Appalachian Promise Alliance receives Better Workplaces Tennessee silver recognition
ETSU Foundation Carillon
Appalachian Promise Alliance has become the first organization in Tennessee to receive statewide recognition through Better Workplaces Tennessee.
Appalachian Promise Alliance mobilizes communities to meet the basic needs of children, youth and families throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
The organization was recognized in a Silver Level certificate presentation on Tuesday, July 2, for its efforts toward becoming a more trauma-informed workplace through Better Workplaces Tennessee.
Better Workplaces Tennessee is a collaborative initiative between the Tennessee Department of Health and the ETSU Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute (SBI). It is dedicated to using trauma-informed care science to transform organizational cultures and create safer, more inclusive and empowering work environments.
According to the SBI, trauma can reveal itself in the workplace through higher absenteeism and tardiness, poor or inconsistent performance, high turnover and poor retention rates, and increased health care costs.
Pictured above during the Silver Level certificate presentation are (left-right) Benjamin Schoenberg, Eric Bluestein, Melissa Roberts, Dr. Wally Dixon, Lisa Favre Clark and Brandi Peters. (Photo credit: Jonathan M. Clark)
The Better Workplaces Tennessee recognition program provides tools and training to maximize improved productivity through:
- improved employee wellness and mental health;
- greater physical health resulting in fewer sick days and lower health care costs; and
- higher employee satisfaction resulting in lower turnover, improved team collaboration and communication, and better belongingness, confidence and problem-solving skills. The recognition program is free to qualifying Tennessee workplaces.
The recognition program emphasizes six guiding values of a trauma-informed workplace:
- psychological and physical safety,
- trust and transparency,
- collaboration,
- individual empowerment,
- peer support, and
- social and historical impacts.
Appalachian Promise Alliance chose to participate in the program to create a workplace environment that promotes employee satisfaction and belongingness through a sustainable commitment to trauma- and resilience-informed practices.
During its first year of the three-year, three-level recognition program, a team of employees and members of the Appalachian Promise Alliance board of directors, headed by Eric Bluestein, received trauma and resilience training. Team members also began to create a plan to address four key development areas: leading and communicating, hiring and orientation, establishing a safe environment, and reviewing policies and procedures.
“We are honored to be the first organization in Tennessee to achieve Silver recognition, as this was an immensely valuable learning experience for those on our team,” Bluestein said. “We have incorporated trauma-informed practices in our programs, but using those skills with mindfulness for our organization internally has been hugely beneficial in increasing the effectiveness of our team members in creating a supportive, positive and thriving workforce and community.
“We are eager to continue to work with the ETSU Strong BRAIN Institute and our amazing Navigator, Lisa Clark, as we move forward on our learning journey toward achieving Gold certification within the next year.”
Over the next year, the team will begin to implement this plan while working toward the Gold Level. It will reach Platinum after one year of sustaining the fully implemented plan.
To learn more about Better Workplaces Tennessee and participation in the recognition program, visit betterworkplacestn.org or contact the SBI at sbi@etsu.edu.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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