A Star and Highlights... Nothing New to Me

In the State of Nevada’s August/September newsletter for the Division of Child and Family Services, they have a section called “Highlights”. This section highlights the “Stars”of each division of Child and Family Services covering the entire State of Nevada.

My wife Tricia is a Highlight of Children’s Mental Health in the state.  

I am very excited for her gifts, talents, and hard work to be recognized.  She does not do what she does for the recognition, but like it is for most “helping professionals” it brings positive energy to know what you pour your heart and soul into makes a difference.

Here is what the head of Children’s Mental Health in the State of Nevada had to say about Tricia.

Children’s Mental Health would like to recognize Tricia Woodliff, CPC, Mental Health Counselor II with NNCAS-Early Childhood Mental Health Services. Tricia has taken a leadership role in educating the community about trauma, abuse and attachment, particularly as it relates to infants and toddlers. In addition to providing therapy with a focus on children from birth-four years old, Tricia is actively involved as a trainer with the Trauma Informed Care Project, where she has participated in trainings with NNCAS staff, foster parents and treatment home providers. Additionally, Tricia is a TACSEI trainer who provides trainings and child observations on a routine basis with a variety of child care centers in the Reno-Sparks area through the Child Care Development Fund grant, and she is also a PCIT trainer and a member of Northern Nevada’s DC:0-3R team of trainers! Earlier this year, Tricia was invited to make a presentation at the Nevada Family Jurisdiction Judges 2013 Annual conference in Ely Nevada, where she spoke about “Making Informed Decisions in the Interest of Traumatized Children,” providing judges from all across Nevada with valuable information on the impact of trauma on children and youth. Most recently, Tricia has taken the lead on a collaborative pilot project with Nevada Early Intervention Services, which will allow for stronger social- emotional assessments of infants and toddlers referred to NEIS due to CAPTA requirements, and fast-track them in to mental health services when appropriate. Clearly, Tricia’s love of infant/toddler mental health, and her passion for teaching has been of tremendous benefit to the clients at NNAS, as well as the broader community.

I’m proud of her and I love her...She is my Highlight too...

Baseballs and Whiskey Bottles... Priceless

One of the things that I did while on vacation last month was to clean out my remaining “stuff” from my parent’s house. I have not lived in my parent’s house since the spring of 1995, so any of my possessions that remained there could not have been all that important...right?

Fun in the Sun or Summer Time Blues?

Fun in the Sun or Summer Time Blues? 

 

My parents have a small cabin that sits in the woods about 100 yards or so off the water at Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma.  We just call it “The Lake”. 

     When I was a kid I spent most every weekend at the lake.  At the water’s edge we had a covered dock, off of which I learned to swim, to fish, to row a boat, and how to use a  J stroke in a canoe.  It was at the lake where I learned to water ski, wake board, and drive a boat.

Shatter Free for You and Me

A while back I learned something from a “smart phone”, and I didn’t even need to use it to GOOGLE something…for this learning, no internet was required. 

$hare it, $pend it, Money, Money, Money

I recently spent some money and spending money is not something I do lightly.  Like most people, I work hard for my paycheck and I am very aware of the possibility that at some point I may not have one.

“Atten-Dance”

I know some would say you can dance without music, but dancing without music is like someone reciting the happy birthday song to you instead of singing it. The positive energy and uplifting experience comes from within the song.

Internal desire, external pressure, & "it" happens

In the middle of May, I was able to take some continuing education time within the Redwood Forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This retreat focused a lot on our individual stories and the power they have in our personal and professional lives.  During my time away, I was faced with questions like: What part of my story did I write for myself? (internal desire) What part of my story did someone else write for me? (external pressures) What part of my story did life in general write for me? (it just happened)