Compassion to Action: The Latest in Trauma-informed Practice, Organizational Change, and Social Justice
Dear Reader,
As the days lengthen and nature bursts with new life, a powerful force awakens: compassion. Here at MindOpen Learning Strategies, compassion is not just one of our core values, but as a muscled action for building healthier and more just workplaces. Compassion isn't passive. It demands we recognize the struggles of others and actively work towards solutions.
In our learning and development programs, our skilled facilitators foster compassionate action, moving beyond empathy and into a space where understanding fuels positive change.
Here are a few of the ways we weave this vital skill into the fabric of our work:
Unmasking Biases: The "I Am" Exercise in our Fair Chance Forward program helps participants confront their own biases, dismantling invisible barriers to opportunity.
Building Bridges, Not Walls: In the Build to Bloom racial equity series, we break down complex jargon and politicized terms. This fosters understanding across divides, not perpetuating them.
Conflict Resolution Rooted in Empathy: De-escalation training utilizes conflict styles assessments to equip teams with a common language. This promotes self-awareness and deeper understanding when collaborating in crisis-driven systems.
Compassion fuels efforts to create equal opportunities and dismantle systems that privilege some lives over others. Together, let's strengthen the vital muscle of compassion and insist on real and lasting change, for ourselves, our workplaces, and for our interdependent world. In the immortal words of the artist Prince, “Compassion is an action word with no boundaries.”
COMING SOON: Keep an eye on your inbox for our NEW Learning Catalogue outlining our comprehensive curricula and service offerings! TODAY, scroll down for quick highlights where we’ve been, where we’re going, and resources for continued learning.
Have a response to anything in this newsletter, a challenge to share, or an idea for how we could work together? Let’s talk! https://calendly.com/elizabeth-speck/exploratoryconversation
Warmly,
Elizabeth Speck, Founder & Principal
MindOpen Impact
Trauma-informed De-escalation Community Conversation. Our May 20 public ofering was a success. With over 60 registrants and 83% logging on in real time (very high for a fee-optional virtual event!), the need for this topic is evident. Moderated by Elizabeth Speck, with panelists Helen "Skip" Skipper of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative, Frank Barretto of the NY Criminal Justice Agency (NYCJA), and Tarik Greene of The ReEntry Institute of America, this event centered the expertise of the Peer Movement in navigating conflict and power dynamics within historically oppressive systems.
Fair Chance Forward Systems Change. This Spring we celebrate the culmination of a year of interconnected efforts with Rockland County NY, including workforce development staff train-the-trainer, a Human Resources Peer Success Cohort, and justice-impacted job seeker workshops and coaching. We are excited about the next steps this community will take for economic prosperity! (ICYMI: did you see this article on a related partnership with Person Centered Care Services in Staten Island?)
Photo: Rockland Works staff tour The Reentry Institute of America housing.
Empowered Career Development for Emerging Change Agents.
Our dedicated Career Coaching Cadre supported another talented cohort of Tow Policy Advocacy Graduate Fellows at John Jay College/CUNY as they craft their careers, expand their spheres of influence, and prioritize wellness. It was wonderful to attend the 10th Anniversary Celebration and catch up with alumni as well!
Tow Policy Advocacy Fellows with staff and board members from the Institute for Justice and Opportunity and the Tow Foundation (GYW photography)
MindOpen Team News
Elizabeth Speck graduated with the 41st cohort of the 10K Small Businesses program at Laguardia Community College, joining an incredible network of entrepreneurs in all areas of business fueling economic growth in our communities.
Our HR Consultant Nadira Ramcharan, DBA, MBA - CEO of NRNY Consulting, LLC graduated with her Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) in Leadership. Her doctoral project's title is: Developing Effective Leadership Pipeline Strategies. To learn more about Nadira's project, you can connect with her on LinkedIn!
Hope Ghazala has moved on from Hope’s role as Learning Designer with MindOpen, joining the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives as Program Director. Hope has been an invaluable partner over the last year, enhancing the quality of our virtual offerings and strengthening a culture of care in our internal and external work. We look forward to our paths continuing to cross!
On the Conference Circuit
Jobs for the Future Horizons Conference, July 21-24: Elizabeth and Tarik will be at #JFFHorizons in DC presenting Fair Chance Employment: The Untapped Impact of Including Returning Citizens in Our Economy. Make sure to let us know if you’ll be there so we can connect!
North American Drama Therapy Association Eastern Region Conference, June 1: Elizabeth presented “Consultant as Container: Expanded Roles for Drama Therapists” at this first-ever convening, in collaboration with CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Learning Resources for Compassion
Lived Experience is “Hot.” But What Does It Really Mean?Tanmoy Goswami is the creator of Sanity by Tanmoy: Independent Mental Health Storytelling for Independent Minds. Here, as a self-identified journalist with lived experience, he digs into critical questions on the lines between livelihood, exploitation, and capitalism.
Geena Rocero’s iconic career spans Philipino transgender beauty pagents, mainstream U.S. modeling success at the expense of being her true self and, today, speaking out for the right of all LGBTQIA+ people to be safe and celebrated. Read or listen to her book, or catch her on a podcast!
Get to know the Academy for Global Education founded by Dr. Ife Akinsheye Damon, catalyzing the leadership of high school students as they develop solutions to the societal problems that matter most to them. Their Community Advocacy Project Expo is a powerful example of moving from compassion to action.
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