By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
The 2022 Resilience Symposium will be held this year at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center on Friday, September 30th. In a world that has become increasingly stressful due to the pandemic and its insidious ability to disrupt lives in a multitude of ways, the symposium offers approaches to recover and regain hope.
The strategy is to recognize the importance of connections and learn tactics to enhance our ability to bounce-forward and thrive. In 2021, over 120 participants from around the state came to the symposium to learn about adverse childhood and life experiences that can negatively impact one’s life trajectory, as well as ways to buffer adversities, overcome vicarious trauma, secondary trauma and burnout. The methodology relies on positivity-focused and strength-based approaches, and actionable steps to build trauma-informed, resilience-focused communities.
This year the symposium will continue to cultivate resiliency, build hope, and create safe, stable environments to thrive in our work, lives and communities. A broad range of engaging speakers will be presenting information on creating trauma-informed multidisciplinary teams, ways to use social and emotional learning, best practices at work, adversity and relational health, and sessions on self-care including massage therapy, art therapy, and music therapy, amongst others. The keynote speaker, Becky Hass, will provide guidance on how to move from being trauma aware to being trauma informed.
Symposium attendees include anyone interested in building resilience, particularly those in helping professions: behavioral health professionals, care coordinators, educators, faith-based professionals, first responders, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, licensed professional counselors, mental health practitioners, marriage and family therapists, nurses, public health professionals, psychologists, school-based personnel, social workers, and substance use and addiction professionals.
“Between the pandemic, adverse individual and community experiences, social unrest, and increasing devastating climate events, we are at a defining moment that demand the need for broader concern, engagement, and change,” says Board Chair and Executive Director of the Coastal Coalition for Substance Awareness & Prevention (CCSAP), Tamra Church. “The science is clear that adversity can negatively impact the way we think, behave, and engage in the world around us leaving us in a constant state of reactivity. The science is also clear that positivity and strength-based approaches can shift our thinking to focus on our assets, strengths, and well-being. Now is the time to make a concerted effort to enhance the capacity of individuals, communities, and organizations by building strong levels of trust, empathy, and compassion to cope with the inevitable changes that are affecting us at all levels of society. The 2022 Resilience Symposium: Building Hope will continue to raise awareness of resilience-building strategies to strengthen our resolve to build resilience-focused communities.”
Presentations and Speakers:
• Opening Keynote: Creating Trauma Informed Multidisciplinary Teams as Best Practice by Becky Haas
• Closing Keynote: Moving an Organization from Trauma Aware to Trauma Informed by Becky Haas
• SEL 3 Signature Practices by Leela Harpur Heyder of Calm Minds Kind Hearts weaved in throughout the day
• ACEs and Relational Health (this will include several breakout sessions) by Keith Cartwright & Marrin Scalone
• Developing Resilience and Recovering Your Authentic Self by Garret Biss
• Presentation on overcoming vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, and burnout by Kia Glosson & Bonnie Jean Kuras (can have the title to you by Monday)
• Bringing Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work by Carra Osborne
• Human Trafficking 101 (not sure of title) by Pam Strickland of NC Stop Human Trafficking
• Life-Saving Overdose Reversal Training – TBD
• Self-Care Sessions:
° Expressive Arts by Debra Ashway
° Music Therapy by Sam Lewis
° Massage Therapy by Nuad Thai Therapy
° Massage Therapy by Kerri Kehoe
° Regulation Station by Leela Harpur Heyder
° Trauma-Informed Yoga – TBD
° Meditation – TBD