Charity Reimagined's annual Training Day emphasizes connection, self-care

Helping others starts with understanding them and yourself.

Charity Reimagined held its sixth annual Training Day on Friday. Social workers, counselors, teachers and other professionals who regularly interact with people going through mental health and life struggles attended the training to better understand the needs of those they serve. Charity Reimagined calls these people who help others “front line warriors.”

“There are people from so many different nonprofits and organizations here who all invest their time in helping community members,” said Louisa Rogers, coordinator for the Center for New Directions at North Idaho College. “That can be with mental health needs, addiction recovery or staff at North Idaho College helping students get enrolled in classes.”

The first half of training was kicked off by clinical professional counselor Tyson Durbin, who taught the 110 people who registered how underlying needs, stress and life experiences shape the way people feel, think, connect and respond.

“How do we meet people where they're at and understand what their genuine needs are?” Durbin said. “It's about connecting with them emotionally, meeting their needs with resources, or recognizing the context of their situation.”

One analogy Durbin presented used the Pixar movie franchise "Inside Out," which explores the importance of having agency over your emotions as essential parts of the human experience.

“Oftentimes, we bypass the emotion and go straight to the solution or how to fix things,” Durbin said. “People shut down, or we're not necessarily wanting that help. We prefer validation and connection.”

Nariah Montgomery, a social work student at North Idaho College, thought Durbin’s presentation could be applicable to any life situation.

“The biggest thing was empowering other people and helping them make an informed decision on their own life,” Montgomery said. “This information is always helpful. Even if it's just pertaining to your own daily interactions, it doesn't even have to be professional.”

To effectively help others, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Lewis-Clark State College Tiffany Renner says you must be able to know how to help yourself. The social work field causes plenty of burnout, so it's important to practice self-care, she says.

“Most people ask, ‘What do I do for self-care?’ And my answer is, ‘What do you need to do for self-care?” Renner said. “I can't tell you how to do that part. This is where you do the part, look within and decide. You figure that part out, and then we put it into practice.”

Renner has been giving similar presentations and classes after experiencing the effects of burnout herself.

“I didn't want others to feel the way I felt,” Renner said. “I had to discover my own tools. I don't want them to have to scramble to find tools when they're already so busy.”

Brittany Selle, Charity Reimagined’s program development and pathways to prosperity facilitator, often interacts with people in crisis as part of her job as a social worker. Friday's training gave her new ways to manage cases.

“I work with single parents, many of whom are homeless or escaping domestic violence situations,” Selle said. “Now I have a more strategic way of managing that in a more trauma-informed capacity than I was able to before. The training was necessary to accomplish that.”

By investing in these “front line warriors,” Charity Reimagined hopes to strengthen support systems in the community.

“It’s an amazing room of people who love to give and help,” Rogers said. “The training today is to support them and their work.”

Maggie Lyons is director of Charity Reimagined, which works alongside nonprofits, civic groups, and ministries, including Press Christmas for All.

According to its website, "Charity Reimagined is dedicated to reversing the trajectory of chronic dependence created by one-way giving. We assist a growing movement in Kootenai County that is asking the question: 'How can we partner with those in need in a way that produces enduring, holistic transformation' Our goal is to see individuals and families flourish, not just receive one more hand-out."

    Tiffany Renner, Assistant Professor of Social Work from Lewis-Clark State College and Charity Reimagined Executive Director Maggie Lyons.