Trauma-Informed Care in the Workplace ft. Kat Preston-Wager

Update: 2025-04-15

Description

Learn how trauma-informed practice can revolutionize your workplace and drive diversity, equity, and inclusion change.

We’re starting season 2 of our I3 podcast with Kat Preston Wager, a Workforce Development Supervisor for Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI), who shares her extensive experience working with survivors of trauma, the crucial principles of trauma-informed practice, and the intersection of trauma-informed care with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She emphasizes the importance of providing safe spaces, ensuring choice and empowerment, and promoting productive and respectful work environments.

Season 2 has 10 episodes that will be released each month. This is the first of five episodes of our DEI limited series brought to you by our Academy DEI Podcast Workgroup. The Workgroup drove a major project in our Academy Strategic Plan to provide development opportunities to our staff and guide other professionals and organizations on their DEI journeys. Our hosts, Charlie Rodnuson and Shane Drosi, speak with experts in the industry on topics that were identified by our staff as relevant and helpful for health and human service professionals seeking to practice DEI. These episodes were recorded in 2024. We acknowledge we are releasing these discussions during a time that feels heightened for many. Our intention is to share our learning and encourage growth.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Meet Kat Preston Wager, Workforce Development Supervisor

05:59 Defining Trauma: A Personal and Professional Perspective

10:04 The Importance of Trauma-Informed Workplaces

23:42 Balancing Productivity and Trauma-Informed Practices

46:09 Connecting Trauma-Informed Care with DEI Efforts

48:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Learn about our guest:

Katherine (Kat) Preston-Wager, BA, is a Workforce Development Supervisor for Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI). She develops curricula and workforce development resources to strengthen APS programs across the nation, paying close attention to trauma-informed and inclusive training. She is passionate about ensuring those who make up the APS workforce have the tools, confidence, and practice they need to allow them to do their best work. Kat has over 15 years of experience working with survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence with specialized skills in crisis intervention, motivational interviewing, advocacy, case management and facilitation. Kat is a former Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the Department of the Navy and began her career as a Prevention Educator for a Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Agency.

Check out the resources shared by Kat:

Subscribe for more trauma-informed practice content: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAcademySDSU

#TraumaInformedCare #DEI #WorkforceDevelopment