In honor of the closing of the school year and the beginning of the summer months, it feels appropriate to reflect on some of the learning we have been doing at Allies. Client services is wrapping up our the last of our six quality improvement classes with the JHF Collaborative. We have discussed observation, root cause analysis and mapping as just a few tools we can use to recognize and resolve problems in our systems and daily practices. Each staff member looked critically at an issue and applied the tools to solve it. We look forward to seeing how this changes our perspectives and approaches.

Quality improvement is not a widespread practice in direct service and helping professions, so we feel grateful that our clients will see the fruits of this unique application of quality improvement science to the work we do every day. Thank you, JHF, for offering this to the collaborative!

Allies staff has begun our journey with Creating Presence, a trauma-informed workplace system developed by Sandra Bloom. As client services staff have moved through the first phases of the training, Teams chats were often filled with screen shots endorsing the parts we liked the most, or emphasizing how we can use this training in our day to day work with clients and staff. The Training Advisory Committee met to discuss our thoughts and unanimously felt that this training will be very valuable.

In my own work, as I completed the lessons, I noticed an increased sensitivity to the experiences of others, and a slowing down to “tune in” and take care of myself and others before addressing tasks. It was a great reminder that we in the helping professions can benefit ourselves and others by slowing down and being truly present, addressing problems with care and attention, and being attuned to our needs and biases.

Finally, we look forward to sending case manager Nicole McCaffrey and client services manager Michael Latady to the US Conference on HIV/AIDS in September!

Summer is sure to fly by, and we will be in the next quarter of learning and growing, as individuals and as an agency. Thank you for growing with us.