Community Calendar

70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives, 223.4 million people. Adverse Childhood Studies show that many of these traumas occur before age 18 and result in disrupted brain development, adoption of at risk health behaviors, and increased risk for disease, disability and social problems in children and adults, including developing physical and mental illness. The Centers for Disease Control recognizes this epidemic requires a public health response at a national, state and local level. Evidence has shown that by implementing trauma informed practices within all human service systems impacting youth, adults and their families, individuals are empowered to build their resilience and enhance their overall health and well-being.

Trauma informed care asks all human service professionals to realize the widespread impact of trauma, recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, and respond by integrating trauma informed knowledge into all policies, procedures and practices while actively resisting re-traumatizing the youth, families and adults we serve.

In response to this national public health issue, your community is working towards building trauma informed youth, family and adult service systems.

“A trauma informed [human service] system is one in which all parties involved recognize and respond to the varying impact of traumatic stress on children, adults, their caregivers, providers of service and others who have contact with the system. Programs and organizations within the system infuse this knowledge awareness and skills into their organizational cultures, policies and practices.

They act in collaboration, using the best available science to facilitate and support resiliency and recovery.” (adapted from Hendricks, Conradi, & Wilson, 2011, p.189)

One of the first steps in building trauma and resiliency informed communities, is assuring a trauma and resiliency informed educational foundation for all our human service leaders, professionals, community partners, parents, caregivers, and youth. In a trauma and resilience informed 360 approach, anyone invested in improving the well-being of our communities needs to understand the basic principles of the impact of trauma and the responsibility we all hold in building individual and community resilience.

The goal of this training is to build the leadership and resiliency skills of African American social workers. Through reviewing the parallel process of being a trauma-informed provider and professional.

Registration is through NASW Virginia Chapter. Click READ MORE to learn more and register.

Seventy percent of U.S. adults have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives—often before age 18. The results can be disrupted brain development, adoption of at-risk health behaviors, and increased risk for disease, disability, social problems, and physical and mental illness.

In response, social workers and behavioral health providers must understand the many aspects of trauma as evidenced through the latest research. This program is designed for mental health professionals or advanced graduate students who are actively providing therapeutic services to clients.

In the NASWVA Professional Certification in Trauma and Resilience Informed Care training program, you will receive 37.5 hours of in-depth training covering foundational therapeutic skills critical to all client work, especially those clients with histories of violated safety and security. The program will help you learn and integrate evidence-informed trauma and resilience treatment skills into your everyday practices.

Instructor: Dr. Allison Jackson is CEO of Integration Solutions, Inc., a company that provides consultation services, educational programs, and technical assistance to human service organizations and integrated healthcare systems. Specializing in trauma-informed care and training people that resilience is possible when proper information and support is given, her company helps institutions further their practices as they guide people toward healing and recovery. Raised in Richmond, Va., Dr. Jackson has provided leadership development services via behavioral health, education, child welfare, and criminal justice systems for more than 20 years. See her full biography here and watch her TED talk at https://youtu.be/-HG8H4n2j9I.

Licensure Exam Prep Training

Be prepared. Learn the content and strategies to pass the Bachelors, Masters or Clinical exam for social work licensing in Virginia!

This one-day workshop will walk social workers at the  BSW, MSW and clinical levels of licensure through the necessary steps to pass the ASWB exam and reduce test anxiety.

Social Work and “One Health”: Animal-Informed Practice with Individuals, Families & Communities

Abstract:
The Covid-19 pandemic brought into clear relief the juxtaposition of animals as both sources of terrible disease and healers of human suffering. This webinar will introduce the "One Health" perspective as a lens through which to consider human-animal relationships and interactions as an important contributor to the social determinants of health.  Drawing from current research and case examples, the place and consequence of human-animal relationships to individual, family, and community wellbeing will be explored, and the necessity of integrating an “animal-informed” perspective at all levels of practice will be demonstrated.  Finally, this session will provide specific recommendations for improving interprofessional skills congruent with integrating a One Health approach in your work.