We are thrilled that you are interested in the StoryGathering event in Barre on March 15th from 5:30-7:00pm. The purpose of this event is to come together as a community of survivors who hold numerous, intersecting identities and have experiences navigating the healthcare system in Vermont.
The group will have up to 6 other survivors and a team of facilitators and other professionals who work for the Vermont Network. There will not be healthcare providers present at our gatherings.The gathering will begin with an opportunity to introduce yourself and check in with the group. From there, we will go over community agreements to protect the safety of everyone. You will have time to reflect individually and the option of contributing to a group collage. Finally, we will come together as a group to discuss your experiences in the healthcare system in Vermont before we close out the gathering.
After the in-person gathering in March, we invite you to participate in monthly virtual groups facilitated by the Vermont Network. These are optional, and we hope they are a tool for building community and continuing to get your feedback and experiences with the support available to you throughout Vermont.
The Vermont Network plans to create a series of trainings for healthcare providers that is informed by the stories you share during our gatherings. We will not share your identity with the providers, and will prioritize your safety at every step. Our hope is that these training sessions will teach doctors and other providers about the needs and hopes of the survivors they serve. Ultimately, we want to support them in building trust with you and all survivors. In order to create these trainings, we will be audio recording portions of the event, but will not include your identifying information and you will have the opportunity to not be recorded.
Thank you for signing up to take part in this important project. If you have any questions before the event, please email Kiona Heath at kiona@vtnetwork.org.
Additionally, if you want to share your story, but do not want or are unable to participate in a group setting, you are welcome to reach out to Murphy at madison.m.barney@gmail.com to set up a time for a 1:1 discussion