Meet Dr. Erlange Elisme, DSW

I first learned the value of trauma-informed care as a school social worker. Day after day, I met children whose actions carried stories their words could not fully express. I stood beside worn-out teachers and stretched-thin families, and partnered with leaders and clinicians in both public and private settings. The pattern was impossible to ignore: our histories shape how we connect, make decisions, and respond under pressure. The challenges we face do not remain outside the office door. They come in with us.

I continue this work because I am convinced systems can function differently when they are built on empathy and real understanding. The E.L.I.S.M.E., DEPTH, ICEBERG, and A.N.C.H.O.R. frameworks grew from lived practice, not abstract theory. They are tools refined through transformation I witnessed in schools, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and community groups. They were shaped in conversation with people navigating complex, real-life conditions.

I stay committed because I have seen what changes when the question shifts from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” With that shift, leaders find steadiness, relationships grow safer, and families gain tools to strengthen resilience. Teams move beyond knee-jerk reactions and toward clarity. And gradually, systems begin to support human capacity instead of draining it.