"[Moral Injury] results from from being betrayed by people and/or institutions that should have been trusted to be moral and do the right thing; committing, witnessing, imagining or failing to prevent acts or events that can be judged as harmful or evil; being involved in events of contexts where violations of taboos or acts of harm leave a person feeling contaminated by evil or "dirty"; or surviving conditions of degradation, oppression, and extremity."
Dr. Rita Brock | Volunteers of America
2021 Spiritual Colloquium
In light of the developing COVID-19 health concerns and our priority to ensure the safety of our community, clients, staff, and volunteers, the 2020 Spiritual Development Colloquium scheduled to take place at the Silver Spring Civic Center on May 20, 2020 has been postponed until May 19, 2021. On behalf of our staff and event leaders, we are very disappointed of course, and anticipate planning initiatives throughout the year leading to an even stronger event next year.
In lieu of a colloquium this year and to accommodate social distancing requirements, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting a series of virtual discussions on Moral Injury known as Healing Conversations. This monthly series will launch in late September 2020 and conclude in April 2021. Each Healing Conversation meeting will take place for one hour over Zoom. During these meetings, you will have the opportunity to engage with an informed guest speaker and others in a discussion on Moral Injury and how it relates to one of 7 identified topics. Each month we will feature a different discussion topic. The following are the topics to be addressed:
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING • SOCIAL JUSTICE • COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT • YOUTH & CULTURE • BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS • CHILD WELFARE
To receive more information about Healing Conversations, join our mailing list by following the link below:
SIGN UP NOW!
2021 Spiritual Development Colloquium
Wednesday | May 19, 2021
9:30AM - 3:30PM
SILVER SPRING CIVIC CENTER
8525 Fenton Street | Silver Spring, MD 20910
REGISTER NOW!
*earn credit hours towards a moral injury certification*
*continental breakfast & lunch provided*
*parking & metro accessible*
ABOUT
The Spiritual Development Colloquium is a unique opportunity for members of the faith and philanthropic community to come together to learn, discuss and exchange ideas on issues impacting our society. This year's colloquium will focus on the topic of Moral Injury and how it manifests in the following areas:
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS • SOCIAL JUSTICE • VETERANS • EDUCATION • SUPPORTIVE HOUSING • COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY • YOUTH & CULTURE
This year's colloquium will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Todd Yeary, Senior Pastor at Douglas Memorial Church in Baltimore, MD. Our Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock. As Senior Vice President of Moral Injury and Director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America, Dr. Brock is the leading expert on the issue of Moral Injury. To learn more about Dr. Brock and her work, please visit
www.voa.org/moral-injury-center.
For questions, please contact Andrew James at anjames@voaches.org.
WHAT IS MORAL INJURY?
Moral Injury is a relatively recent term used to describe a crisis that soldiers have faced for centuries, the internal suffering that results from breaking your own moral code. It's a wound of the conscience, and it's not just military members who struggle. Anyone can experience Moral Injury. To learn more visit www.voa.org/moral-injury-center.
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT COALITION
For those who want to become actively engaged in addressing issues that impact our communities, we invite you to join our Spiritual Development Coalition. By joining the coalition, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with others in the community to specifically address the following topics and devise solutions – education, youth & culture, moral injury, housing, social justice, and mental health & wellness.
Coalition meetings are convened on a quarterly basis by the following staff of Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas:
- Education – Lionel Gloster
- Youth and Culture – Patricia Bunting
- Moral Injury – Richard Bontz
- Housing – Charles and Sandra Wilson
- Social Justice – George Lino and Davina Alston
- Mental Health – Reginald and Jana Berhow
COALITION MEETING NOTES
October 31, 2019- Spiritual Development Coalition Meeting Notes
June 26, 2019 - Highlights of First Spiritual Development Coalition Meeting
May 22, 2019 - 2019 Spiritual Development Colloquium General Observation Report
Summary of 2019 Spiritual Development Colloquium Work Group Reports
MORAL INJURY TRAININGS
Learn best practices and gain experience in addressing moral injury by taking advantage of these upcoming Moral Injury Trainings:
- March 24th - Columbia Baptist Fellowship Church, 5885 Robert Oliver Pl, Columbia, MD 21045. Time: TBA