Engagement and Facilitating Recovery Training

In order to achieve our mission of holistic care, New Vitae Wellness and Recovery believes it is highly important to assist residents with social engagement.  While each resident is different, some service participants elect to avoid social interactions due to a history of trauma, significant symptoms, or a pattern of long-term conflict with others.  In order to better support our staff, Dr. Thomas Haworth provided a corporate-wide training on June 8th to discuss these challenges and provide ideas on increasing residents' social engagement.

Dr. Haworth initiated the conversation with a review of Beck's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, discussing the interconnection of thoughts, emotions, and behavior.  Haworth engaged the audience with examples of past experiences influencing current thinking about one's self, others, and the world, stressing that behavioral health symptoms can further interrupt social interactions.  Haworth urged the assembly to start slowly, giving residents an opportunity to practice non-threatening social interactions with others.  Haworth highlighted the possibilities associated with knowing and emphasizing personal strengths and interests.  He asked training participants to practice this style of engagement with each other, reminding everyone that praise can increase residents' motivation for change.  Haworth emphasized the need to embrace hope, persistence, and resiliency to facilitate the wellness of residents.

Overall, the discussion resulted in identifying basic ways to encourage residents' social engagement.  All of the training participants were pleased to leave the session with real-world, specific ways to assist residents with achieving socialization goals.  New Vitae Wellness and Recovery wishes to offer special thanks to Dr. Haworth for the great training!