Tennessee presenters describe Better Workplaces Tennessee recognition and Strong BRAIN Institute funding

Dr. Wally Dixon, who oversees the Strong BRAIN Institute at East Tennessee State University, described a workplace recognition program developed with the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Injury Prevention.

Dixon said the program has three recognition levels—silver, gold and platinum—tied to the six SAMHSA trauma‑informed values. ‘‘There’s sort of the beginning one, entry level which we call silver. Then there’s a more advanced one, which we call gold, and a further advanced one, which we call platinum,’’ he said. Silver requires a CEO or top decision‑maker to apply and a clear organizational commitment of resources; gold requires one year of implementation and policy review; platinum indicates sustained work and a sustainability phase.

Dixon described the Strong BRAIN Institute’s funding and early implementation: ‘‘the Strong BRAIN Institute ... was funded by a, $1,000,000 5 year gift from Ballad Health.’’ He said roughly three or four organizations were in the recognition process but that none had yet completed the full pathway to platinum.

Why it matters: The program seeks to create practical, measurable steps for organizations to embed trauma‑informed practices across leadership, hiring, training and policy review. Dixon said the aim is for recognition to reflect sustained organizational change rather than a one‑off claim.

Dixon also described branding choices: the program was renamed Better Workplaces Tennessee (BWT) to improve recruitment and outreach; a marketing consultant purchased the program website during a naming meeting.

Closing: Presenters invited questions and highlighted cross‑state learning with Hawaii’s Office of Wellness and Resilience; no formal votes or policy adoptions occurred in the webinar.