The World Around You is Your Teacher
When I moved to Utah 11 years ago as a 23-year-old, I didn’t imagine I would still be here and more surprising to me, that I would end up as the single mom of a four-year-old. I often tell our staff that I wish I could give them the experience of raising a child because it would make them better at their jobs. This reminds me of the comment my boss made when I first told him I was pregnant, “This is going to be so good for you.” I have also experienced parents tell me how lucky I am to work for Evoke because I have all of the tools I need; tools they wish they had before raising their kids. And what I’ve come to realize is that we are all right. My experience in wilderness has informed how I parent and my experience as a Mom has informed how I lead our team at Evoke. Each makes me better at the other.
I am often asked about the things that set Evoke Therapy Programs apart from other Wilderness programs. One of the answers that I share is regarding the quality of our staff. I think many programs speak about the quality or skill level of their staff, and at Evoke we really mean it. As the Clinical Director, I interview people from other programs, and as a researcher, I present with a variety of clinicians from other Wilderness and Treatment programs. I am struck by how differently we engage and utilize our Field Instructors compared to other programs. Our investment with regard to time and energy pays off as we watch staff develop in some incredible ways. Here are some of the strengths that stand out to me:
As the Field Director, I oversee the development and work of Field Instructors at Evoke at Entrada. Because I spent two years in the field as an instructor myself, I understand how difficult it can be to explain how much goes into the job and the level of dedication it takes. Field Instructors play one of the most important parts in the treatment of our clients and their work is difficult to describe and can go unrecognized outside of our company. Because of this, we jumped on the recent opportunity to nominate Cara Dunn to be recognized with the Excellence in Service award presented by National Therapeutic Schools and Programs at their Southwest Regional Conference held in Saint George, Utah. It came as no surprise that she was selected as the winner.
It is amusing to me how certain things in this world can be given so much value by us, take a busting set for example. Nothing more than a few sticks and rocks, my busting set has had a place of display in my house for years and has often been a conversation piece with visitors to my home. While sharing with them about my journey it can be hard to truly convey how important that pile of sticks and rocks are to me.
“Go off somewhere and find perfect solitude and look into the perfect emptiness of my mind and be completely neutral from any and all ideas.” - Jack Kerouac
Having recently spent a fair bit of time away from Evoke at Entrada, I've come to realize even more how much I appreciate working here. I realize that the support and appreciation of employees at Entrada is something I've not seen nearly as much in many of the other places I've worked or volunteered.