MONDAY MEMO #60

nwarner12
Jan 23
6 min read

Happy New Year, partners! We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday season. Our first Monday Memo of 2026 highlights resources related to advocacy and policy, child wellbeing, education, funding, professional development, and workforce development. Before we dive in, here are a few reminders and highlights from the RG Team:

RG Highlights

Regional Coalition Events Reminder: Please submit your scheduled coalition events for 2026! This calendar is housed on the RG website and is a great way to showcase upcoming trainings, summits, and partner activities across the state. As a reminder, please submit your coalition events here. We appreciate your support in keeping this webpage up-to-date!
2026 Youth Prevention Network Training: In partnership with the CWC Alliance , this youth prevention training equips youth and adult leaders with practical tools for mental wellness, leadership, and prevention advocacy. Youth Prevention Advocates (ages 13–20) receive hands-on training, while Youth Prevention Mentors support and co-facilitate their efforts in schools and communities. Participants are compensated for their time ($15/hour for youth and $20/hour for mentors), with transportation support available. Interested groups can submit the YPN Training Request to share their input so 2026 scheduling can begin. Please share widely!
Join the Handle with Care Georgia Taskforce: These monthly calls bring together partners from across the state who are implementing or exploring implementation of the HWC initiative into their school districts. Held virtually one Friday/month from 10–11am, these Zoom meetings provide a space to share successes, address challenges, and collaborate with others working to better support children. Interested participants are encouraged to complete the interest form to receive a calendar invite and Zoom link.
19th Coalition Launched! Resilient Georgia is proud to announce the launch of Resilient South Central Georgia, marking the 19th regional coalition in its growing statewide network. Serving Appling, Candler, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Tattnall, Toombs, and Wayne Counties, out newest coalition will advance trauma-informed care, resilience-building, and behavioral health support through cross-sector collaboration, education, and ACEs prevention efforts. Led by champions across Georgia Family Connection Partnership and Share Health Southeast GA, Resilient South Central Georgia strengthens our mission to ensure every community has access to the resources needed to help children, families, and communities thrive.
Reminder: RG’s "Ignite" Coalition Building Training: Join us on January 21st from 9-11am for the virtual "Ignite" coalition-building training, based on Frances Dunn Butterfoss’s Ignite! We hope at least one representative from your coalition can attend! Email Nikki for an invite at nwarner@resilientga.org. See attached flyer for training details.

Coalition Highlights

Resilient Gwinnett: Join the Gwinnett Coalition Friday, January 16 for an interactive data session exploring key insights on children, families, and health equity in Gwinnett. Registration is free! Additionally, Jessica Andrews-Wilson was named the 2025 International Prevention Specialist of the Year. As Executive Director of GUIDE, Inc . and a valued board member of Gwinnett Coalition and Resilient Georgia partner, her leadership continues to make a lasting impact. Congrats, Jessica!

Building a Region of Resilience Northwest Georgia is excited to announce their revamped training series. Empower your team with the Learning Journey , a professional video training series that supports a "common language" for understanding the systemic roots of poverty and the biological impact of trauma. The training can be implemented as self-directed study or facilitated with a group. It's great for onboarding and orientation of staff, board, volunteers, and coalition members. Perfect for educators, healthcare workers, social service providers and community leaders, these video-guided workshops offer practical tools to build a more compassionate, trauma-informed region. The curriculum features four interactive, 90-minute modules on the following:

Poverty & Trauma 101: Understand root causes and brain development
Self-Care 101 & Systems Change 201: Prevent burnout and drive organizational shifts

ARCHI invites partners to its upcoming webinar, Federal Policy, Local Impact: Understanding Georgia’s Health Care Landscape , tomorrow, January 13 from 1–2 pm. This webinar will feature experts from Georgia Watch , Georgians for a Healthy Future , the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, and the Georgia Health Initiative, who will explore how shifting federal policies may impact health coverage, affordability, and equity in Georgia, drawing from GHI’s recent policy paper to help participants navigate an uncertain year ahead. Register here!

