Centerstone to host ‘The Belonging Difference’ webinar with former Cincinnati Bengals player Gaelin Elmore

Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host the no-cost webinar “The Belonging Difference: How to Best Serve Youth with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” featuring advocate, speaker and former NFL player Gaelin Elmore on March 29 from 10-11:30 a.m. CT.

Belonging is an innate and fundamental need for any human to develop, grow, and most importantly thrive. Although most people have direct access to belonging, youth with traumatic and adverse backgrounds have a complicated and arduous path towards this fundamental need. In order to give all children the best chance to reach their full potential, traumatic past or not, belonging needs to be a part of the equation. As a former foster youth, presenter Gaelin Elmore believes that the only thing that was more powerful and long lasting than the trauma that he experienced was the belonging that he encountered.

The purpose of this webinar is to bring to light the importance of belonging, understand belonging as an indicator of success, and change the way we serve in order to incorporate belonging.

After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, and homelessness, Gaelin believed that his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Gaelin was driven, even comforted, by this assumption.

It wasn’t until Gaelin achieved what he thought was “success” (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Gaelin retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery, and belonging.

That journey has led Gaelin here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences. Gaelin lives in Eden Prairie, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging, as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and a Dad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

This training has 1.5 hours of continuing education approved for IL LCPC / LPC, IL LCSW / LSW, and IL Nursing (LPN, RN, APN) under IDFPR Professional Counselor CE License No. 197.000263 and IDFPR Nurse CE Sponsor License No. 236.000184.

To register, visit Centerstone.org/events. For more information, contact Chapman at Hannah.Chapman@Centerstone.org.

This training is sponsored by Centerstone’s CT3 program.

“CT3’s aim is to increase access to trauma-focused treatment for children, adolescents and their families who have experienced traumatic events, including children and adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system and children of veterans,” said Chapman.

The counties covered in the CT3 program include Franklin, Jackson, Madison, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair, Union, Washington and Williamson.

CT3 services include:

• Direct trauma and treatment services
• Therapy
• Care management
• Professional training and community education
• Outreach and engagement
• Screening and assessment
• Linkages to services and supports