The SIU Medicine Center for Human and Organizational Potential has announced that Mary Dobbins, MD, and Chris McDowell, MD, will become the new co-directors of the cHOP Leadership and Excellence Pillar. They will begin their work on March 1, 2022. The new co-directors’ goals for the cHOP Pillar for Leadership and Excellence are to: Provide opportunities for professional development, personal growth and collaborative partnerships for all of those employed by the School of Medicine Facilitate the individual’s ability to develop, influence and implement a spectrum of constructive professional

Core Team Ginger Meyer - Project Director and trainer: Ginger Meyer, MSW, LCSW, CCTP has years of experience working with multi-disciplinary collaborations. She brings to the table a developed network of mental health providers and experience in bringing programs/resources together. She has spent over 20 years working in child welfare and the last 15 years working as a medical social worker providing psychosocial evaluations for children experiencing maltreatment. Her focus of study is now understanding how Adverse Childhood Experiences affect the rural populations in our rural delta region

Trauma Based Behavioral Health Fellowship Goal 1: Train advanced-standing graduate students in Social Work and Rehabilitation Counseling to recognize and demonstrate the key characteristics of trauma-informed clinical practice including awareness of trauma’s fundamental breach of social contract, safety considerations including physical, emotional and psychological boundaries for clients and client systems face to face and virtual; and demonstrate the ability to assess and address barriers to safety for clients across lifespan. Objective 1 a): Increase didactic knowledge through multimedia

Roger Fallot said it best, “A trauma-informed service system or organization is one that thoroughly incorporates, in all aspects of service delivery and in all staff, an understanding of the prevalence and impact of trauma and the complex paths to healing and recovery. Trauma-informed services are designed specifically to put “safety first” and to avoid re-traumatizing those who come seeking assistance.” I am honored and extremely humbled to be able to welcome you to the Trauma Based Behavioral Health Fellowship. This training program was designed to train master’s level students who have a

From caregivers to physicians, researchers to patients and everyone in between, there is an entire community dedicated to helping those with Alzheimer's and related disorders, committed to find ways to slow and stop the progression of the disease. Through Mind Matters, the quarterly newsletter of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment at SIU Medicine, we want to highlight the impactful stories and transformative work being done. We hope you find this newsletter enjoyable and informative. Thank you for reading and for your support!