PROUD: Trauma-Informed Care Summer Webinar Series – Caring for the Whole Person 8/19/25

Direct care providers must tend to their own mental and emotional wellbeing, especially when providing Trauma-Informed Care.  Being trauma-informed is not a clinical intervention; it is an approach that wraps around the work of every single person in an agency.  It is the “how” of what you do. This presentation will demonstrate how to build safety and trustworthiness through role-play and discussion.  Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their professional needs and identify ways to focus kind, caring attention on themselves. 

Presenters: Alicia Davis, PCC, Partner and Executive Coach, Transformative Leadership Strategies; and Eileen M. Russo, MA, LADC, Trainer and Consultant

Alicia Davis, PCC, is a Professional Certified Coach, former CT Licensed Massage Therapist and owner/partner in the coaching firm Transformative Leadership Strategies. She brings over 30 years of leadership development experience in the fields of holistic healthcare, social services and behavioral health non-profits. She creates dynamic coaching and teambuilding experiences for leaders at all levels of an organization that address challenges such as organizational culture, team alignment, change management, communication and high stress. Alicia offers a unique Core Energy™ coaching approach to individuals, executives, teams and boards who are looking to achieve exceptional results.  

Eileen M. Russo, MA, is a licensed addiction counselor, a certified clinical supervisor, and an advanced certified alcohol and drug counselor (substance use and co-occurring disorders) who has worked in the addiction and mental health field for the past 39 years. Ms. Russo also holds credentials as a relapse prevention specialist and a compassion fatigue educator.  She has recently retired as Program Coordinator and Professor Emeritus for the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor program with Gateway Community College in New Haven, CT.  For 19 years, she has been a trainer/consultant with the CT Women’s Consortium, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, private agencies, and several states beyond Connecticut.  Ms. Russo has assisted over 40 agencies/programs with developing trauma-informed programs, including those that provide services for mental health and substance use disorders, employment, and criminal justice programs. Her training experience is extensive, including but not limited to the staff of private non-profits, corrections, domestic violence programs, and presentations at national conferences. 

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is hosting a six-part webinar series PROUD: Trauma-Informed Care during summer, 2025. This virtual education series includes live sessions, with access to recorded sessions open for a year, designed to meet the needs of professionals working with individuals and families impacted by substance use and mental health.  Parents Recovering from Opioid and Other Use Disorders (PROUD) is a SAMHSA-funded program of DMHAS.  

Continuing Education credits are approved. These sessions are designed for physicians, nurses, social workers, quality professionals, risk managers, healthcare executives, and all healthcare professionals working with patients impacted by substance use and mental health.