Ep. 30: Kelly Raths: Staff Cultures of Resilience & Well-Being

Kelly Raths on Creating Healthy Agency Cultures of Resilience, speaking with Fleet Maull. Oregon Department of Corrections Administrator of Equity and Staff Wellness, Kelly Raths MDiv, discusses her work overseeing critical incident peer support teams, trauma-informed care initiatives, her agency’s progression towards diversity, equity, and inclusion and a culture that fosters well-being and resilience for its staff. The development of the Oregon Way approach to corrections in the Oregon DOC, which is based on genuinely recognizing and supporting the basic humanity of corrections staff and those who are in custody. What they have learned about scaling major health, wellness and resilience initiatives throughout their agency.

The extreme challenges correctional staff have faced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and how they are working through that with a dedicated and resilient workforce. KELLY RATHS, MDIV Kelly’s first trip to prison was with a group of Quaker women in Massachusetts to teach the Alternatives to Violence Program. The experience was both fascinating and infuriating and set the course for a lifelong career transforming the criminal justice system from within its ranks. Kelly has worked for the Oregon Department of Corrections for 15 years as a Chaplain, Community Advocate, Policy and Business Administrator and in her current role as Administrator of Equity and Staff Wellness. She oversees critical incident peer support teams, trauma-informed care initiatives and the agency’s progression towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kelly is an industry leader in incorporating mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills into the corrections profession with the aim of supporting thriving employees who are committed to the humanity of those in their care and custody. She earned her master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School (2005), and has two young children, a husband who grows wine grapes and six urban chickens.

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