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Can anyone suggest what sorts of PACEs-related jobs might be available for someone without a degree or professional experience in social work or counseling or similar areas? I’m an ACEs survivor and I’ve been wondering for a while how to transition into work in this area without the need to return to school to earn another degree. For what it's worth, I tend to be a "behind the scenes" type person. Any ideas? Thank you!

Last edited by Laura Pinhey
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Consider taking the  short online training to be a CHW (community health worker)Available through community colleges and  behavioral health agencies. no college degree needed.

That is a good suggestion, Suzanne. I'll look into it. Thank you!

I think more organizations in these fields are beginning to transition to "lived experience" as a qualification for related work. Are there local organizations doing work already that resonates with what you'd like to be doing? I wonder if reaching out to those to explore what employment opportunities they may have presently or in the future - for example, if they are applying for a grant it's possible a position of this nature may be able to be written in. I am hesitant to suggest volunteer work as I have mixed feelings about unpaid labor, but that could be an option as well.

There are also some free/low-cost online options. Starr Commonwealth is one that comes to mind; it is more educator/school-oriented but may be of interest to you. They often have specials where cost is reduced or free. One example: https://starr.org/product/trau...d-resilient-schools/ and this one is available for free if you register on their new platform.

Alberta Family Wellness also has a relevant certification you may be interested in: https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/training

If you are interested in speaking or presenting, you could submit proposals to related conference opportunities that share your experience with their audiences.

If you are looking to build skills and capacities through workshops (could be placed on a resume as a hey-I-did-this-and-learned-this), I am planning to transition the free monthly workshops on Rise to Resilience to be less educator/school-specific and more broadly around PACEs topics.

Melissa,

It's encouraging to hear that some organizations in the field are beginning to recognize the value of survivor experience on their teams.

Thanks for your thoughtful response and suggestions. I'll be looking into all of this.

--Laura

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