Trauma-Informed Leadership

Ryan Gallik, Co-Founder, The Mental Hygiene Project
Michael Stahl, Managing Partner, The Mental Hygiene Project

background image
October 15, 2025 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET

Few organizational leaders have a clear understanding of trauma’s pervasive influence or how they can help employees address, manage and overcome what we refer to as “experienced trauma.” However, there exists an approach that transcends traditional notions of management, one that acknowledges the profound impact of trauma on individuals and organizations. It’s a leadership approach that seeks to heal, empower and foster growth: trauma-informed leadership.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Understand the prevalence of trauma, and how that can impact the emotional and psychological needs of individuals and groups
2. Learn how to apply the four R’s (Realize, Recognize, Respond and Resist) during courageous conversations and interactions with employees to ultimately resist re-traumatizing individuals and/or groups
3. Strengthen awareness of the power of empathy, safety and trust and how cultivating those can have both human and financial impact
4. Gain knowledge on how developing a trauma-informed organization can give your association a true competitive advantage in recruiting, retention and engagement

-

Presenters

Ryan Gallik, Co-Founder, The Mental Hygiene Project
Michael Stahl, Managing Partner, The Mental Hygiene Project

Ryan is an award-winning speaker and author of Silent Mayday, The Clinician's Guide to Working with First Responders.  He is managing partner of The Mental Hygiene Project ®.  Ryan has 20 years of hands-on experience as a firefighter, EMT, paramedic and fire science educator. He has developed peer support and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) programs and has worked with clinical professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed mental health counselors to create initiatives and partnerships with industries to find post traumatic growth.

Michael is an international speaker and organizational transformation specialist who has delivered more than 2,500 paid speeches around the world in the last 25 years. He is Managing Partner of The Mental Hygiene Project®. As a aster Trainer with the Harrison Behavioral Traits Profile, Michael understands the “psychological eco-system” of both performance and how stress impacts mental health and results. He contributed to the best-selling book, 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life and has appeared on a number of media outlets including CNN Financial News discussing the effects of burnout for individuals and organizations.

Sign Up for Our Education Newsletter

You Might Also Be Interested In

Building Safety Cultures that Work: Engaging Employees in Safety Reporting

March 15, 2023
This session focuses on the establishment of trust between managers, risk and safety staff and employees to encourage not only reporting accidents and near misses but to report processing issues, equipment deficiencies or policies that may lead to a greater potential for harm than the policy intended.

Read More
Ergonomics in Today’s Changing Workplace

October 25, 2023
Today’s workplace is becoming more inclusive, diverse and accommodating. A one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for individual differences and specific needs.

Read More
Identifying the Red Flags of Fraud

November 15, 2023
Do you know what information you’re really receiving when you run a background check? Do you depend on a screening firm who tells you “you’re getting it all” (whatever ‘all’ is)?

Read More
After Action Reports: What They Are and Why They Are So Important

April 19, 2023
After Action Reports (AAR) are defined as “a detailed critical summary or analysis of a past event, created to re-assess decisions and consider possible alternatives for future scenarios.” AAR’s are critical learning tools and should be must-reads for stakeholders.

Read More
Life Plan: A Strategy for Achieving and Maintaining Life Balance

June 28, 2023
Stress, employee conflict, poor performance, absenteeism and turnover… if your organization has any of those problems, the presentation will help you resolve them.

Read More
Why Comment? You’ve Already Made Up Your Mind: Effective Collaboration and Public Participation

May 17, 2023
“Why should I comment? You’ve already made up your mind.” Combat this phrase by closing the public feedback loop before your next engagement.

Read More
Disaster Risk Reduction: Mitigation, Infrastructure Hardening, Plans and Policy

September 27, 2023
Are you proactive or reactive? In the United States, emergency management has widely been approached from a reactionary manner through response and recovery.

Read More
Award-Winning Ideas and Lessons from PRMYs

July 19, 2023
This panel of PRIMA’s Risk Managers of the Year will help every level of risk professional.

Read More
Active Assailant: How to Avoid Missteps in the Aftermath of an Event

August 23, 2023
Every door is locked, you have panic buttons, time lock safes, employee key cards, surveillance and perhaps even on-site security.

Read More