2025 | Winter Issue

Welcome to Trauma Informed Oregon Talk, our e-newsletter! Learn the latest news from Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO), read essays from the TIO community, discover trauma informed activities across the state, and start using trauma informed tools and resources we have learned about or added to our website.

Note from Mandy, Director of TIO

It is December, and I want to rest. I want to have a cup of tea and snuggle with blankets, books, and plants. I want to settle into a thinking space with a few people who inspire me and dream of the next amazing things. It is December, and I see and feel the heaviness of this time. For those unhoused or in unsafe spaces, while the rain and cold creep in – for those for whom this time in our world and especially this time of year bring loneliness, worry, and sadness.

It is December, and I feel the sparkle of the lights outside against the darkness. I get energy from the smell and taste of peppermint. It is December, and pain and harm and hurt keep happening. And I notice the power in survivors who spoke up and continue to speak out. I look forward to the quietness and focus I find in a new snowfall, and I feel the warm fuzzies of an infant's belly laugh (we have a few around TIO right now).

This time of year, from the hours of darkness to the light joining us a little more each day, feels and shows up differently for us all. Maybe the darkness is a place of quiet comfort, or maybe not. Perhaps the light is too much or too soon, or you are running toward it with gratitude. Check in with yourself and check on others. What do you need? What can you offer? What can you hold?

Trauma-informed care invites us to hold all the feels from the darkness to the light: joy and fear, anticipation and reluctance, etc. In this TIC work, we are also asked to value the multiple paths of recovery. This could be quieting spaces or a dance party, therapy, or a big cry (or all of it!). Welcoming it all in can sometimes be awkward or wonky – for me, it also creates something deeply grounded and welcoming. My eldest recently shared a moment with his Grandfather – both sitting in a room, reading, not talking. He experienced and realized that, in this moment, he felt connected, comforted, and at ease in that not-talking space. May we all keep learning and noticing what helps us feel connected, comforted, and at ease during this season, even if it's in small doses and moments.

I am grateful to share space with many of you, and I find these moments are soul-filling. In these times, I witness people joining together to advocate for compassion, come up with creative ways to help one another, to share nourishment, to connect so we can keep caring. I have found inspiration recently from people who I have witnessed centering wellness over productivity, teams that are showing up to support each other, and systems that recognize the value of their staff.

I hope you find the spaces, people, and the doses of darkness and light you need in these times. I am here to share tea, tears, laughter, and contentment.

Check out the new format for the newsletter. We share some ideas around the role of policy in trauma informed care, a few resources, and what we have been up to.

Translated Foundations of Trauma Informed Care Training Kits

It took a couple months longer than we had anticipated (and a lot more copies) but we got the translated Foundations of Trauma Informed Care training kits mailed out to the 27 new Early Childhood Education trainers who graduated from the bilingual Training of Trainers last June.

Team Updates

A Note from Danielle Grondin-Villanueva

Hello, community. As some of you may know, my family welcomed another new human into the world over the summer! With these big changes in my life, I’ve decided to reduce my time at TIO for the foreseeable future and focus on specific projects focused on organizational healing and transitions. This adjustment will allow me to have more flexibility in my schedule while still staying connected to the work. Keep up the change making, y’all! I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

With love,
Danielle

Some Places We Have Been

Coquille, Hood River, Pendleton, Redmond, Clackamas

The Sector Scene

Early Childhood Learning, Faith Leaders, 4-H, Legal Advocates, Juvenile Departments, Criminal Legal System sectors, Administrators, Policy makers, Medical and more

Training at-a-Glance: Oct-Dec 2025

• One Trauma Informed Supervision Series (4 sessions)
• Two Foundations of Trauma Informed Care
• One 4-day Training of Trainers- pay by the seat
• Two Somatic Moment sessions
• One Workforce Wellness: Trauma Informed Communication
• One TIC Microlesson on Training and Education: Preparing for a TI Training
• One Open House with TIO
• Fifteen organization-specific offerings

Upcoming Training in TIC from Oregon Registry Online

The Early Child Education Approaches to Trauma Informed Care: Advancing the Foundations in Chinese, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese will offer ORO CEU’s and will be available for sign up on the ORO calendar beginning January 1.

Browse ORO's calendar »

Register for TIO's Winter 2026 Events

Register for TIO's events in January, February, and March 2026, including Workforce Wellness, Somatic Moment, Foundations of TIC, Micro-Lessons, Divining Liberation, and TIO's Open House.

Browse calendar and register »

Sign up for quarterly event emails »

Reminders and Action Items

TIO Satisfaction Survey: How Can TIO Improve Our Offerings to Support Your Work?

TIO values feedback to improve our work! Please take a moment and share your thoughts on your experience with Trauma Informed Oregon and trauma informed care projects in your community. This voluntary, anonymous survey will take 3-5 minutes and will help us improve the quality and impact of our trainings and offerings. This survey is being conducted by Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO). Your response will be included in a report that can be used to improve our work. Research findings about best TIC training practices may also be published or shared publicly. We value your input and appreciate your time.

Take the satisfaction survey »

Know the Why

Why are fidgets and coloring pages trauma-informed? I laughed out loud recently when a participant entered the training space and said, “Someone warned me that there would be fidgets.” I asked what fidgets might say about about a training, and he smiled, shrugged, and said, “Probably something touchy-feely.” The training happened, and all used the fidgets well. We provide fidgets – in fact, we expect them at every gathering we attend. And we tell people why. We share that we know many people will learn and engage better if they have something to do with their hands – a way to run energy, a way to focus, a way to keep distractions away. When we say this, we see signs of relief. Now, the type of fidget matters – they can’t be messy or noisy. Inexpensive options can include printed coloring pages, pipe cleaners, or even just a pencil and paper. I wonder what your favorites are? If you don’t use them, start bringing them to meetings, keeping them in your office, and noting how they are used, by whom, and where.

Email us if you have an "Is this trauma informed, and why" question at info@traumainformedoregon.org.