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This semester I have had the opportunity of working with the Walla Walla Community Change Team, which focuses on using trauma-informed care in recovery-oriented spaces. Trauma-informed care refers to care that provides support by understanding the ways that trauma impacts an individual’s health, ability, and interactions. This is a key principle in providing accessible care for others, particularly those who are vulnerable. The Community Change Team focuses on treating substance abuse by understanding the complex life experiences that impact the way individuals cope with trauma.

Part of my job with the Community Change Team has been to help foster community events that spread awareness surrounding trauma-informed care and resilience in recovery. This semester I have been working on two different events, both focusing on showcasing resilience through the arts. The first, Together 26, was hosted here at Whitman in the Reid Ballroom on January 23. Together 26 showcases both spoken and written-word art as well as physical works of art that highlight aspects of resilience. In putting on this event, the Community Change Team and I reached out to artists who were interested in creating works to be shown at this event. 

During fall semester, I also worked on putting together an event with Lincoln High School, an alternative school in Walla Walla, called High Schools for Change. This event focuses on resilience education in a way that is accessible and understandable for high school students. During this event, high school students will spend a month working on putting together a spoken word performance that demonstrates an aspect of resilience that they are able to relate to, such as overcoming a family struggle. 

Getting to work on these two events and with the Community Change Team has exposed me to a new world. Before this experience, I had always been extremely passionate about recovery, but working with the Community Change Team has allowed me to gain valuable experience in the  arts, and I have developed a new appreciation for artists and their work. This work has been an extremely personal experience for me as my life has been greatly impacted by substance abuse. This opportunity  has allowed me to feel that I am truly making a difference in people’s lives and helping to make Walla Walla and surrounding communities a safer and healthier place.