Marie WheelerI’m a little behind on all of my art journaling, well, really on attaching stories to my art. I completed the art for this page a couple of weeks ago amid the Writer’s Block. The prompt was something to do with roots and seeds and I elected to move toward seeds, it is Spring after all.
I think the more subconscious reasoning for this was the recent experience of going to the beginning session of a six month-long training for work on being a Trauma-Informed Care Champion. My role as part of that training is to be the champion, or seed if you will, of change in my agency and community.
This is something that I am already passionate about and have instituted in my workplace to varying degrees. The training brought out that while we are often trauma-informed, we are not always trauma-sensitive, and that has broadened my focus and will springboard more changes for the future.
I have big ideas.
Seeds of Change
For those readers who don’t work in behavioral health or the health care fields, Trauma-Informed Care is a way of caring for those you serve and each other in ways that support safety, trustworthiness, support, collaboration and empowerment. Essentially, we help make sure that when someone comes through the door for services, that they don’t feel trapped, powerless or without a voice in their own life.
In the midst of the heroin and other drug epidemics, the idea of trauma as a root of much addiction has been traditionally overlooked and under-appreciated. I urge anyone intrigued by this assertion to check out the ACE Study from the Centers for Disease Control and learn more about how trauma impacts your world. You can be one of the seeds of change.
We are learning more every day about the connections between early childhood experiences and how those work to shape our physical and behavioral health.
Gandhi spoke of being the change you want to see in the world. I heartily agree and encourage everyone to plant some seeds of change in your local area.
Leave a comment if you are interested in me sharing more information on this in the future!
