One of the major impacts of providing trauma-informed training to thousands of individuals, as Lakeside has in the past 15 years, is the comradery that is established when people begin to share knowledge, language, resources, community relationships and common experiences. In our training of over 70,000 individuals from all walks of life, we have seen the richness and depth of wisdom that comes from those who have a common language and understanding about the impact of trauma.
As I mentioned in my last post, Lakeside has developed a virtual reality version of our Trauma 101 course which is a very popular introduction to trauma knowledge and understanding. Most individuals who take this course seek to know more about trauma and apply this knowledge to their own lives, their families and those within their sphere of influence.
There are so many possible discussions, resources, writings, questions and dialogue that can occur around this topic that would help those seeking to know more and connect to others who have that common language and understanding.
We also recognize that in our society, people use social media to connect. We have seen the emergence of social networks that have grown rapidly around many popular topics, from cooking to go-to-meet activities to all kinds of other interests. Those networks offer the opportunity for constant dialogue about their interests and activities.
So why not have trauma as an opportunity for a national social network? If individuals attain a basic knowledge of trauma as a springboard to help them understand their life adversities, there will be lots of opportunities for discussions and questions about further training, resources, and ways to cope with difficult life experiences. As our society continues to wrestle with a significant amount of mental health deficits, we feel this could be a useful way for individuals to connect with and gain support from like-minded people.
It is for that reason that a part of our next release will include the ability to join a trauma-informed social network. A condition of joining the network will be a requirement to take our Trauma 101 course, and upon completion a participant would be invited to join the social network. There, they will have access to resources, discussions, events and other support to gain insight and establish relationship with others who have shared experiences and a shared knowledgebase. We will be announcing this social network release in the next few weeks.
We believe that this social network will provide a national forum for trauma-informed individuals to have a place to continue their journey of healing and hope. It will be a unique environment where thousands of individuals will be able to share their life journey of coping with adversity with others while receiving training, support and resources to encourage resilience with quality therapeutic education.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
