George Escalante, a staff engagement resiliency advocate with Salem Health and the lead chaplain for Salem Police, Fire, and the 911 Dispatch Center, is set to lead a transformative class on self-care during Mental Health Awareness Month.
This May, as part of the YMCA's Wellness Workshops, Escalante will present the ABC’s of Self-Care class through the Community Health Education Center.
Escalante's inspiration for this class stems from his experiences serving at ground zero after the September 11 attacks in New York City. He spent 15 days with a search and rescue team and later returned for a search and recovery operation tour.
“During our debrief, we were told, ‘this is your new normal; go home and hug your families,’” Escalante recounted, highlighting the profound impact of witnessing trauma.
Throughout his subsequent work with frontline workers and first responders, Escalante recognized the critical need for effective mental health support.
“Self-care is often mentioned but lacks practical implementation strategies,” he said.
This realization prompted him to establish the Golden Seven Coping Skills — a practical framework for daily self-care.
Escalante’s approach to self-care aims to demystify the concept, making it accessible to everyone.
“I want to offer down-to-earth strategies that people can integrate into their daily lives,” he said.
This will be the inaugural session of the ABC’s of Self-Care class through the CHEC, and Escalante hopes attendees will leave with a renewed belief in their ability to care for themselves.
“Even using just two of these skills daily can lead to significant improvement over time,” he said.
This class is open to the public from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, at the Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties, located at 685 Court St NE in Salem.
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