Who’s Helping the Helpers?

New Year Brings Unique New Support for Mesa County’s Intervention Professionals: RESILIENCE 2018 …Throughout our community, countless professionals deal with trauma every day – in law enforcement, social work, counseling, first response, health/medicine, education, animal welfare and many other fields. While these dedicated people navigate vicarious trauma and fatigue, they often suffer in silence, which leads to burnout and resignation. How do we help them proactively? How do we help our vital organizations keep and support their best staff?

With a grant from our Western Colorado Community Foundation, a unique, year-round RESILIENCE program is beginning here in February 2018. Monthly sessions will be facilitated by licensed professional counselors from the Counseling & Education Center (CEC) and the Western Slope Center for Children (The Center). Other partner agencies in this collaborative program include   Mesa County Public Health, Hilltop Community Resources, Roice-Hurst Humane Society and the Grand Junction Police Department.

Participants will develop personal and professional skills to build resiliency, increase work satisfaction and prevent helper fatigue. Managers will identify key staff to participate in these monthly sessions throughout 2018.

RESILIENCE sessions will be held on the third Friday of each month, from 1-4 pm at The Center, 2350 G Road.  Cost for the year is only $40/person, to cover the price of the participant manual.

As CEC’s Executive Director Christian Mueller noted, “Resiliency skill development starts with agency leadership providing the scaffolding of support to every employee, particularly in vocations where vicarious trauma is a daily occurrence.”

Staff can be registered by going to Eventbrite.com and typing RESILIENCE 2018 in the search bar – or by calling CEC at 970-243-9539. A crucial Leadership Orientation Breakfast will be held on Friday, January 26, 2018 from 8-10 am at The Center, 2350 G Road, Grand Junction.

For questions or more details, contact Christian or Nancy at the Counseling & Education Center: 970-243-9539. RESILIENCE staff and partner agencies are available for media interviews regarding this new program.