Resiliency Within

Gloria Simoneaux is the founder of Harambee Arts and two time Fulbright Scholar. She will share the work she has done with children all over the world to promote their wellbeing through the expressive arts and through community building. Harambee Arts promotes the well-being of children living in poverty who are often homeless, orphaned, abused and neglected. The show will discuss how her programs enhance the stability of the children's families and support systems. She will share how children can develop their sense of self-worth and positive personal ethics by creating opportunities for children to reach out to other children. Her current work in Dominica, Nairobi, and Nepal will be highlighted and she will share the wisdom of how she cultivates hope even in the aftermath of the most unspeakable traumas. Gloria will elaborate upon the philosophy of Harambee Arts methodology and how all children of all abilities and accomplishments are valued. She believes in joining with the child in their world, rather than following rigid agendas sometimes created by adults. She will help us understand how her current project evolved into a series of coloring books, You are the Star of this Story and I Can't Forget. Both books are designed by and for children that addresses using expressive arts as an avenue for growth and self-regulation in the wake of trauma and natural disaster.

Drs. Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe-Ward will address how we are all as a world community are impacted by Racism and how we can heal from the traumas that arise from Racism. Dr. Ward’s book, America’s Racial Karma published in September 2020 addresses how America can begin to heal. They have been teaching and practicing with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered throughout the world for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. They received the lamp (teacher transmission) from him at Plum Village in 2001. They co-authored Love’s Garden and this book was featured in The Best Buddhist Writing of 2009. Peggy and Larry work with CEOs of Fortune 500 programs to integrate cultural diversity, corporate change and transformation. They will also address the Wisdom School they have created to bring healing to our global community.

Children can be caught in the crossfire of parental disagreements with school's deciding to mask or not to require masks. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress, fear, and anxiety for many children. Many family members have reported increased challenges with their children's' behavior, including anxiety and acting out2. Making the transition from home to school will be harder for children with developmental, behavioral, or emotional challenges. Ryan Etheridge will describe how his school district has prepared the staff and teachers for helping children transition from home to school.

Gratitude, Happiness, Empathy, Kindness and Courage can be cultivated when faced when the unspeakable heartache and tragedy of the human experience. These themes are the essence of Joy Miller's gifts. She has asked world leaders from a bouquet of backgrounds to bring forth their wisdom on how to get through our current tumultuous times by asking them to reach into their hearts and share how they have built wellbeing and resiliency during their worst of times. She will focus on personal empowerment and strategies to enhance resiliency as she elaborates upon her Resiliency Forum. "Resiliency 2021" brings together participants from 94 countries around the globe: celebrities, global influencers, as well as over 5000 participants. Join us and join her on our unified global journey.

As children are returning to school, many parents and children are experiencing anxiety. The anxiety may be sparked as parents leave their children in the care of others with a nagging worry about Covid-19 and whether it can spread throughout a school. Parents who believe in vaccinating may be worried about children who live with non-vaccinated parents and how that could impact their children's health. Some parents may experience panic attacks and increased irritability. With the recent spread of the Delta variant, parents may feel more uncertain of whether to send their children back to school or not. In addition, parents want to know about school protocols for safety and connection. Some parents who don't believe in masks or vaccines may wonder how their views will be accepted by the school and other parents. Parents are also concerned about how schools are going to be addressing the loss of learning that may have happened during school closures. Therapists Susan Reedy and Inez Tiger will discuss how parents can cultivate their well-being and reduce their anxiety and help their children as they return to school. They bring rich experiences of being school counselors. They will share their knowledge about how to help parents navigate this journey along with their children.

Dr. Randall Bell will discuss his book, Post-Traumatic Thriving, the Art, Science and Stories of Resilience. Today we see crime, abuse, alcoholism, drugs, anger, and anxiety everywhere. Jails and prisons are crammed on an industrial scale. Recovery centers are packed with patients. Extreme political and religious groups regularly trap more members. Too many schools are simply factories for dropouts. All of this is the result of unresolved trauma. Ultimately, the quality of our lives depends on our ability to successfully process our heartbreaks and catastrophes. By college age, 66% to 85% of all people have been impacted by at least one traumatic experience. COVID has arguably traumatized everyone. In Post-Traumatic Thriving, Dr. Bell follows the journey from the depths of the initial shock to the pinnacle of ultimate healing and growth. Dr. Bell will discuss his new book. He will share some of the poignant stories of people he has met on his journey and interweave advanced science with the stories of people who have not just survived but used their trauma as the fuel to thrive.

