Trauma Awareness Month

May 2026

What is Trauma Awareness Month?

In 2018, Governor Carney issued Executive Order 24, prioritizing Delaware’s commitment to becoming a trauma-informed state and establishing Trauma Awareness Month as a key statewide initiative. In alignment with this vision, the Trauma Matters Delaware Board of Directors is proud to lead Delaware’s annual Trauma Awareness Month in May 2026.

This year’s theme will be launched with a signature kickoff conference:

Resilience in Action: Collaborative Approaches to Trauma and the Opioid Epidemic

May 5, 2026
 Wilmington University – Dover Campus

This dynamic event will anchor a broader suite of webinars, learning opportunities, and celebratory moments throughout Trauma Awareness Month.

The conference will bring together professionals, community leaders, and stakeholders from across Delaware to:

  • Celebrate the impactful trauma-informed work happening statewide
  • Share best practices and innovative approaches
  • Explore strategies to strengthen trauma-informed systems and supports for all Delawareans

We are honored to welcome nationally recognized trauma expert Tonier Cain as this year’s keynote speaker.

Featured Highlights Include:

  • Compassionate Champion Awards and the Rita Landgraf Legacy Award presentation
  • A special focus group session to inform opioid policy and practice, facilitated by Peggy Geisler, Executive Director of the Sussex County Health Coalition
  • A dynamic panel discussion: “The Landscape from the Ground: Intersections with Trauma-Informed Practices”

Upcoming Trauma Awareness Month Events

Resilience in Action – Collaborative Approaches to Trauma and the Opioid Epidemic

Date: May 5, 2026 at 9:00am – 4:00 pm EDT

Join us for a powerful gathering of professionals and community members whose lives and work intersect with opioid use disorder. Together, we’ll unite professional expertise and lived experience to spark meaningful dialogue and drive real change.

Click Here to Register!

Introduction to EMDR: Foundations and Clinical Applications

Date: May 27, 2026 at 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm EDT

This FREE one-hour virtual workshop introduces participants to the foundations of EMDR, an evidence-based therapy used to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences.

Click Here to Register!

Event Calendar

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The Compassionate Champion Awards

The Compassionate Champion Awards recognize individuals and organizations across the state of Delaware providing trauma-informed services. Categories include community partner, education (P-20), family/caregiver, government agency or department, healthcare, first responder, and other. 

The 2023 nomination period closes at April 7, 2023 at 5:00pm. Nominations can be submitted on the Governor’s Website.

Nominate an individual or organization for a 2023 Compassionate Champion award!

View the State Press Release.

2021 Compassionate Champion Award Ceremony

2021 Compassionate Champion Award Recipients

  • Sarah Pyle Academy
  • New Castle County Division of Police, Hero Help Behavioral Health Unit
  • ChristianaCare, special recognition to Dr. Stacey Boyer, PsyD and Megan O’Hara, LCSW
  • Children & Families First Trauma Response Team
  • Erin Connelly, Victim Services Coordinator, Delaware Department of Correction

Due to the extraordinary nominees this year in the education and first responder categories, we are proud to recognize the Compassionate Champion Award First Runners Up:

  • Education 1st Runner Up: The Bancroft School
  • Education 1st Runner Up: Evan G. Shortlidge Academy
  • First Responder 1st Runner Up: Melissa Pennachi, Newark Police Department

The First Champions

In May of 2019, just before the first annual Compassionate Champion Awards were presented, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney announced a one-time recognition, the First Chance Foundation awards. The awards were presented to, as Tracey said, “individuals, organizations, and partnerships, who were leading trauma-informed work long before [Governor] John [Carney] and I came on the scene.” 

Several of the recipients were involved in designing the annual Compassionate Champion awards program, and all were essential in building the foundation for trauma-informed work in Delaware.

The First Chance Foundation Honorees (with their affiliations at the time):

Wilmington University

Trauma Matters Delaware

Casey Family Programs

Superintendent, Red Clay Consolidated School District

Office of the Child Advocate/Compassionate Schools Learning Collaborative

University of Delaware

Delaware Department of Education/Compassionate Schools Learning Collaborative

Office of the Governor/Compassionate Schools Learning Collaborative

Polytech High School

Children and Families First

Nemours Children’s Health System

(Student Support Team)

DSEA/Compassionate Schools Learning Collaborative and Compassionate Connections Partnership

Family Services Cabinet Council

GIFT