Advocacy Network on Disabilities Completes Trauma Initiative Cohort #9

The Advocacy Network on Disabilities is proud to announce the completion of its 18-month participation in the Children’s Services Council Trauma Initiative Cohort #9.

During this initiative, our team looked at new ways to better support our staff and the individuals and families we serve. Our goal was to become a more trauma-informed organization. This means we understand that many people have experienced difficult or stressful events. We work to respond with kindness, respect, and support so people feel safe, valued, and heard.

From February 2025 through June 2026, we worked together to create a safer and more welcoming environment across our organization. This work reflects our ongoing commitment to providing compassionate and inclusive services.

As part of the initiative, we made several important changes. We expanded bereavement leave for staff, improved lighting in our offices, updated policies and internal materials, redesigned consent forms to make them easier to understand, and created a Calm Corner where staff and visitors can take a quiet break when needed.

These changes were only part of our progress. Our team also learned more about how trauma affects people and how to bring more care and understanding into everyday interactions. This helped create a workplace where staff feel supported and where the people we serve feel respected, listened to, and empowered.

Along the way, we learned that even small changes can make a big difference. We also saw how important strong leadership, staff involvement, and ongoing learning are to building a trauma-informed organization.

We will continue this work by reviewing our policies, providing staff training, supporting wellness programs, and asking for feedback to help us improve. We are also planning to create a Trauma-Informed Care Committee to help guide these efforts in the future.

We are thankful to the Children’s Services Council, our leadership team, and our dedicated staff for their support throughout this journey. Together, we are building a stronger, more supportive community for everyone we serve.