Academy partners, 

I hope this quarter’s newsletter finds you doing well. Our organization is preparing to celebrate our 25th anniversary and we have been reflecting on the impact of our work. For a quarter of a century we have provided learning experiences that transform the heart, mind and practice for the purpose of revolutionizing the way people work to ensure the world is a healthier place. It has a been a pleasure to be on this journey with you and we look forward to what is ahead. 

A revision of the Safety Organized Practice (SOP) series is underway. Our partners at Evident Change developed the modules years ago and helped to guide the early implementation of this framework in our region. Our Academy has delivered the series and/or built capacity in most of our counties for the past several years. Upgrades have been made to the content throughout that timeframe but we have not pursued a full revision. Given that many of our Southern region staff and leaders have been trained and regularly utilize the SOP framework and tools and as so many large scale changes have occurred in our field, it is important that we review and revise the content. Our team will be developing five full day trainings that will be delivered over four months. They will cover the key components of SOP including: developing good working relationships, use of critical thinking and decision support tools, and creation of detailed plans for enhancing safety to children. We will be integrating the California Core Practice Model, Family First Prevention Services Act, and anti-racism, equity and inclusion into the content. Coaching in between each module will continue to play a major role in supporting the practice of skills and transfer of learning. We hope that the revised series will be useful in our region’s continued implementation and use of SOP. 

We are scheduled to resume in-person services on Jan 10. Our team continues to plan with our county partners what in-person training, coaching and simulation will look like. We will have the procedures ready for review in the coming weeks. We know that this is a big change after being virtual for some time so we welcome your questions and hope to support you all as we transition. We could not do what we do without the expertise and collaboration of our outside coaches, trainers, facilitators and curriculum writers. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with our region! 

Dawn