If you are now (or want to be) part of “Building a Trauma-Informed Nation,” join a national conversation to spur action for two half-days September 29-30 (11:30 am-5:30 pm ET each day).  You have the option to attend a gathering at the Labor Department in Washington, DC or to organize your own local meeting as a conference “amplifier” site, bringing together different stakeholders from your community to do some strategic planning of your own.  Either way you will hear from great speakers focusing on the implementation of trauma-informed approaches in education, justice, health, and communities/congregations and have time in between for planning and discussion. This is the third national event of the Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma (an interagency collaboration).

A website will be set up soon with all the details on how the “amplifier sites” will work.  Basically, all presentations will be webcast to amplifier sites across the nation with interactivity—through a call-in number—between the amplifier sites and the main event in Washington, DC.  Local stakeholders will convene at any location with an internet connection (e.g., school, community center, government office, etc.) to participate in the interactive webcast and engage in the local dialogue and action planning. 

As explained by Mary Blake, co-chair of the Federal Partners Committee, amplifier sites can focus on one or more of the four topical area sessions (education, justice, health, and communities/congregations). After each topical area panel discussion and Q&A, Blake says “the host amplifier site organization or individual will lead a discussion on best practices to engage amplifier site participants to develop a strategic action plan specific to their work and setting. Amplifier sites will provide great opportunities to encourage discussion of community-specific strategies and to develop action plans (Strategic Action Plans) for a given area.  The sponsors of this event will provide amplifier site guidelines to assist in their action-planning discussions.”

To be informed when the site is up and running in the next few days, click on the link in the attached Save the Date document and RSVP.  There is no cost to participate in the Washington, DC meeting or in the amplifier sites.  Additional information will also be available on ACEs Connection (listed now on the calendar).

Conference speakers include Robin Delany-Shabazz, U.S. Department of Justice, Community and State Development; Gary Slutkin of Cure Violence; Nancy Hardt, MD; Father Jeff Puthoff; Tina Marie Hahn, MD; Naina Khanna of HIV Positive Women; and Barb Trader of TASH.

Geographic groups on the ACEs Connection Network should consider becoming an amplifier site. Since the number of amplifier sites is limited to 1,000 for the entire country, individuals are encouraged to meet with others in small groups to maximize overall participation in the event.  Since all sessions will be available by webcast after the event, planning sessions organized after the conference could utilize the recorded sessions and tools developed to facilitate the process.

(Here in NE Michigan, the members of our Trauma-Informed Community Action Group has organized as an Amplifier site -- Please consider getting folks in your trauma-informed regions together to become an amplifier site and spread the word about what we can all do!     

Here is the link where your group can get together and sign up as an amplifier site:   Let's get Michigan Trauma-Informed   http://www.agreeAdate.com/9483...0518D6D8725F3887C00A     Thanks Tina.)