EQUITY, DIVERSITY, ACCESS, THE EDAI TEAM INVITES YOU TO ZONE IN

By Michelle Joseph, ALTSA EDAI Administrator

It was a Sunday afternoon just before the pandemic, I was driving by myself from Seattle to Spokane to provide a training on EDAI. I recall it being a very long day. I turned on my music to zone out, relax, and enjoy my road trip. Suddenly, there was a siren that caught my attention. No matter how much I desired to stay in my zone, I had to pull over for Mr. Officer to explain to me the problem. I wasn’t aware of what I had done. I had to zone in to discover, I was speeding. I had no idea how fast I was going. Of course, fear set in because I had never been pulled over by the police. This was my first ticket in 47 years of living! I learned that I could zone out and pay attention to where I am in the moment for my own safety and the safety of others. I didn’t get upset with Mr. Officer or make excuses because I knew I was in my own zone. When he asked if I knew how fast I was going, I said “No, I was in a zone!” Mr. Officer said he appreciated my honesty, he empathized with me, and gave me a ticket! I was fearful, I learned something, and I had an opportunity for a growth mindset.

No matter how fearful you may be around the topic of EDAI, we are here to appreciate your honesty, empathize with you, and give you a ticket to journey with us, your ALTSA EDAI Team. Topics around EDAI can be intense, I invite you, to zone in, have empathy, and grant a ticket of GRACE and GROWTH for yourself and others.

Altsa Lead Pear Consultants

Pakou Lee pakou.lee@dshs.wa.gov

Morgan Olson morgan.olson1@dshs.wa.gov

Derrick Ross derrick.ross2@dshs.wa.gov

Claire Knight claire.knight@dshs.wa.gov