Across the country, in MARC sites and elsewhere, the "aha" about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is happening in board rooms and break rooms as business leaders begin to see the relationship between adversity, trauma, resilience, and the workplace.
At
Vigor Alaska
, a shipyard in Ketchikan, each day begins with a "stretch and flex," as nearly 200 employees-from welders to data-entry specialists-take the "big breath break," a two-minute, deep-breathing respite that they are invited to use anytime they feel stressed.
Broetje Orchards
in Eastern Washington, with 6,000 acres of apple and cherry trees and 2,400 workers during high-volume harvest months, operates a community of affordable housing for employees called "Vista Hermosa" ("beautiful view"); it includes year-round staff to offer guidance for substance abuse, domestic violence and parenting issues.
And in Helena, the owner of two McDonald's franchises who wants to bring trauma-informed approaches to her managers recently invited leaders from
Elevate Montana
to conduct a four-hour ACE-and-resilience training.
