (micro, meso, and macro).

My transition is due to my and my family’s relocation to Houston to be closer to our support system. If it wasn’t for that, TIO would have to cease to exist in order to get rid of me fully.

I still will be connected, as I have future plans to be part of some work groups and projects that I am passionate about.

I will now be passing the torch on to Sarai Serrano, who has been on our young adult council for a few years as well as a student here at Portland State University. She has been part of creating some amazing resources and materials to make access to mental health resources and overall wellness easier and trauma-informed for youth across the state. over the years I have known her, she has been a loyal contributor and a hard-working and passionate youth when it comes to being a voice for and elevating BIPOC Folks to ensure they are centered in the work that we do. I am excited for what she will accomplish in this next phase of her career!

With gratitude and not so goodbye-bye,
Charlie

TIO Welcomes New Team Members

Sarai Serrano

Welcome Sarai Serrano! Sarai will be coordinating all trainings and events and working with TIO’s Oregon Trauma Advocates Coalition.

Read more about Sarai »

Lilly Kennedy

Welcome Lilly Kennedy! Lilly has joined TIO as a research assistant and is helping us stay on top of the latest research.

Read more about Lilly »

Valerie Edwards

Welcome Valerie Edwards! Valerie will be helping TIO with messaging and developing resources.

Coming Up from TIO

• In partnership with Andrea Redeau, LPC Uniquely You Counseling, we are working on an Organizational Toolkit to respond to racial harm experienced by behavioral health providers on the job. [If you want to share your experiences please contact Andrea at maredeau@pdx.edu]
• In partnership with Juliana Wallace, LCSW, CADC II, we are developing a pre- and de-escalation training that is grounded in TI values and principles.
• More Training of Trainers offerings are coming.
• In partnership with Erin Fairchild, MSW, we will soon have Trauma Informed Supervision resources available.
• More Fentanyl 101 sessions, and addiction and TIC content are coming.

TIO Highlights from 2022

It has been an energetic year at TIO. A few highlights:

• Hired 5 staff who come with new and amazing gifts and offerings.
• Developed and piloted 2 culturally specific Training of Trainers (more coming).
• Facilitated a culturally specific Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model training.
• Launched monthly Somatic Moments for the public.
• Launched Nourish the Network events to connect in multiple ways and hear what is happening and needed. So far, we have gatherings for champions, educators, behavioral health providers, and rural providers. Join us anytime, and if you have a group you want to gather let us know.
• Piloted, with the Human Services Implementation Lab, an implementation tool for organizations to measure their TI efforts. We expect this tool to be on TIO’s website when it is complete.
• Completed new, updated online learning modules on the Foundations of TIC that will replace our previous set of learning modules. You can access the video portion of these modules on TIO’s new Vimeo page and they will be on TIO’s website soon.
• Over 2000 people participated in TIO’s live and virtual educational offerings (including ~ 300 youth).
• OTAC (TIO’s young person coalition) and TIO staff developed an easy-to-use tool (waterproof QR code sticker) for middle schoolers to access mental health resources.
• Provided workforce wellness strategies for the general population and for culturally specific organizations.
• 92 people completed Trainings of Trainers in 2022.
• Started a culturally specific disaster resilience learning network.
• Started to work on state and federal policies to support community wellness and resilience.
• Piloted a trainer manual and 3-day Training of Trainers in response to a desire to have more time.
• Hosted Fentanyl 101 sessions with over 200 in attendance. Facilitated by Lydia Anne M Bartholow, DNP, PMHNP, CARN-AP

Register for "Nourish the Network" Events

TIO is committed to Nourish the Network by partnering with community members to offer a space for learning, sharing, and building community. Feel free to register for any of our 2023 Nourish the Network gatherings. Many more events will be added soon, so please check back!

• Disaster Resilience Learning Collaborative »
  Feburary 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Recurring Event (See all)
• Somatic Moment »
  February 13 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Recurring Event (See all)
• Educators: Being Our Best Selves »
  Feburary 21 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm | Recurring Event (See all)

Attend the LSWO Latinx Social Work Conference

Date/Location: May 18-20, 2023, Portland, OR

The Latino Social Workers Organization will hold its western regional conference for 2023 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. The agenda will include Keynotes, Panels, and Workshops. Registration will open in March.

Sign up for info »

TIO Is Seeking a Workforce Wellness Pilot Project Participant

TIO is offering a new workforce wellness pilot project called "Divining Liberation." This is a 4-part series designed to support employees of color and culture within an affinity space. Beyond general workforce wellness, participants will explore the intersections between lived experiences, TIC, cultivated resilience, and healing practices embedded within one’s own culture of origin.

Objectives:

• Recognizing The Roots: Past, Historical, and Racialized forms of Trauma
• Uprooting Harm, Including Internalized Oppression
• Individual and Collective Embodiment of Liberation and Healing

If an affinity group or ERG in your organization is interested in piloting this project, please contact our training team at tiotrainingrequests@pdx.edu.

Oregon’s Legislative Session Has Started

Let us know if TIO can provide any education or information that is helpful.

Responding to Racial Harm Experienced by Behavioral Health Providers

We are working with Andrea Redeau, LPC, Uniquely You Counseling, to create an Organizational Toolkit to respond to racial harm experienced by behavioral health providers on the job. We want this work to be informed by those in the field so please reach out if you would like to share your experiences. Contact Andrea at aredeau@pdx.edu.