Trauma-Informed Education Series
WISE (Wisdom Inspires Student Excellence) Trauma-Informed Education Series focuses on building knowledge and resilience to overcome traumatic stress during the pandemic. The goal is to understand actions, behavioral response patterns, and systems that perpetuate discrimination or unintentional/intentional harm that leads to trauma. Participants are invited to learn from others about different coping mechanisms and exercises to work through the collective trauma we have all experienced this past year.
Thursday, October 21, November 18, December 9 | Recording | 5:30-7 pm | Presented by Wendy Baracka
Common Purpose supports the training’s aim to value to achieve mutually agreed upon and collective objectives and visions that promote self-care.
Thankful Thursdays were mindfulness meditation activities with a focus involving and honoring any and all efforts toward success, naming the values and qualities of greatness we see in ourselves and others, and sharing this with rich words, descriptions, and gratitude to step more dynamically into our power as individuals and community to make a change and “good trouble.”
Presenter Backgrounds: Wendy Baracka is the Director of Counseling Services at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She recently completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training through Jala Yoga and is in the process of completing her requirements for certification through Yoga Alliance. Wendy is a Certified Trainer in the Nurtured Heart Approach, a social-emotional methodology for transforming difficult intensity in children and adults to develop inner wealth and promote school, social, familial, and community growth and success. Wendy received her Master’s in Social Work from West Virginia University and her Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology from Shepherd College. Her specialty areas of focus include trauma-informed care, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and increasing bodily awareness and integrity through yoga and breathing practices.
Monday, October 25 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Recording
Commitment demonstrates involvement and investment in activities, services, and collective efforts to address trauma within these fields. Common Purposes pawns mutually agreed upon and collective objectives and visions of care and responsibilities involving trauma. Contend with civility is an ability to recognize and value inevitable differences in viewpoints and to allow such differences to be expressed openly and authentically.
The panel featured education, social work, and nursing professionals. These professionals engaged in topics centering on emotional intelligence such as person-centered care, behavioral management, and compliance in the field (Wheeler, 2018; Lee, et al. 2018; Howard, 2019; Cannon, et al. 2020; Levenson, 2020; Morton & Berardi, 2018). They explored toxic stress (Shern, D. L, et al. 2016), trauma effects on professionals (Ramirez, J, et al. 2020), trauma prevention, and practical strategies for applying trauma-informed knowledge. The learning competencies included commitment, common purpose, and contending with civility.
Presenter Backgrounds: Haven Silvio-Eagling earned a BSN from Shepherd in 2020 and is currently employed as an RN at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, working in their level IV NICU. Amy Hampton earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, a BA in Psychology, and an AAS in Criminal Justice from Fairmont State College. She is an assistant professor of Social Work at Shepherd University. Elizabeth A. G. Mobley earned a MAT in Special Education. She is currently the Parent Engagement Resource Center Coordinator for Berkeley County Schools in the Office of Special Education. Rachel M. Tysor, BSN, RN is a graduate of the Shepherd University Nursing program 2018. She is employed as a registered nurse supervisor at Stonerise HealthCare in Martinsburg, WV.
Tuesday, October 26 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Recording
Congruence is the importance of thinking, feeling, and behaving with consistency, genuineness, authenticity, and honesty toward others when perspectives about mental health challenges surface in unique ways. Collaboration is interdependence through creative solutions to problems and goal achievement while trusting in and utilizing diverse talents and perspectives by merging interdisciplinary perspectives across fields of study. Change will occur by serving, addressing, and improving community and global problems involving trauma.
We featured criminal justice professionals from a legal, first responder, policing, juvenile courts, investigations, education, and security fields, these panelists will explore awareness and the effects of stress, adversity, and trauma in their correctional settings. They explored topics such as presence of trauma symptoms and addiction, peer support, screening/assessment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder among justice-involved individuals and professionals.
Presenter Backgrounds: Officer Dareick Barr, US Capitol Police; Ashley Batten, Resident Juvenile Specialist, Shepherd Alum; Lajuan Curry, School Security Officer, D.G. Cooley Elementary, Berryville, VA, Shepherd Alum; Dr. Janay Gasparini, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Shepherd University; Eryn Mills, Licensed Counselor, Berkeley County Day Report Center, Shepherd Alum; Sergeant Keith Toomey, Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Law Enforcement at US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Thursday, October 28 | 5:00-8:30 p.m. | Keynote Address | Breakout Session A | Breakout Session B | Leadership Training Q&A
The leadership conference focused on building knowledge and resilience to overcome traumatic stress during the pandemic. The goal was to understand actions, behavioral response patterns, and systems that perpetuate discrimination or unintentional/intentional harm that leads to trauma. This DEI training addressed DEI leadership success strategies about civility principles, managing change, emotional capital, and self-assessment and reflection.
Core Competencies: Participants of this workshop learned how to engage inclusivity leadership via presentations that applied the following eight core diversity, equity, and inclusivity competencies:
- Positive social change
- Consciousness of self
- Consciousness of citizenship
- Common purpose
- Contend with civility
- Commitment
- Congruence
- Collaboration
Presenter: Dr. Allison Jackson
Competency: Consciousness of citizenship is responsible for individual connectedness to the interdependence of all involved in the leadership effort through effective democracy.
