Yes, That’s the Sound of Our Biggest Challenges Being Solved
NMSU Cooperative Extension’s 100% New Mexico initiative launches podcast series on addressing childhood trauma and lack of access to vital services.
by Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD
December 20, 2021
The 100% New Mexico is pleased to share the twenty concepts that are the foundation of the 100% New Mexico initiative work in each county. The initiative is currently in its second year and is strengthening the capacity of each county to prevent adverse childhood experiences, family trauma, involvement in the child welfare system, as well as poverty. It also works with local stakeholders to strengthen ten vital services shown to address social adversity in the form of barriers to services.
The podcast series features Anna, Age Eight Institute co-directors sharing key concepts that are at the heart of the initiative and helps county initiative participants to have a shared understanding of the vision, mission, goals and models that guide the local work.
Dominic Cappello, co-director at the institute explains, “Imagine your new house is being built on a foundation of twenty large wooden beams. You cannot afford to have one break. It’s the same way with the following twenty concepts, each one plays a critical role in building a local 100% New Mexico initiative to ensure that 100% of residents have access to the ten vital services for surviving and thriving.”
The podcasts are split into four parts with each part encompassing a larger theme related to the local initiative’s work.
PART 1: UNDERSTANDING WHAT CHALLENGES AWAIT US
Concepts #1 through #6 represent the “what,” meaning the challenges our county residents face. Instead of one challenge, there are many that collide in a variety of ways. Podcasts describe how challenges for the 100% New Mexico initiative to address appear inside the home, such as family trauma, while others we describe as social adversity await people as they step outside their front door.
PART 2: FRAMEWORKS GUIDE US AS WE ADDRESS CHALLENGES
Concepts #7 through #10 showcase the mission of 100% New Mexico initiative, empowering local champions to create the local capacity to ensure the ten vital services for surviving and thriving. The podcasts illustrate the frameworks/models guiding the initiative.
PART 3: TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX AS WE MOVE FORWARD
Concepts #11 through #15 provides an overview of the many tools in the toolbox, such as the 100% New Mexico survey and logic model process for developing local projects, which are components of the initiative. The podcasts illustrate the initiative as a problem-solving machine focused on all the communities within a county’s border, with many moving parts and all working in sync to empower all initiative participants and residents.
PART 4: PARTNERSHIPS AND YOU
Concepts #16 through #20 focus on building vital partnerships in ten service sectors and how the success of any large scale initiative or social change movement comes down to people working together to achieve shared goals. Podcasts also describe the incredible power of technology being used to build capacity to address gaps in services, and to reach out to local champions and the public to build strong alliances and partnerships.
Turn up the volume!
The 100% New Mexico initiative participants, now active in ten New Mexican counties, can learn about 20 key concepts guiding the initiative in the new podcasts. The podcast series joins the toolbox of resources to engage residents in local problem-solving, including the 100% Power Hour webinar series, the 100% websites and the books guiding the initiative, Anna, Age Eight and 100% Community, free for New Mexicans to download.
Mission: The 100% New Mexico initiative is dedicated to ensuring that 100% of families can access ten vital services crucial for their overall health, resilience, and success. This university-sponsored endeavor necessitates the local implementation of evidence-based strategies encompassing both community and school-based service hubs, aiming to prevent the most pressing and costly public health and safety challenges, including adverse social determinants of health and adverse childhood experiences.
Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney
Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD. is a changemaker, psychologist, author, and life coach. Her work in child welfare advocacy has instilled change in data-driven trauma prevention in states across the country. She has worked in policy and research and has led community initiatives through her work at the Santa Fe Community Foundation and the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership. As a psychologist and life coach, she coaches individuals and organizations on interrupting the cycles of trauma, addressing the burnout rate in government jobs and child welfare, and providing the tools and skills to achieve the work-life balance that will trickle down to better outcomes in prevention. Her doctorate work at Texas Christian University was in experimental psychology focused on substance abuse treatment and prevention.
MoreDon’t miss a blog post! Get notified!
The 100% New Mexico initiative is a program of the Anna, Age Eight Institute at New Mexico State University, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service. Contact: annaageeight@nmsu.edu or visit annaageeight.nmsu.edu to learn more.
