Our Programs
Helping professionals working with the public are often exposed to high levels of stress and vicarious trauma as they serve individuals and families that are suffering with poverty, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, incarceration, environmental degradation, etc. Much of that suffering is rooted in trauma. These professionals are often overwhelmed by the sheer numbers on their caseloads and by the high levels of stress/trauma the people they serve are experiencing. There are costs from this daily exposure to such stress, trauma and ongoing overwhelment. They often experience compassion fatigue and burnout and the impacts of toxic stress are taken home with them. This can be damaging to their physical health, their family relationships and lead to burnout and job migration out of the field or out of the rural Appalachian region altogether. We will provide ongoing trainings and support for our professional teachers, social workers counselors, law enforcement, corrections officers and fire/rescue personnel. This training has two goals: 1) Raising awareness of the effects of trauma on the people they serve and 2) Awareness of the effects of the vicarious trauma they are taking home in their bodies, minds, hearts and relationships. When the professionals in our major public service sectors are fully Trauma Informed they can more effectively care for themselves, their colleagues and the people they serve with deeper compassion, clarity and effectiveness.
Our Professional
Learning
Helping professionals working with the public are often exposed to high levels of stress and vicarious trauma as they serve individuals and families that are suffering with poverty, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, incarceration, environmental degradation, etc. Much of that suffering is rooted in trauma. These professionals are often overwhelmed by the sheer numbers on their caseloads and by the high levels of stress/trauma the people they serve are experiencing. There are costs from this daily exposure to such stress, trauma and ongoing overwhelment. They often experience compassion fatigue and burnout and the impacts of toxic stress are taken home with them. This can be damaging to their physical health, their family relationships and lead to burnout and job migration out of the field or out of the rural Appalachian region altogether. We will provide ongoing trainings and support for our professional teachers, social workers counselors, law enforcement, corrections officers and fire/rescue personnel. This training has two goals: 1) Raising awareness of the effects of trauma on the people they serve and 2) Awareness of the effects of the vicarious trauma they are taking home in their bodies, minds, hearts and relationships. When the professionals in our major public service sectors are fully Trauma Informed they can more effectively care for themselves, their colleagues and the people they serve with deeper compassion, clarity and effectiveness.
Our Retreats
Since 2010, Be Well Now founder Joe Klein has been teaching a graduate course at Radford University for students entering the helping professions as teachers, counselors, social workers and nurses. Over 200 professionals have been through this eight-week course in Mindfulness as Self Care for Helping Professionals with two dozen daylong and weekend retreats that Joe has led or co-led. He is now poised to carry this leadership forward with Be Well Now. Daylong, weekend and 5-day retreats will be provided for adult professionals, veterans and elders throughout central Appalachia. The relational mindfulness activities on these retreats help participants experience a sense of belonging and connection within themselves and empower them to co-create this experience for each other. They become aware of the importance of caring for the inner life and for the web of relationships with people, animals and all of creation around them. The personal transformation so many experience on these retreats can inspire them for spreading the well-being in their families, schools and community institutions we all share.
Our Trauma
Treatment
Joe Klein, LPC and Jed Duensing, MD are forming a talented team of trauma therapists to serve adult professionals, veterans and elders in our community. As we help adult professionals serving our community as teachers, law enforcement, fire/rescue, social workers/counselors, etc to recognize and address their own untreated stress/trauma they will become better able to recognize and work with the stress and trauma emanating from their peers and from the people they serve on a daily basis. Veterans and elders both have valuable skills and wisdom to offer our communities if their needs for healing are met. Veterans are committing suicide at staggering rates and elders are often isolated at home or in care facilities where many struggle with depression as they face life and aging challenges. In our trauma therapy programs we will be assisting individuals healing from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, addiction and other trauma issues through evidenced-based treatments such as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and medication assisted psychotherapy. Those struggling with treatment resistant depression, suicidal ideation, OCD and PTSD can now be treated with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). As more and more individuals in our communities are supported in returning to a sense of wholeness - becoming whole healthy people who are embedded in a sense of connection and belonging in the wider community, we will see a ripple effect in the overall wellness of the community. Be Well Now operates programs out of the Floyd Event Center. The programs we are developing can serve as a model for other communities throughout and beyond Appalachia.