Advocacy and Policy

Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice Opportunities: CTIPP is advancing trauma-informed advocacy through several upcoming initiatives, including its first-ever Congressional Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 2026, which will provide advocates an opportunity for direct engagement with federal officials. CTIPP also continues to convene its monthly CTIPP CAN advocacy calls , offering community, networking, resource sharing, and practical federal advocacy strategies that support trauma-informed work at all levels. These calls are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 2pm and are open to anyone interested in the trauma-informed movement. This month’s call will be Wednesday, January 21st at 2PM. Register here!

Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Maternal Health Awareness Day 2026 will be January 21, from 10am–4pm at the Georgia State Capitol, hosted by the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. This statewide advocacy day brings together mothers, community leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates for community conversations, powerful speakers, and direct engagement with legislators to advance maternal and infant health policies. Register here!

Child Wellbeing

Kempe Center 2025 Impact Report: The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect released an impact report on the work the organization has done between 2024 and 2025. The report highlights work like the school mental health support program (SMSHP) which trains public school educators to provide mental health support to students to impactful advocacy work the organization has done in the capitol.

Education

Georgia Education Climate Coalition - Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice: The Georgia Education Climate Coalition will kick off its first meeting of 2026 on Thursday, January 15, from 12–2 pm (virtual). The meeting will feature Jeannie Morris from the Office of Whole Child Supports, who will share an overview of the statewide rollout of the Georgia Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (GaMTSS) framework and its role in integrating academic, behavioral, and wellbeing supports for students. Participants will also have time to discuss 2026 legislative priorities and explore opportunities for collaboration and mutual support. Submit an interest form if you’d like to join the education climate coalition!

Understanding HB 268: Georgia's New School Safety Legislation Webinar: This recording offers an overview of Georgia’s new comprehensive school safety law, HB 268. The session features legislative experts who break down key elements of HB 268, outline implementation steps, and discuss how districts can meet compliance requirements while strengthening school safety.

Funding

Dobb's Foundation Letters of Inquiry for 2026 Grantmaking Cycle: The R. Howard Dobbs Foundation is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for its next grantmaking cycle, supporting Georgia-based, mission-driven organizations focused on health, education, environment, and special projects. Priority areas include youth mental health and resilience, innovative and equitable education solutions, environmental stewardship, and systems-level efforts, particularly in underserved regions. The LOI’s are due January 26th, with an optional LOI info session on January 13 from 3–4PM, and funding decisions expected in late March. Submit an LOI here!

Professional Development

12th Annual Coastal Georgia Mental Health Symposium - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: The Coastal Georgia Regional Community Collaborative is now accepting presentation proposals for the Coastal Georgia Mental Health Symposium on May 14th at Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus. This free event will center on the theme “Connection to Community and Care” and seeks presentations that highlight innovation, collaboration, and impact across the mental health continuum. The proposal submission deadline is March 6th and community members, providers, advocates, and partners are encouraged to submit and share this opportunity widely. Submit a proposal here.

Workforce and Mental Health

11 Workplace Mental Health Reads for Every Organization: Check out this curated reading list for workplace mental health from Mind Share Partners , featuring 11 recommended articles that help leaders stay grounded in the core principles of building mentally healthy, supportive work environments. These reads are great for people leaders, HR professionals, and anyone invested in strengthening mental health at work.

J ob Opportunities at Changing Lanes Intervention Human Services (CLIHS): CLIHS has several job opportunities across behavioral health and human services open. Positions include a Remote Billing Specialist with experience in mental health and related systems, Behavior Technicians/Registered Behavior Therapists serving clinics, homes, and daycares across multiple Georgia communities, and part-time, fully licensed Mental Health Counselors with options for in-person or remote work. Interested applicants can visit this webpage to view openings and submit an application.

THANK YOU FROM THE RESILIENT GEORGIA TEAM!