It was easy to be both inspired and a bit overwhelmed -- in a good way -- at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) forum hosted by Johnson City, TN, last week. 

Amazing work is being done in Johnson City, by scores of organizations that have come together under the leadership of Becky Haas of the Johnson City Police Department, and Dr. Andi Clements of East Tennessee State University. Just keeping track of the number of programs and imagining the amount of time, talent, and treasure going into this effort to help the area become a Trauma-Informed Care Community -- is overwhelming, in a good way.

Below are some of the Tweets, quotes, and takeaways from the day-long seminar, which featured more than 20 speakers, and was almost balletic in how beautifully one portion of the program flowed into the next; how each speaker's comments supported those of the prior speaker, and setting the stage for the next. 

"We all want to decrease crime. We want to see people who need health and human services get those services, and it's all interconnected. Leadership is very important -- to have a commitment and a passion for wanting to see your community survive."

" We have a lot of talented people sitting in our prison system. We have to look at ow we can prevent trauma."

Stephanie MCladdie, SAMSHA regional administrator for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 

"Include the voice of people you are serving, " said Joan Gillece, PhD, of the National Center for Trauma Informed Care, talking about the need to have peer support immediately available for people receiving Narcan, the drug given to revive and save people who have overdosed on opioids.

"To help people heal, and help prevent childhood trauma, "We must switch from control to comfort," said Dr. Gillece. Working with women prisoners, she said, "there was overwhelming trauma." Using a strengths-based approach, to see what people are doing right instead of what they are doing "wrong," and going to comforting people first, instead of trying to control them, is what works, according to Dr. Gillece.

"You don't have to be a therapist to be therapeutic," said Dr. Gillece, in talking about the importance of having trauma survivors support other trauma survivors. "We must see people as 'more than their trauma.'"

"Up to 75% of women in substance abuse treatment report trauma histories.  There is meaning in behavior," said Dr. Joan Gillece.

Oftentimes, "trauma survivors push people away rather than be vulnerable," according to Dr. Joan Gillece.

"Imprisonment has not reduced Tennessee's drug problems," said Becky Haas of the Johnson City Police Department.

Quoting SAMSHA research, Becky Haas added, "The number one reason for homelessness is trauma."

"Our towns are burning, and we must sound the alarm," said Becky Haas when speaking about trauma, the impact of trauma on drug abuse, homelessness, and gangs.

"If I knew I had the ability to prevent cancer, and I did nothing, I couldn't live with myself. Preventing trauma is the same thing. We can create a trauma-informed community that helps prevent trauma. Who will sound the alarm? " said Becky Haas.