Hello Friends, 

This week’s newsletter is a few short updates & stories, an ask, and a fun invitation! 

Update: These past several weeks, I’ve been doing speaking engagements all over my home state of Oregon and beyond. By the way, if you want to know more about having me come and speak at your organization – check out my website. I love in-person training, it truly fills my heart.

Update: Over the next year, we’re crafting the podcast to reflect different systems that children and families are in and having conversations about how to help them thrive and become more resilient. Let me give you a sneak peek into the next few months: September is a natural time to discuss education and connection with kids. So, I have incredible guests starting with a mother/daughter teaching dynamo and then a heartwarming conversation with kindergartners and first graders about what it means to love school and feel safe there. Later in September, I get to chat with my friend, Emily Daniels of the Regulated Classroom so we can learn tips on how to help kids feel regulated and safe at school. Hint: It starts with teachers being regulated and modeling regulation for themselves. October, we’ll move on to talking about kids who are sometimes hard to connect with; so, no matter your profession, you’ll want to listen in so you can create those meaningful connections and understand what complex behaviors are telling you. November will be here in a snap and we’ll talk about what to do when we have unhealthy connections – just in time for the holidays and in December, we’ll highlight how we connect with what really matters and discuss themes like religion, healthcare and how connection helps us live longer. 

Story: 

Last week, in Hermiston, Oregon, I had the privilege of speaking with their entire organization from two different Head Start sites. There were early education professionals from all over eastern Oregon. Filling up their cups is vitally important before we begin to solve difficult problems and before they move into a new school, fresh with promise and excitement, but also overwhelmed. As I was talking with this amazing group, we were engaging in the exercise, finding your “why.” In last week’s podcast, I tell the story of my why, so go back and check it out if you haven’t heard it. Everyone from this Head Start Site including administrators and directors, teachers, home visitors, nurses, mental health consultants, cooks & nutrition teams, transportation, and parent educators were present. As we were talking about their “why,” I shy man raised his hand with hesitation. He said, “I’m a cook. I love preparing meals for these kids. I know for some of them, it’s the most nutritious meal they get in a day.” A huge round of applause erupted in response to his comment and he smiled and sat up a bit straighter. I said, “You’re all so important! Who else haven’t we heard from?” And another woman raised her hand and said, “I guess my job is important. I’m a bus driver. I drive 40 children to school every day and make sure they get home safely. Without me, they wouldn’t experience school. Sometimes, I’m the first smile they see in the morning and the last hug they get at the end of their day.” I said, “Let’s hear it for the bus drivers!!” Later, several teachers joked with her that they’re so grateful for her, because driving the kids home safely also means they get to be done with their day, which can be quite stressful! 

I absolutely love hearing and getting to facilitate these stories. There are so many points of critical connection for kids and families. From healthcare to education to families – every system a child in needs to be tended to, recognized and supported for their unique contribution to creating resilient children. 

Ask: There’s no better community to ask than my own, to invite one of you to help me find a consultant for my business. I’m looking for a Spanish-speaking, bi-lingual educator or mental health professional to join my team and begin leading ConnectEd Collabs with me! If that’s you or you know someone, have them reach out to us!

Invitation: I’m going to extend an invitation to join us on an exciting endeavor in our business! 

In addition to the Connected Collabs that I mentioned last week – learning collaboratives for professionals who want to build resilience at every encounter and be in community with other like-minded professionals – I provide a certification training program on my signature program, Cards for Connection. Cards for Connection are resilience-building interventions for primary care clinicians and educators that teach you efficacious tools to enhance early relational health and social emotional health. They are short, actionable tools that bridge the gap you desperately need right now – the gap between what to do when you see trauma or adversity and the greater need for specialty mental health. 

So, special announcement, the Cards for Connection live training will be offered monthly, and in person, through 2024 and will also be available at a learn-at-you-own pace digital product online! Yep! Come one, come all, and learn these tools that have been transforming how pediatricians, early educators, and primary care physicians are doing their work!! I can’t wait to share more! If you’re a stakeholder at an organization who wants to learn more about these trainings, reach out to my team to be sure you’re on our VIP list for our September Soiree! It’s going to be a fun time to learn about how we can better connect with children, families and enhance relational health while responding to stress and trauma. It’s transformative! Reach out to us to save your seat!

I’m inviting you in! If you’re a professional who works in the lives of children and families, join us as we create connected champions in the lives of children – it really IS the MOST important medicine.