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Risking Connection: Three Days to Deepen Understanding of Trauma-Informed Care

September 15, 2026
by Tanji L. Donald, M.Ed. posted in Whole-System Change

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The Traumatic Stress Institute offers a Risking Connection Basic three-day virtual trauma training three times per year, and the next opportunity is coming up on October 6-8, 2026. This training is designed to help professionals better understand trauma, recognize its impact, and strengthen the way they support clients and each other in their programs. While the training is the centerpiece of our Risking Connection Change Model, it can also stand on its own as a three-day learning experience, making it a practical option for a wide range of organizations that serve trauma survivors.

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Building a Culture of Safety to Transform Care

July 30, 2026
by Christine Greene posted in Whole-System Change

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Coming up on August 3rd at 1 p.m. ET, join an OPEN MINDS Circle for a one-hour live presentation withNicole Powasnick, Chief Nursing Officer ofRWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH)Behavioral Health Center and Vice President of Clinical Operations for the Behavioral Health Service Line at RWJBarnabas Health, andJohn Engel, Director of theTraumatic Stress Institute (TSI)ofKlingberg Family Centers.

They will share how their organizations partnered to implement theRisking Connection Change Model (RCCM) – an 18-to-24-month roadmap for total organizational transformation – across behavioral health units and emergency departments at eight RWJBH sites, including data to illustrate its impact. 

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From Learner to Leader: A Risking Connection Faculty Trainer's Journey

June 16, 2026
by Jodie Tingle-Willis posted in Whole-System Change, Mindfulness

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We think of abundance and joy when we think of Jodie Tingle-Willis, LCSW, owner of Supreme Peace Yoga and Wellness, and her journey says everything about the power of the Risking Connection® (RC) Change Model. She first encountered the Traumatic Stress Institute and RC as an employee at an RC client agency. Here is Jodie's story, in her own words:

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Charting the Future of TSI – Our 2026 to 2028 Strategic Plan

May 28, 2026
by Steve Brown, PsyD posted in Whole-System Change, Measurement & Research

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For the first time in our 20-year history, the Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI) engaged in a formal strategic planning process, resulting in a concrete strategic plan for the next two years.After 12 months of work, and under the wise guidance of Leading Culture Solutions, our entire team worked to identify specific strategic initiatives in 4 areas:

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Hospital-Based Behavioral Health: 7 Benefits of Trauma-Informed Care Training and System Change

May 7, 2026
by Steve Brown, PsyD posted in Crisis Response, Whole-System Change

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Hospital-based behavioral health departments work tirelessly everyday to keep communities healthy and safe. However, many healthcare systems experience symptoms that transform healing spaces into re-traumatizing environments for patients as well as leadership, physicians, and staff. Patients with complex needs, larger system pressures, changes in leadership, and staff turnover all can evoke fear and stress, resulting in punitive and non-relational interactions. This kind of climate unwittingly replicates the abusive dynamics patients and staff may have experienced in their own lives, leading to poor outcomes.  

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What Does it Really Take to Sustain Trauma-Informed Care in Healthcare?

April 27, 2026
by Christine Greene posted in Whole-System Change, Measurement & Research

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We were recently introduced to Laneita Williamson, founder of 18 Cairns Consulting, who led a system-wide implementation at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, a North Carolina health system. Her recent research article reinforces something we see every day: lasting impact requires more than training; it requires systems change.

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TSI Staff Retreat Learning Session: Loretta J. Ross on Creating a "Calling In" Culture

March 5, 2026
by Christine Greene posted in Whole-System Change, Mindfulness

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The Traumatic Stress Institute gathers twice a year for staff retreat. The retreats last a few days and give us the space to step back from daily demands and reconnect as a team. These retreats are a time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, clarify our direction, and explore new ideas that will shape our work moving forward.

Our most recent retreat was online in January (see picture) and included a phenomenal learning session co-led by Tanji L. Donald, M.Ed., Program Coordinator, and Samm Winebrenner, Operations Coordinator. 

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Enduring Impact: What Our Community Is Saying About Risking Connection

February 20, 2026
by Christine Greene posted in Whole-System Change

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Over the past year as we've celebrated Risking Connection's 25th anniversary, we’ve also been sharing something special on our LinkedIn page: the voices of our community.

Through testimonials from trainers, clinicians, educators, and leaders, one theme has emerged again and again – the enduring impact of Risking Connection (RC).

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Healing Relationships - Hope is the Foundation

November 12, 2025
by Patricia D. Wilcox, LCSW posted in Whole-System Change

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In honor of 25 years of Risking Connection®, this series explores the heart of the Risking Connection Change Model: R.I.C.H. relationships – those that exemplify Respect, Information, Connection, and Hope – and the real challenges of living them out. These are the areas where we struggle, stumble, and sometimes become less than helpful to our clients and each other. 

In the final post of this series we turn to Hope.

Hope is the foundation on which all the other qualities rest. In the dictionary hope is defined as: “to cherish a desire with anticipation;” “to desire with expectation of obtainment;” and “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” A RICH relationship in itself creates hope, independently of the external reality.

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Healing Relationships - Connection

November 11, 2025
by Patricia D. Wilcox, LCSW posted in Whole-System Change

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In honor of 25 years of Risking Connection®, this series explores the heart of the Risking Connection Change Model: R.I.C.H. relationships – those that exemplify Respect, Information, Connection, and Hope – and the real challenges of living them out. Join LaVerne Baker Hotep and Patricia Wilcox, LCSW, on November 12th to learn more about how R.I.C.H. relationships are healing relationships.
Now we turn to Connection.

Connection is the central concept in a trauma-informed approach. People heal within relationships. Our programs should offer our clients R.I.C.H. relationships and train staff how to utilize these relationships for the most powerful healing.

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