Unfortunately (or maybe I should say fortunately), I am at the age in which time seems to fly and a year seems like a week. Last March 14th, I was driving back from Asheville after attending the NC Marriage and Family Therapy Conference and, as the conference ended, there was an announcement that Governor Cooper just signed the Executive Order of Safe at Home.
As I drove home, I was in communication with our Directors to address our services, operations, staff safety, and client responsibilities. March 16, 2020 we were addressing our Contagious Disease policies and procedures and discussing how we were going to continue services while making certain we were not creating an environment for harm.
As I entered our office this past Monday, I was looking back at the year that was to be dominated by a once in a lifetime pandemic. I was thinking of how we accomplished to keep programming operational, vital, and meaningful to those we served and to our community. How did we manage to go a year without one staff member being diagnosed with COVID-19? How did we go a year without having to suspend services? How did we strengthen many of the programs that were already in place?
The simple answer was our staff. The dedication of those who have chosen to be part of the FSDC family and provide necessary services to those who need our programming to ensure safety, treat mental health disorders, and support families that have been impacted by trauma.
Staff made personal sacrifices to make certain they stayed healthy and did not expose those we served to a virus that was still unknown. We developed new policies and procedures so we could continue to serve those in need of a safe place to heal. Staff adhered to these changes and continued to educate themselves, so programming was not interrupted.
Looking back, I believe this showed our staff’s belief in and operating from trauma-informed principles. These standards that recognize everyone has value and how our clients are truly the expert about their own life. We stayed alert to their needs and the increase in depression, domestic violence, anxiety, and how this pandemic was triggering their trauma. We kept our focus while still looking over our shoulders to outrun this dangerous virus.
Pressure has the ability to expose character…our staff showed their unbelievable character as they faced a pandemic while they cared for others. Thank you FSDC staff!
With hope and belief in a better year,
Tim