In our second MAX Academy focused on trauma-informed care – held in partnership with the Professional Excellence Program in the School of Social Work at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies – more than 25 workforce developers came together on June 28th to learn about how to serve with genuineness, respect, and empathy.
From engaging in focused listening to creating an empathy map, instructor Darrell Green reviewed what is meant by Adverse Community Environments and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and how these situations impact the way our clients see the world around them. Green then walked through practical ways to better connect with and serve customers who may be affected by one or more ACE. For example, he advised that our empathy begins with aiming to see the world the way our clients do by asking these simple questions:
- What does the client think and feel?
- What does the client hear?
- What does the client see?
- What does the client say and do?
Special thanks to Dr. Deidre Carmichael, Program Director, and Amy Mobley, Program Coordinator, with Georgia State University for their partnership in developing this MAX Academy. Special thanks to our partners at the Georgia Piedmont Technical College DeKalb Conference Center in Clarkston for hosting the program and to Silverspoon Cafe for catering the lunch.
ABOUT THE MAX ACADEMY
Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic competitiveness in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development.
The MAX Academy offers professional development and capacity building training workshops to help workforce development professionals develop new skills, learn best practices, and engage in peer-to-peer learning.