Joanne is a non-profit leader who has worked in low resource communities to coach and empower caregivers of children with hearing loss. In this presentation, she will share how positive psychology has provided a focus to her non-profit program and has propelled positive psychological well-being to others. “I look back at what I learned over more than two decades and how I’ve accumulated hearing health content and perspective. The underlying constant is positive mental health.” Joanne’s approach to caregiver supports is inspired by WholeBeing Institute’s Certificate in Positive Psychology. Those faced with economic, social and emotional challenges especially need strategies to facilitate social capitol and personal resources as a way forward. While the medical model in hearing health remains an essential element of caregivers supports, the psychological well-being of caregivers remains vital. Joanne will share her organization’s model and some of the tools she uses to inspire psychological well-being and facilitate leadership in the populations she serves based in the practices of positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship.

Joanne Travers

Joanne Travers, Author, Consultant is a founder of Partners for a Greater Voice PGV which is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing positive journeys of parental caregivers through five domains of psychological well-being.  PGV provides consultation and training support to parent leaders, schools, hearing health clinics, community and family centered practices, disability organizations, and universities. Joanne has collaborated with other Cipp alum writing a chapter in the recently published book Unshakable Happiness and she is also the author of Coaching and Empowering Caregivers of Children with Hearing Loss, an approach to foster well-being provides tools and information to foster parental well-being.  More about this book can be found on the Partners for A Greater Voice’s website