POWER Program

Strengthening Leaders, Strengthening Communities

POWER supports the growth of program and organizational leaders by focusing on mindset, resilience, and relationships, empowering participants to build strong, healthy, and winning organizational cultures. 🌱

POWER stands for Program Owner Wellness, Enrichment, and Resilience. It’s a cohort-based learning experience designed for a small group of local leaders, running over 4 months. 

In January 2026, the second POWER cohort took place, with plans to run at least two cohorts each year. Each cohort creates space for honest reflection, practical learning, and peer connection with others who understand the realities of leadership. The program brings together experienced peer leaders from across the community to learn alongside one another in a trusted setting.

How participants describe POWER:
“Enriching”
“Life-changing”
“Feels like work therapy”
“Empowering for a bright future” ✨

Interested in joining a future cohort? Register your interest on our website, and the team will follow up with next steps and cohort details. ✅

Coming Soon: Connection Center North Texas 👀

A New Space for Hope Is Taking Shape 

This month we’re excited to spotlight a new community resource just getting underway in North Texas. Connection Center North Texas is beginning to grow in Grayson County as a place where people can feel welcomed, supported, and connected to recovery opportunities and helpful resources without pressure or judgment.

Led by Program Director Karla Vessels, the center is grounded in compassion, lived experience, and a strong commitment to helping people feel seen, supported, and connected. A Certified PSS, RSPS, and MHPS since 2021, Karla brings experience in Recovery Support Services and the justice system. Her personal journey through substance use and being justice-impacted drives her commitment to creating safe spaces for growth and wellness, and inspires hope that anyone can find their path to recovery.

While still in its early stages, Connection Center North Texas represents a promising addition to mental health and recovery support in the region. As programs, groups, and services begin to take shape, this is a space worth watching for those interested in peer-led support and meaningful community connection.

Learn more and stay tuned for more details.

🌱 Fueling Your Mind: Discover, Learn, Grow in the Growth Corner

🎲Product of the month

Recommended by

Natalie Williams
Program Director - Peer Academy

Building a Sensory Toolkit for Grounding

Finding Calm in What You Can Feel

This month, we highlight the idea of creating a sensory toolkit as a practical way to support grounding during moments of stress, anxiety, or emotional overload. Inspired by a blog post by Holly Miles on Inclusive Therapists, this approach encourages using simple sensory items to gently return attention to the present moment.

A sensory toolkit is a small collection of items that engage touch, sight, sound, smell, or taste to help bring awareness back to what feels steady and tangible. When the mind feels overwhelmed, these items can act as an anchor, offering something calming and concrete to focus on. Building a sensory toolkit in advance gives you a ready resource to turn to when needed. This is a small, thoughtful practice that can help you return to a place of calm.

"Encourages the use of grounding techniques to manage anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm through tactile and sensory engagement." - Natalie Williams

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

-  Maya Angelou

This month's quote is a reminder to be gentle with your own process. We often admire confidence, calm, or “having it together” in others, but we don’t always see the effort, setbacks, and growth it took to get there. If you’re in a season of change, it doesn’t mean you’re behind or broken; it can mean you’re transforming. Let it encourage patience with yourself, respect for your pace, and compassion for the parts of your journey that are still unfolding.

What is one supportive message you can write to yourself today that you truly believe?

Take a moment to pause and think about this question. 

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