All department leaders and managers were invited to attend a peer support and communication training led by Jake Van Epps PhD with the Resiliency Center. Thirty-six of our leaders attended these sessions, learning skills in recognizing signs of stress and burnout, effective listening, and available resources.
Christy Porucznik PhD MSPH stated, “One of the best aspects of this training was that Jake said the quiet parts out loud. We talked about things that ‘everybody should know’ but maybe haven’t learned.”
This initiative is in response to team-informed recommendations developed over the last year in the Listen Sort Empower process, led by the Wellness Committee and EDI leaders, that identified a need for improved communication skills and psychological safety.
“I appreciated the opportunity to attend the Tier 1 Peer Support Training. I particularly enjoyed learning about the stress continuum model which defines stress levels and provides actionable steps to take based on the various levels of stress,” said Leigh Elrod PA-C, MPAS, DPAS.
Dr. Van Epps will also provide a series of brief foundational training sessions in effective communication and listening skills at upcoming faculty and staff sessions.