Description: This presentation explored the potential to encourage individual actions, progress, and growth potential beyond the norm using adaptive change models. Likewise, the outlook related to conversations across political divides and consciousness of citizenship was elevated as leaders learned to balance their strengths and vulnerabilities. Participants were also encouraged to identify accountability partners who encourage action, best behavior, positive relations, and sound, well-versed reactions.
Presenter Background: Dr. Allison Jackson works independently as the CEO of Integration Solutions, Inc. and as the CEO of Integrative Minds, Inc. She has focused her career on understanding trauma (Adverse Childhood Experiences). For 13 years, Dr. Sampson-Jackson worked for Providence Service Corporation. During her time with Providence, she moved from working with children and families as a mentor to the role of an in-home therapist, out-patient therapist, clinical supervisor, regional coordinator, Director of Continuing Education, Director of Evidence-Based Replication, Regional Vice President of Clinical Operations for the East Division, National Trauma-Informed Service Line Leader and National Vice President of Clinical Business Development and Healthcare Reform. In her final year with Providence, she co-led 17 National Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Teams through the National Council of Behavioral Healthcare’s Trauma-Informed Learning Collaborative.
Presenter: Hannah Badley
Competency: Contend with civility is an ability to recognize and value inevitable differences in viewpoints and to allow such differences to be expressed openly and with civility.
Description: This presentation offered a learning approach using a trauma-informed lens to examine the interplay between visceral (deep-rooted, unconscious, subjective, and automatic feelings) behavioral response patterns and paradigm shifts that occur when majority groups are exposed to systems of discrimination.
Presenter Background: Hannah Badley is a health coordinator at the Eastern Panhandle for the West Virginia Adolescent Health Initiative. Hannah graduated from Shepherd University with a B.A. in English in 2017 and will earn an M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis in December of 2021. Hannah is passionate about increasing health equity in her community and has consistently worked with a variety of non-profit and school-based organizations toward the goal of bringing more services, resources, and funding to the area. Hannah is a social justice leader in the Eastern Pan Handle and an advocate for trauma-informed education for youth and adults.
Presenter: Kelsey R.M. Bush, J.D.
Competency: Commitment demonstrates involvement and investment in activities, services, and collective efforts.
Description: Bush discussed identity maintenance and communication across diverse populations (specifically, how not to lose oneself through code-switching and the feelings of imposter syndrome).
Presenter Background: Kelsey R.M. Bush, J.D. is the Interim Chief Diversity Officer for St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with dual majors in Political Science and Sociology/Anthropology. Prior to his appointment as Chief Diversity Officer, Mr. Bush worked for St. Mary’s County Government. as the Local Management Board (LMB) and Youth Coordinator for St. Mary’s County in the Department of Aging and Human Services’ Division of Human Services for 20 years.
Presenter: Nadirah Mayweather
Competency: Congruence is the importance of thinking, feeling, and behaving with consistency, genuineness, authenticity, and honesty toward others.
Description: This presentation emphasized the utilization of macro-affirmation as a tool to help eradicate the usage and sting of microaggression. Participants were able to identify microaggressions and incorporate affirmations and other culturally responsive techniques into their leadership practice.
Presenter Background: Nadirah Mayweather, M.A.T., is the Director of the Cultural Center at Georgia College & State University. She earned a M.A.T. in Secondary Education English and a B.A. in Mass Communications at Georgia College. Mayweather works to increase cultural competency within the campus and local communities, provide support to historically marginalized and underrepresented student populations, expand access to resources, and encourage all to celebrate the rich diversity within and around them. Her higher ed experience is multifaceted, including areas such as diversity, academic advising, and student affairs. Mayweather is also a certified English language arts teacher who is passionate about spreading love and light and helping others become the best version of themselves.
Presenter: Dr. Jarvis M. Watson
Competency: Collaboration is interdependence through creative solutions to problems and goal achievement while trusting in and utilizing the diverse talents and perspectives of team members.
Description: In 2020, we experienced an unprecedented time of racial inequity and social injustice. Racial disparities, for the broader population, were illuminated for what already existed in historically underserved BIPOC communities within the contexts of healthcare, criminal justice, and access to technology. Within the context of higher education, BIPOC educators developed resilience toward the effects of the pandemic, the victims of police brutality, and addressing the needs of students adversely affected by Covid-19 (Kirkinis, et al., 2021; Kira, et al., 2020). This presentation not only addressed these issues but it also provided solutions to implementing strategies for health and well-being while serving in respective roles as BIPOC educators.
Presenter Background: Dr. Jarvis M. Watson serves as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He received a doctorate in Educational Administration, Leadership, and Technology from Dowling College in Oakdale earned a master’s degree in Counselor Education from Kean University in Union, NJ, and received a bachelor’s degree in English at Stony Brook University. Dr. Watson has provided access and awareness for college enrollment to historically marginalized populations and worked with local communities to build sustainable pathways to college. Dr. Watson co-hosts two podcasts: The Rejected Stone Podcast and Diversity in 3D.