https://www.thenewsguard.com/news/special-election-wahlke-wins-lincoln-city-mayoral-race/article
There’s one thing certain about my friend and colleague, Mayor Susan Walhke. She believes in a collaborative community, and knows how to build strong relationships. She also knows from her personal life and experience with early childhood education, the importance of “Trauma Informed Care.”
It is for these reasons Heidi Lambert and I met with Mayor Walhke at City Hall. We had much to discuss. The timing could not be better for Lincoln County and Lincoln City to have Mayor Walhke at the helm…
There is so much to do following the Pandemic and fires of this past year. The County has double duty providing services to the most vulnerable citizens, who suffer the most from trauma and PTSD.
Covid19 and devastating fires have taken a toll on our citizens, especially those who have economic hardships and challenging health care needs. Access to services, including affordable housing, is far worse than before Covid19 and tragic fires in North Lincoln County and Lincoln City.
I have been serving on Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO) statewide Steering Committee since the spring of 2020. Heidi Lambert, during this same period, became a certified trainer for Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO) www.traumainformedoregon.org. She was Lincoln/Tillamook Counties CASA’s new executive director during this stressful time as well.
We all know how critical it is to build more services through community based organizations (CBOs). Lincoln County and the many CBO partners, including Samaritan Health Services, Lincoln County Health and Human Services, and Sheriff’s Office, built a Trauma Informed Care (TIC) platform with the Stepping Up Initiative (SUI) (www.stepuptogether.org) starting back in 2016.
So what are we going to do next? With Mayor Walhke’s support, we will reconvene critical and essential Lincoln County and LBL TriCounty partners to build on the highly successful Stepping Up Initiative model.
The LBL region came together in 2016 with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, County HHS, Samaritan Health Services, CHANCE, Reconections Counseling, and other essential CBOs to launch Stepping Up Initiative. We will do it again even better, more robust, cost effective, and sustainable.
With Mayor Walhke’s support, and Heidi Lambert’s leadership, we will continue conversations to kickstart and fund TIC community training. Heidi is teaming up with me as TIOs TIC facilitator to build a TIC Training strategy with Lincoln City and Lincoln County.
This project, like SUI, is a community based organization CBO model, funded by public private philanthropic partners and other collaborators. We know how to do this, to be sure.
We know how to build a sustainable TIC community based business model. Lincoln County, as a rural coastal region, leads the nation and is recognized as a model County, in this important work.
Yes! As a community, we can do this. We know how, and we will. We can save our children if we do this. Let’s do it! We must do it!
I want to thank my friends and colleagues, Mayor Susan Walhke and Heidi Lambert, also Waldport City Councilor, for hanging out with me today. It was a fun and lively meeting, and quality bonding time. Most importantly, we have a few actions to kickstart our dreams to build a kinder and more loving community, especially for our kids, who deserve this from us. Would you agree?
We can do this! We’ll keep you in the loop…
and, Business Transformation Executive and Non-profit Boards Consultant…
Download my new book “Furry Loved Ones and Wildlife Friends Who Touch Our Hearts” on Kindle app to your device. Thank you for the kind reviews…
