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square bulletWhat’s in Store for 2018 – TIO Happenings January/February 2018

February 1, 2018

From Mandy Davis, LCSW, PhD, Director, Trauma Informed Oregon

2018!

As of last week, I finally starting writing 2018 automatically. It seems to take me a few weeks every year to realize that another year has passed. The new year is riddled with conversations, blogs, podcasts, and articles about reflecting on accomplishments and setting resolutions. Do you set New Year’s resolutions? Are they about caring for your body and wellness? Are they about reaching out to another person or your community? Are they about getting prepared for a disaster? Or do you take the “resolutions are setups for failure” route?

I have never been a person to set New Year’s resolutions (I think because of grant cycles my “new year” is often in June). In a recent meeting someone shared that they despise January because the gym they attend gets crowded for the month. Maybe this is why I don’t set resolutions, because it is expected and everyone else is doing it (can you tell I am stubborn third child). But the truth is, setting expectations along with everyone else makes it easier to participate and to be motivated.

I do believe in the importance of reflecting on where we have been, what we have learned from our failures and successes and how to use this to inform our next steps. Being trauma informed means being consistent but flexible, which means setting goals but allowing room for innovation and imagination.

And speaking of innovative thinking—we are doing this newsletter a bit differently. We typically have you, the collaborative, write about your work and experiences centered on a theme. This newsletter will have a theme, but the writing will be from the Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO) staff. Each staff member, from coordinators to interns, was asked to share their projects or what they will be working on in 2018.

Goals

A few of my goals for 2018 include:

  • Continue visiting communities to hear about what is needed to advance Trauma Informed Care (TIC) efforts.
  • Illustrate and understand the relationships and intersections between models and initiatives.
  • Stay relevant and helpful to Oregon communities.
  • Learn from efforts in other states and countries.
  • Advance methods to demonstrate change as a result of TIC.
  • Practice TIC at TIO.
  • Find accessible ways to connect efforts and people in Oregon.

Now that you know what I’m working on, please take a moment to check out the blogs in the newsletter so you can get to the know the staff a bit more (they are amazing).

What’s Going on at TIO

  • A retreat. TIO is going on retreat February 5, 6 and 7. Actually, we’re not going anywhere but we are having an internal retreat to focus on completing projects. We will respond to emails and calls starting Thursday, February 8. Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for supporting our work.
  • A webinar? Do you want webinars? We have a commitment to host a few webinars and I need your feedback on what they should be about. Be on the lookout for an email asking about your preferences – subscribe to our newsletter here.
  • A sloth! Meet our mascot. We’re always striving to improve our workforce wellness here at TIO and this sloth is here to help. They need a gender-neutral name. We’d love to hear your name suggestions. Please post in the comments below. We’ll let you know what we decide in the next newsletter.

Where We’ve Been

I was delighted to share the TIC foundations content with a great group of folks in Coos Bay. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the holiday lights at Shore Acres Gardens. The weather could not have been more perfect. Thank you Coos Bay. In addition to Coos Bay we have also enjoyed working in Eugene, Seaside, and Bend. In January, I shared the great work happening in Oregon on a webinar that highlights our state efforts alongside Wisconsin and Tennessee regarding policy approaches to addressing childhood adversity. I just returned from Buffalo, NY where I was asked to talk about Oregon’s TIC journey with Western New York Trauma-Informed Care Champions. I also spent some time collaborating with the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care.

To Do List

  • Keep a look out for requests to contribute to research and evaluation from Stephanie Sundborg.
  • Considered being interviewed about your TIC efforts with Ana Hristić. We need your voice!
  • Do you incorporate the voices of those with lived experience or provide peer delivered services related to TIC? Offer to talk with Lee Ann Phillips about your experiences or needs.
  • Calling all resources! Let Camilla Pettle know what you would like to see more or less of.