Let’s Chat: Positive Culture Curator… what exactly is that?
By Linda Tooth on June 12, 2024.
Hello readers. I recently began a full-time position as a Positive Culture Curator at Sanare Centre in Medicine Hat. Are you asking yourself, what is a Positive Culture Curator, and what is Sanare Centre? Let me explain. New within the human resources world is the role of a positive culture curator. This person is responsible for creating and maintaining a positive and healthy workplace. The positive culture curator aims to create an environment where employees become long term. Sanare Centre is a supportive place in southeastern Alberta for those who have experienced sexual, domestic, and personal violence and trauma. The incredible people who work here believe we can stop violence through evidence-based services such as sexual trauma-focused therapy, education, training and advocacy. Sanare also offers a Child Advocacy Centre as a safe place for children and youth who have also experienced trauma and abuse, a Victim Navigation Service for those who have experienced sexual assault and are trying to navigate the medical and judicial process, and an EvolveMENt group for young men and adults. This program is working to create male leaders who are looking for opportunities to build healthy lifestyles by exploring ways to express themselves positively and safely. As you can see there is a tremendous amount of healing and learning available for those who have experienced trauma. With that though, the staff who help those people are at risk of massive amounts of vicarious or second-hand trauma. Statistics tell us the rate of burnout for those in these positions is high. We passionately believe that leading healthy lifestyles by focusing on risk reduction and primary prevention strategies can help those in the helping professions live better lives by mitigating the impact before it starts. Here is where the role of the positive culture curator comes in. One thing I have implemented is a journal activity that focuses on every day in June. The employees have been supplied with a journal and a calendar called Joyful June. Each day in this month the employees are asked to find something positive and write about it. For example, on June 12, the day this will appear, they must write a gratitude letter to thank someone. Can you imagine how wonderful that will make the person receiving the letter feel? Rewiring our brains to think of positive things instead of dwelling on the negative is one way we stand a chance of sleeping better and smiling more. Well-rested and happy people, what a novel idea! If you would like to learn more about the services Sanare Centre offers, please reach out. The phone number is 403-548-2717 or by email info@sanarecentre.ca Please note, the phone and email are not monitored 24/7. If you need immediate assistance please call Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence at 1-866-403-8000. Have a Meowtastic Day! Linda Tooth is a positive culture curator at Sanare Centre 14-13
