#TransformTrauma: May 2023

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Research establishes #selfcare as a critical component of good #health and #wellbeing.

And yet, missing from the dominant discourse is attention to the systemic and institutional circumstances that inhibit us from experiencing holistic #wellness, especially those with lived experiences characterized by #trauma.

Honoring our humanity and reaching our full potential, individually and as a community, relies on collective and self-care because one helps realize the other.

So, what might you do to integrate more consideration for the many dimensions of human well-being in how you show up to support the holistic health of yourself and your #community? How might you set an intention to practice caring for yourself and others as an intentional, integrated, and enduring life process? What will be your next small step to help you feel more connected to yourself, your community, and your shared values?

We invite you to explore and discuss these concepts (and more!) on our May 17th CTIPP CAN call, in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at CTIPP

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Listen: Trauma-Informed Workplaces with Sandra L. Bloom, M.D., CTIPP Board Chair, and Founder of Creating PRESENCE. What does it mean to be “trauma-informed,” and why should organizations make their workplace more trauma-informed? How can it improve a team member’s (and the organization’s!) well-being, safety, productivity, fulfillment, and growth? We aim to answer these questions and more in our latest podcast episode of #TransformTrauma.

Listen: CTIPP’s Jesse Kohler and Whitney Marris on Essential Conversations. Belonging is not automatically experienced, no matter how lofty our goals or mission, and creating true inclusion for everyone, at every level, IS the work of #transformation. How do we shift our mindset shifts and take practical action to transform our distress over the world as-it-is into courage and agency to co-create the world as we dream it can be?

We’re hiring! CTIPP is seeking a Director of Community Engagement & Government Affairs (based in the DC metro area) to nurture and grow relationships with community members, #policymakers, and #government officials to elevate promising practices around the country, connect constituents with Congressional offices, learn about opportunities to leverage resources and support to continue growing the movement and mobilize advocates to support our policy priorities (E.G., funding for cross-sector #coalitions). #advocacy #engagement #publicaffairs #governmentaffairs #lobbying #Congress

MAY 2023 EVENTS

• May 17: CTIPP’s next Community Advocacy Network (CAN) call honors the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we will discuss collective and self-care for trauma-informed advocates as we work to transform systematic and societal change. (Our April call featured strategies and discussion to make workplaces more trauma-informed to build health, safety, productivity, trust, and well-being.)
• May 17: Pathways to Resilience’s Creating Physical Spaces to Foster Healing and Resilience: Trauma-Informed Design. Join to learn about advances in the fields of #architecture, #design, and #urbanplanning that consider the needs of people with lived experiences of trauma to prevent re-traumatization and promote overall well-being, healing, and joy in individuals and communities.
• May 17-19: 1st Annual?#WeHealUS Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Justice Summit?with CTIPP, WeHealUS, Pathways to Resilience, and Compassion Prison Project. The focus will be on the reduction of re-traumatization, and achieving better outcomes for trauma survivors, #justice-impacted communities, and professionals in the #legal field.

CALLS TO ACTION

• Survey: Early Learning Settings. CTIPP has partnered with Millersville University to survey early childhood educators to create free and practical examples of what trauma-informed care “looks like” in early learning settings. Deadline to participate: June 30, 2023.
• Survey: Learning about the Movement. Researchers at the University of Montana want to know about your learning!? This extensive survey study seeks to understand what and how people learn about ACEs, NEAR science, prevention science, #toxicstress, trauma-informed, #resilience, and adjacent subjects.
• Survey: Healthcare for Children & Youth. The Committee on Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Youth through Health Care System Transformation welcomes input on experiences and ideas about the importance of quality healthcare for all children and youth and improvements for healthcare delivery. They welcome thoughts on incorporating lived experience, community engagement, payment models, workforce development, and promising practices and policies
• Survey: #TraumaInformedCare. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is seeking comments on the effectiveness of trauma-informed care, its components, and the conditions needed to maximize these interventions. Deadline to participate: May 19, 2023.

#MINDFULMOMENT

WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES: Slowly count down from 10 to 0. Take a full breath, inhaling and expelling, each number. Take a deep breath in while telling yourself "10," for instance. Exhale gradually. Say "nine" after you exhale, and so on.

Count down more slowly and space your breaths farther apart if you start to feel dizzy. You should get a sense of calmness after you reach zero. In that case, repeat the exercise