Ep 8: Staying Soft

Stacy Ashton, Executive Director of the Crisis Centre of B.C., discusses the lessons she has learned throughout her career and the importance of staying soft in the face of difficult circumstances. Time Stamps: 0:00 – Welcome and intro 0:18 – Land Acknowledgement 0:26 – Trigger warnings notification around suicide and loss 0:35 – Guest introduction and background 0:47 – About the Crisis Centre of BC 2:00 - Changes in the past couple of years 2:55 - Operational efficiencies and systematic change 3:33 - Competing priorities 4:11 - Treatment and expectations of volunteers vs employees 5:30 - Cutting corners in caregiving 5:45 - Why workers harden 6:47 - Volunteers have more time than nurses to spend with patients 9:00 - Finding balance 11:00 - Care to Speak peer support line 12:08 - What types of calls go to Care to Speak? 13:38 - the human experience of pain and despair 14:24 - Examples of recent wins in the field 15:49 - How important is culture in the workplace for psychological safety? 16:45 - When people open up to reduce stigma, it gives permission to others to be soft 18:00 - Driving change using social power 18:30 - Be clear about the change you want to see 19:35 - Be an advocate 21:10 - This work is not for everyone 21:32 - Continue to stay soft. Come with compassion 21:50 – Wrap up. Thank you to guest 22:22 – Conclusion Resources: Care to Speak | Care For Caregivers Phone Resources SafeCare BC: Your Mental Health Matters Crisis Centre of BC BC Crisis Line Network This podcast is brought to you by: Home | Care For Caregivers Care to Speak | Care For Caregivers Care2Listen Podcast | Care For Caregivers Home - SafeCare BC CMHA British Columbia – Mental Health for All