July 31, 2025

Staff from the Center for Hunger-Free Communities (CHFC) brought their expertise in trauma-informed practices to the 2025 Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference held at Jefferson University. The annual event convenes professionals dedicated to advancing trauma-informed care and creating healing-centered systems.

Alie Huxta and Jenay Smith co-led a dynamic session titled Embedding Real Changes for a Healthy Workplace, focused on transforming organizational culture through trauma-informed approaches. The interactive workshop encouraged participants to move beyond “return to normal” thinking by exploring practical strategies to build healthier, more supportive work environments. Key discussion points included grounding techniques, promoting workplace mental health, and implementing both small and systemic changes that create lasting impact.

Natalie Shaak presented Building Trauma-Informed Policies: A Compassionate Approach to Organizational Guidelines, offering a framework for designing policies that prioritize care, safety, trust, and empowerment while maintaining accountability. The session provided actionable steps for organizations seeking to align internal practices with trauma-informed principles.

By sharing these tools and strategies, CHFC continues to lead efforts to embed trauma-informed care and healing-centered practices into organizational systems, ensuring workplaces and policies support resilience, equity, and well-being for staff and communities.