Where Compassion Meets Strategy: The Training That's Changing Leadership Across Ohio

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure environments, professionals across Ohio — from healthcare teams and social services to educators and nonprofit leaders — are facing a daunting challenge: how to truly support individuals affected by trauma while also protecting the well-being of their own staff. Far too often, these missions collide, leaving workers burned out and clients underserved.

That is precisely why Silver Linings International, in partnership with OhioMHAS, is bringing forward an innovative and deeply needed solution: the Ohio Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Collaborative sponsored Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Course. This initiative is not just another checkbox training. It is a call to action, a movement to change how we lead, engage, and build resilience — together.

At the heart of this course lies a powerful shift. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with you?”, leaders are guided to reframe the conversation to “What happened to you?”. That single pivot is more than words — it changes outcomes. It builds trust, prevents re-traumatization, and supports healing-centered engagement. As more Ohio professionals learn this approach, the results ripple outward, creating safer and more empowering environments for clients and staff alike.

But trauma-informed care is only part of the story. In today’s world, leaders also need the tools to manage their own emotions and support the emotional health of their teams. That is where Cultivating Emotional Intelligence comes in. Through this transformative course, 300 supervisors, managers, and organizational leaders across Ohio are gaining proven strategies to build psychological safety, address emotional labor, and prevent burnout before it takes hold. It is an investment not just in leadership skills, but in human sustainability — ensuring those who serve others are equipped to keep serving without sacrificing their own well-being.

What truly makes this course stand apart is its emphasis on hands-on, interactive learning. Across four thoughtfully structured two-hour virtual sessions, participants are working through realistic case studies, role-playing activities, and reflective discussions. They leave not only with greater knowledge, but with practical, immediately usable tools to implement in their day-to-day work.

The curriculum is anchored in evidence-based frameworks, blending SAMHSA’s six principles of trauma-informed care with the science of motivational interviewing, positive psychology, and Appreciative Inquiry. This creates a rich, integrated approach that supports both organizational culture change and personal leadership development. It is a comprehensive, research-backed way to move from intention to action — and from action to lasting change.

OhioMHAS has sponsored this opportunity for all service providers to ensure leaders across the state have access. It is a shared vision: to build a trauma-informed workforce, one capable of sustaining empathy, resilience, and excellence even in the face of challenging circumstances.

If you are a leader, supervisor, manager, educator, mental health practitioner, or youth advocate — or if you support these professionals — this training is designed for you. It will help you cultivate trust, prevent burnout, and build stronger relationships with those you serve. Beyond technical skills, you will develop the emotional intelligence needed to navigate high-stress environments and lead with greater confidence and compassion.

Here is what participants can expect to gain:

• Enhanced trust and collaboration among teams and clients

• Practical, research-backed strategies to prevent burnout and emotional fatigue

• Leadership skills rooted in empathy and resilience

In a world where trauma impacts nearly every community, investing in supports and resources like the Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Course stands as a beacon of hope. It offers a path forward — one where organizations can thrive, staff can remain resilient, and clients can feel genuinely seen and supported.

There’s still time to join! A few sessions of this powerful, Ohio statewide initiative remain open — but spots are limited.

This is your opportunity to lead with empathy, strengthen your team, and help shape a more trauma-informed, emotionally intelligent Ohio.

Let’s move forward—together.

Click below 👇 to register or join the waitlist for future available sessions.

Register Here

If you’re interested in bringing this transformative course

to your area or organization, don’t wait. Reach out to Debra Cady for group

rates and upcoming session dates that are open to everyone.