Fires are devastating to communities and to the children, teens and adults grappling to survive and to recover. During the last week in Western United States, over 22,000 firefighters were combating wildfires, homes burned, and thousands of residents fled from the fast-moving flames. The Dixie Fire in Northern California and the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon are being further sparked by very dry conditions and what climate change scientists say from climate change. The stark reality is we cannot expect the wildfire threat to ease any time soon. The harsh reality is the nation will continue to see more intense wildfires stated Oregon Gov. Kate Brown last week. We can learn from communities like Butte County's Paradise, California destroyed by the Camp Fire in 2018. Many people lost their lives. The community of Butte County gathered during and after this tragedy to rebuild. Scott Dinits, my guest works as the Human Resources Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley and is also a Co-Director of the Ability First Sports Camp in Butte County. He is a Steering Committee member of Thrive. Thrive exists to support and expand community wide policies and practices that promote resiliency and address the impact of childhood trauma across all generations. Scott will address the impact on children and families caused by the fires and how through working with programs promoting wellness, healing can occur. He is certified in the Community Resiliency Model and as an ACE Interface Master Trainer.

Meet Me At the Shore: Tracking the Tide of Posttraumatic Growth After Human Trafficking and Trauma K Thomas, a trained trauma therapist and a survivor of sexual and relationship violence. K will weave their personal and professional journey through the challenges of healing, finding appropriate care, and the constant ebb and flow of posttraumatic growth. Working with North County Lifeline's Project LIFE, K has provided trauma therapy, reprocessing, case management, and emergency response to survivors of sex and labor trafficking and exploitation. K will share personal and professional experiences of posttraumatic growth and experiences of their work with survivors of human trafficking and exploitation and practical tips of how to meet clients at the shore of resiliency. Survivors of human trafficking and exploitation are no stranger to the reality that healing from trauma is a lifelong process. Many survivors of human trafficking have experienced severe psychology, financial, physical, and sexual violence with long lasting mental, physical, legal, and financial impacts. Some folks might even ask if it's possible to heal from so much trauma. If you are working to overcome your own traumas or working in the mental health field, you've probably heard the phrase "Healing isn't linear." Just like nature itself, we move through seasons of growth, death, expansion, and contraction in our healing journeys. We often become discouraged by setbacks, triggers, and obstacles to obtain care. We become overwhelmed by the dance floor of trauma, caught up in the constant movement, high energy, and lack of center. But what if stepped off the dance floor and onto the balcony? What if we viewed our journey as constant exploration of self instead of a task to complete?

How do we fund innovative reforms to make mental health services that are trauma-informed and resiliency-focused more accessible? Two leaders in the field, Carey Smith Sipp and Jesse Kohler, advocates for reform in communities and in our legislature, will share their views and the importance of community members working together and using their voice to create change. They will help us understand the American Rescue Plan Act, three new pieces of legislation that can help our communities organize and fund mental health practices fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion. They will discuss how accessing the funds of the American Rescue Act Plan can help in protecting our most precious resources, our children, the children to come, and our earth. Carey and Jesse will also share about themselves and what inspired them to be invested in this work. Carey Smith Sipp is a community facilitator for PACEs Connection from PACEs, a social network that supports communities to accelerate the global positive & adverse childhood experiences (PACEs) movement in shaping adult behavior and health. Jesse Kohler is the Executive Director from the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP), an organization committed to inform and advocate for public policies and programs at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels that incorporate scientific findings regarding the relationship between trauma and related social and health challenges across the lifespan

Drs. Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe-Ward will address how we are all as a world community are impacted by Racism and how we can heal from the traumas that arise from Racism. Dr. Ward's book, America's Racial Karma published in September 2020 addresses how America can begin to heal. They have been teaching and practicing with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered throughout the world for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. They received the lamp (teacher transmission) from him at Plum Village in 2001. They co-authored Love's Garden and this book was featured in The Best Buddhist Writing of 2009. Peggy and Larry work with CEOs of Fortune 500 programs to integrate cultural diversity, corporate change and transformation. They will also address the Wisdom School they have created to bring healing to our global community.