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Healing from Hurricane Harvey: Devereux awarded contract to provide resilience training

The Devereux Center for Resilient Children (DCRC) was awarded a contract with the Texas Center for Child and Family Studies (The Center) to provide resilient leadership training following Hurricane Harvey. 

Under the contract, DCRC is conducting 10 resilience training sessions for child welfare leaders in southeast Texas communities impacted by the devastating August 2017 storm. 

The purpose of the training is to educate leaders on how to build “resilience” – the ability to recover from, or adjust easily to, misfortune or change – within themselves and their organizations, and develop ways to cope with “leadership fatigue” while dealing with a traumatic event, such as a hurricane. 

“We are excited to team up with The Center to provide valuable resilience training to child welfare leaders so they are better equipped and able to take care of themselves, their staff and, in turn, the youth they serve when facing a significant and traumatic event,” said DCRC Director Susan Damico. “The training sessions we have held, thus far, have proven successful and empowering to all involved, as we focus on building and nurturing adult resilience and resilient leadership.” 

DCRC helps leaders build resilience

As part of its ongoing work, DCRC has designed tools, such as the Devereux Adult Resilience Survey (DARS) and the Devereux Resilience Leadership Survey (DERLS), to help adults examine their resilience-related behaviors, and then use that information to develop strategies and ideas to strengthen their resilience. 

The DARS provides adults with insight into their personal strengths, while the DERLS helps those in leadership positions think about how to lead in resilient ways. 

DCRC is utilizing both tools during its resilience training sessions with The Center. In addition, DCRC trainers are providing child welfare leaders with critical information about trauma-informed care. 

“When a difficult or challenging situation arises, we want to ensure these leaders can handle it,” Damico explained. “We believe it is important that those who take part in our training sessions understand the significant impact that natural disasters and traumatic events can have on the resilience of adults, leaders and organizations.” 

Exhibiting resilience post-Harvey

Damico credits Devereux Texas Executive Director Pam Reed with connecting The Center with DCRC and its vast resiliency resources and knowledge. 

When Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Devereux Texas’ own resilience was put to the test. Rising floodwaters forced the evacuation of Devereux’s Victoria and League City campuses near Houston. 

“Throughout our programs and services, we teach our youth about resilience,” Reed shared. “When the hurricane hit, all of us – our staff, as well as the individuals we serve – were forced to rely on those coping skills. Everyone did an amazing job! I believe the resilience training DCRC offers is key to individuals, organizations and communities being able to bounce back quicker and emerge stronger.”  

Learn about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

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