The Eye of the Survivor Storytelling Retreat: Your Hero’s Journey About Surviving Suicide – How to Tell Your Story Safely and Effectively

A full-day training on Monday, 2/24 from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (CST). The ticket includes all training materials.

At the heart of any community and culture change effort are the stories. We lack stories that stir fire in the belly and fuel our actions to make changes.

The basic narrative of a transformational story is this: “This is me. This is how my life and others like me have been systematically destroyed. This is how I see change is possible.”

Yes, the story needs to take us into the crisis. We need to understand the depths of pain in despair and the challenges experienced, but the majority of the story is about the overcoming of it. We are hardwired for storytelling - stories move our hearts and build community.

As part of a suicide prevention, addiction recovery, and mental health promotion strategy, stories let others know they are not alone and collectively, they can tell a powerful tale of hope, recovery, and change.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:

1. To articulate why should we consider sharing personal stories in our community’s efforts in mental health promotion, addiction recovery, and suicide prevention. 

   - For storyteller
   - For listener
   - For society

2. To reflect on whether storytellers are ready to share their stories

3. To identify effective story structure and practices 

4. To understand key aspects of safe and trauma-informed messaging

Description:

In a world where uncertainty is the new normal, leadership must start with self-awareness. While people are often cited as an organization's most valuable asset, the most critical asset may be a leader’s ability to protect themselves—emotionally and mentally—before they can effectively support their teams. This highly interactive session explores Positive Organizational Psychology, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and leadership wellbeing, particularly in the construction industry. Attendees will participate in the Bar-On EQ assessment during the workshop, providing personalized insights into the facets of EQ and practical strategies to apply these insights to foster both personal and team well-being.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in effective leadership.

2. Identify the key components of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) using insights from the Bar-On EQ assessment.

3. Apply Positive Organizational Psychology principles to enhance leader and team well-being.

4. Develop strategies for maintaining personal mental health and emotional resilience as a leader.

5. Utilize emotional intelligence to navigate uncertainty, support worker mental health, and build stronger, more adaptive teams.

*All proceeds from this workshop will be donated to the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

Description:

This workshop provides participants with skills for Peer Group Facilitation with a focus on mental health, personal and life challenges, addictions recovery and family or career challenges.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the four phases of a Peer Group Meeting (PGM)

2. Identify PGM opening and closing best practices

3. Name the core role and two functions of the Peer Group Facilitator

4. Identify two skills for group member engagement

5. Name the four dynamics of PGM

Description:

This training addresses the critical issue of substance use and misuse in the construction industry, where rates of overdose are alarmingly high. By exploring evidence based-research from NIH and SAMHSA, leaders will gain insights into the prevalence of these challenges. RFW for leaders also emphasizes the significance of employer involvement in supporting long-term recovery, framing substance use disorder as a disease and providing examples that draw parallels with other health-related issues like diabetes and cancer. Participants will leave equipped with knowledge and strategies to promote workplace supported recovery and well-being among employees in the construction industry.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding the Impact: Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of substance use and misuse in the construction industry, exploring key statistics and insights from reputable sources.  

2. Employer Involvement in Long-Term Recovery: Participants will learn about the critical role employers play in supporting long-term recovery, with a focus on embracing substance use disorder as a disease.  

3. Drawing Health Parallels: Participants will explore parallels between substance use disorder and other health-related issues, such as diabetes and cancer, to deepen their understanding of the nature of addiction. 

Description:

This workshop will explore the unique stressors within the construction industry and how those factors can increase the risk for toxic stress, burnout, and even suicide. It will explore the impact of Toxic Stress on the mind, body, and soul.

The workshop will then focus on two tiers of prevention and recovery. The first is the basic level of self-care, which includes healthy eating, exercise, and sleep hygiene. Participants will learn about the health benefits of self-care and practice creating a self-care plan.

The second tier, known as Soul Care, emphasizes the need for caring for the "who" we are. In this section of the workshop, participants will learn about Soul Exhaustion appraisals, which assist a person in understanding how their toxic stress may be impacting their deeper self, as well as creating a Soul Care plan that goes beyond the basics of self-care and dives into the need to pay attention to and care for our deeper self.

This course is aimed to apply both in the participant's personal life and in assisting others in these areas whether as a manager, human resources, or peer supporter. The participants will leave with a deeper understanding of Toxic Stress, Self-care, and a new perspective of thinking about ourselves and others on a "who" you are you level.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to define and explain Toxic Stress

2. Participants will be able to identify 5 factors unique to the construction industry that could cause Toxic Stress

3. Participants will be able to list 3 self-care actions

4. Participants will be able to explain Soul Exhaustion & Soul Care

5. Participants will be able to identify Soul Care actions

Description:

The VitalCog in Construction Train the Trainer is a program offered to the construction industry to assist in the training of employees at all levels of a construction organization. In the training, participants will learn to appreciate the critical need for suicide prevention while creating a forum for dialogue and critical thinking about mental health challenges, and by promoting help-seeking and help-giving behaviors. Our vision is to cultivate a construction community of employees who are aspiring to eliminate the devastating impact of suicide. By attending this training, participants will become certified as VitalCog trainers and be supported in the implementation and facilitation of the VitalCog in Construction training.

Learning Objectives:

1. Promote critical thinking about suicide prevention

2. Open dialogue about mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry

3. Increase the confidence of facilitators to deliver this training to others