**CMHS**

**National Center for Trauma Informed Care**

**Nominations for the 2008 *H.O.P.E.* Awards**

***H*ealing *O*urselves through *P*romises of *E*mpowerment**

The National Center for Trauma­ Informed Care (NCTIC, fka the Center on
Women Violence and Trauma) assists publicly-funded agencies, programs,
and services in making cultural shift to a more trauma-informed
environment that benefits both systems and consumers in an environment
that is more supportive, comprehensively integrated, and empowering for
trauma survivors. Funded by the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health
Services, NCTIC is comprised of experts from diverse backgrounds and
relevant experience in addressing public health needs of diverse
communities.

For the first time, NCTIC is pleased to announce the H.O.P.E. Awards --
Healing Ourselves through Promises of Empowerment. The H.O.P.E. Awards
celebrate innovation and leadership in promoting trauma informed
services in the public mental health systems. Recognition of these
activities will further promote the creation of environments, systems
and services that exercise practices to prevent trauma and diminish
retraumatization of service recipients**. Nominees can include and are
not limited to consumers, youth, older adults, public/private
administrators, programs and/or program teams and service providers.**

**Nomination Deadline: February 29, 2008**

Nominations are now being solicited for two awards to be presented at
the 2008 NCTIC Conference, July 11-12, in Washington, DC. Only one award
will be recognized in two categories \--

-   **Emerging Leaders**

> The Emerging Leaders award recognizes vested interest and promotion of
> a trauma informed approach across systems of care. The leadership and
> commitment demonstrated reflects the dynamic and revolutionary means
> to promote education, technical assistance and outreach activities
> that increase trauma awareness. Through these efforts, the leader has
> established an impetus for more trauma informed environments to take
> shape in diverse practice settings.

-   **Pioneer of the Year**

> The Pioneer of the Year Award recognizes outstanding innovation to
> develop and implement activities at the grassroots and/or community
> level that advance the cultural shift to more trauma-informed
> environments. Activities should impact multiple systems, provide
> opportunities for mentoring new leaders and establish a foundation of
> fundamental principles that shapes a new vision for more trauma
> informed environments. The pioneer may have also developed a means to
> sustain trauma informed environments across systems and/or the
> lifespan.

**Instructions for Submitting Nominations**

Nominators must meet the criteria for the respective award submission
described on the nomination summary page. All nominations must include
the name and contact information for the nominator and nominee and the
category the nominee is being recognized. Each criterion will be rated
on a scale of one to ten (with ten being the highest) for a maximum
score of 40 to be recommended for an award. A one to two page narrative
must also be provided that describes the following criteria as it
relates to the award under consideration for the nominee --

> **Criterion 1: Innovation and Ingenuity**

-   Promotes positive or sensitive approaches to promote healing of
    survivors of trauma with mental health problems and

-   Promotes trauma informed services in mental health and/or human
    service systems.

> **Criterion 2: Leadership and Commitment**

-   Promotes a cultural shift to more trauma informed environment
    promoting trauma informed services in the public mental health
    services and

-   Demonstrates representations that reduce the misconceptions and
    stigma associated with survivors of trauma in public mental health
    systems.

> **Criterion 3: Meaningful Supports**

-   Demonstrates contributions of meaningful supports to survivors of
    trauma that reflect the voice of people with mental health,
    substance abuse or behavioral health problems and

-   Models dedication to the integration of survivors and traditional
    leadership in workforce development.

> **Criterion 4: Prevention**

-   Relative importance of advancing prevention and public education
    about the impact of trauma across the lifespan and

-   Integration of recovery, hope and healing from lived experience in
    service models.

Complete nominations must be submitted no later than February 29, 2008.
Nominations may be submitted by email or postal mail:

**Email:** <wanda.finch@samhsa.hhs.gov>

OR

**Mail to:**

Wanda Finch, LICSW, CAS

CDR, US Public Health Service

SAMHSA/CMHS/DSSI

Commuity Support Programs Branch

1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 6-1012

Rockville, MD 20857

**Judging Process**

Once the nominations are received, a two-stage judging process will
begin. This process not only ensures **that nominations receive fair
consideration from a broad range of stak**eholders, it also serves to
create a smaller pool of finalists for final award consideration.

The review team will consists of a diverse panel of peers and
stakeholders. Phase one will screen to categorize nominations and ensure
all nominations have complete packets. **Any packet that is incomplete
will not be reviewed.** Phase two will review the entries for award
consideration and recommend nominees for final award selection and
approval by CMHS.

Nominees will be evaluated based on the criteria described in the
Instructions for Submitting Nominations section (Page 2).

**To nominate yourself, please follow the same instructions for the
"Nomination Process" and provide at least one letter of reference to
support your nomination.**

#### Nomination and Judging Schedule

  ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------
  February 2008          Distribute Call for Nominations

  February 29, 2008      End call for Nominations

  March/April 2008       First and Second Round Judging Process

  April 2008             Identify Awardees; Seek approval form GPO and
                         CMHS

  By April 30, 2008      CMHS Approves Awardees and NCTIC notifies
                         Awardees

  July 11-12, 2008       HOPE Awards Presentation during NCTIC Conference
  ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------

## 

## The *H.O.P.E.* Award Nomination Summary

Please prepare a profile in the format described below and fill out all
sections. Nominations may be returned by e-mail to CDR Wanda Finch at
<wanda.finch@samhsa.hhs.gov> or mail using the address below.
Nominations must be received by **Friday, February 15, 2008.**

Contact Information for the Nominee:

  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------
  Name:                                     Title:

  Address:                                  Telephone:

  City/ State/Zip:                          Fax:

  Email:                                    
  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------

**Nomination for *H.O.P.E.* Award:**

**Contact Information for the Person Making the Nomination:**

  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------
  Name:                                     Title:

  Address:                                  Telephone:

  City/ State/Zip:                          Fax:

  Email:                                    
  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------

**Complete nominations packets must have all of the following:**

+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| **Self-Nomination:**                | **Supported Nomination:**      |
|                                     |                                |
| **□** Nomination summary            | **□** Nomination summary       |
|                                     |                                |
| □ One to two page Narrative that    | □ One to two page Narrative    |
| meets described criteria            | that meets described criteria  |
|                                     |                                |
| □ One letter of reference if        |                                |
| Self-Nominated                      |                                |
+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

. Nominations may be submitted by email or postal mail:

**Mail to:**

**Email:** <wanda.finch@samhsa.hhs.gov> or Wanda Finch, LICSW, CAS

> CDR, US Public Health Service
>
> SAMHSA/CMHS/DSSI
>
> Commuity Support Programs Branch
>
> 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 6-1012
>
> Rockville, MD 20857

**The H.O.P.E. Awards Narrative**

> Please describe in one to two pages how the nominee meets the
> following criteria for the award they are being nominated for \--
> **Criterion 1: Innovation and Ingenuity; Criterion 2: Leadership and
> Commitment; Criterion 3: Meaningful Supports; and Criterion 4:
> Prevention. See Page 2 for specifics on content.**

**The *H.O.P.E.* Awards Narrative -- Page 2**