The Jewish Federations’ Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care (the Center) trained 165 participants from across the country last week on promising practices and actionable strategies to elevate the quality of care for all older adults with a history of trauma, including Holocaust survivors, and their family caregivers through person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care. 
 

Compassion in Action, the two-day training workshop in Washington, DC, included a discussion on trauma in the workforce; a demonstration of how to provide PCTI care to older adults with dementia; a discussion on the statistical impact of the Center on aging services; and a frank conversation with older adults from different backgrounds about their experiences as family caregivers.
 

"Building Resilient Workplaces: PCTI Strategies for Organizational Change" featuring Katharine Manning, author; Mohini Mishra, Selfhelp Community Services; and Susan Green, Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care at University of Buffalo School of Social Work. Moderated by Jean Hartnett of Radical Sabbatical (not pictured)

 

“Holocaust survivors are our teachers, and we are proud of our progress in making the person-centered, trauma-informed care model we learned from survivors into a universal standard for aging services,” said Shelley Rood Wernick, who leads Jewish Federations’ Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care.
 

The conference was shaped by a volunteer educational advisory committee and had a competitive RFP process for the breakout sessions, which resulted in 18 thoughtfully constructed sessions.  

Three featured speakers from the Administration for Community Living/HHS presented at the workshop, including Kari Benson, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, who expressed her enthusiasm for the PCTI approach to care as well as her appreciation for Jewish Federations leading the way. 
 

"It was special for us to be together in person and to see the full and engaged participation of so many NJHSA member agency professionals” said Reuben Rotman, President & CEO, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies.

Attendees were offered social work continuing education credits (CEUs) for their participation.

Participants shared that the workshop was rich with content and provided them with actionable strategies to elevate the quality of care for all older adults with a history of trauma.

“Seeing the evolution of not only the projects but the overall value and impact of PCTI across so many different places and communities is tremendous,” said Deborah Victoria Rokhsar Rosen, Community Program Coordinator with the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey. “It was an inspiring two days.”