During the weeks of October 2nd and 9th, our perinatal program staff traveled the state to lead Regional Practice Sessions for our First Breath and My Baby & Me healthcare providers. What is a Regional Practice Session (RPS)? It’s a great way for us to check in with our program providers and share new education and tools with them to better serve their community and program participants.
The theme for this year was “Improving Resilience: Incorporating a Trauma-Informed Care Mindset into Perinatal Programming.” WWHF staff traveled to Madison, West Allis, Green Bay, Eau Claire, and Hayward to lead trainings and help our program providers increase their awareness of trauma’s impact on health, specifically the influence on tobacco and alcohol use among pregnant women, and the need for Trauma-Informed Care. Along the way, we were joined by some fabulous guest speakers (Robin Matthies, Trauma and Resilience Program Manager with the WI Department of Health Services, Angela Weideman, Health Director at Chippewa County Health Department, and Sarah Walder, Nurse Practitioner in the NICU at Aspirus Wausau Hospital) to help us identify ways to incorporate Trauma-Informed Care into First Breath and My Baby & Me implementation. The trainings also provided a skill-building component to help women increase their resilience.
