This weekend, experts in trauma-informed care will gather in Washington, D.C., with one common goal: to promote trauma-informed care implementation in order to bring about a systems change and, as a result, revolutionize the field of human-services. Together, they will Dare to Transform.

On July 11-12, experts such as A. Kathyrn Power, Maxine Harris, and Roger Fallot will share their knowledge and experiences at Dare to Transform, an event sponsored by the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care. This exciting conference, held at the Phoenix Hotel in Washington, D.C., will build on the landmark work that began in 1994 with Dare to Vision and continued in 2004 with Dare to Act. With a series of discussions and specialized workshops, participants will partake in a valuable learning exchange between experts in the fields of trauma and abuse recovery, policy makers, service providers, advocates, consumers of mental health services, and survivors of trauma.

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is unique from traditional methods of care in that trauma-informed services are performed with an understanding and awareness of the effects of trauma on a survivor's life. TIC acknowledges that trauma is interrelated with social problems, such as homelessness, substance abuse, mental disorders, and HIV/AIDS issues. Unlike traditional services, TIC views the survivor's issues as interconnected rather than as separate problems that can be handled in isolation. Most importantly, TIC firmly believes that recovery from trauma is possible and that survivors and consumers are the most knowledgeable about their needs and path to healing. Dare to Transform will provide valuable information and strategies to help make the goal of recovery from trauma more attainable with traumainformed care.

With this mission at the forefront of its agenda, Dare to Transform will host a diverse collection of distinguished speakers. Among them will be Julian Ford, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is also the Director of the University of Connecticut Health Center, Child Trauma Clinic, and Center for Trauma Response, Recovery, and Preparedness. His wife, Judith Ford, M.A., also presenting, is an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She has served as the Director of Women's Services for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and has also been a consultant to the SAMHSA National Center for Trauma-Informed Care where she primarily focuses on women and children affected by family violence.

Roger D. Fallot, Ph.D. will also be speaking at Dare to Transform. He is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Community Connections, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. Dr. Fallot is a member of the Substance Abuse and Metal Health Services Administration's Advisory Council for Women's Services. He specializes in the development and evaluation of services for trauma survivors, as well as the role of spirituality in recovery.

In addition, two Veteran Roundtable discussions will take place; a general discussion regarding veterans and trauma, their needs, and what is lacking in our current systems, and a discussion about veterans and criminal justice, with an emphasis on jail diversion. The panel of experts will include Tom Tarantino and Andrew Roberts from the national non-profit organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Joining them will be Abel Moreno from Vets for Vets, Guy Gambill, a vets consultant, and Aphrodite Matsakis, Ph.D., author and a distinguished psychologist who has worked specifically with veterans and their families and previously worked at the Department of Veteran's Affairs for a number of years.

Mildred Muhammad, ex-wife of the D.C. Sniper, John Allen Muhammad, will share an extraordinary story of her perseverance through domestic abuse, the abduction of her children, and her ex-husband's threat on her life. She is the Executive Director of After the Trauma, a non-profit organization that she founded to provide resources and information for survivors of domestic violence. Together, these experts will Dare to Transform the system of human services, and together, they may succeed.

The conference program is available at daretotransform.ning.com.

Witness Justice is a national, grassroots, nonprofit organization created by survivors for survivors. Our mission is to empower and assist victims of violence and their loved ones with both healing from trauma and in navigating the criminal justice process. Witness Justice offers support regardless of where a victim lives, when or where the crime occurred, or whether the crime was ever reported. For more information, visit www.WitnessJustice.org