Psychological Safety for All: The Integration of Autonomy and Belonging in the Workplace

SESSION INFO

Tuesday, August 26, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Session Type: Workshop

Psychological safety is generally the embodiment of human interaction in challenging situations and is very central to effective organizational leadership and culture. More specifically, psychological safety is an integrated sense of belonging and autonomy. In the area of autonomy, it includes the ability to be one’s authentic self and to learn in one’s own unique ways. Autonomy also includes the ability to challenge status quo and to express diversity and uniqueness of thought. In the area of belonging, it includes the safety to be included and to connect to important peer, professional, and community groups. It includes the safety of contributing to healthy cultures through individual expression of one’s values, thoughts, and beliefs. Belonging also includes the safety to elevate others around oneself for the greater good. It is not just the absence of a threat but also the presence of a connection. This presentation will describe a provocative, inspiring, and accessible model for workplace psychological safety. The presenters will offer candid learning about psychological safety from multiple important perspectives.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Johanna Leal
Director of Innovation & Implementation Capacity, The Alliance for Community & Justice Innovation


Johanna Leal has 20 years of experience designing and implementing innovative programs for justice and human services agencies including prisons, parole and probation, schools, courts and non-profit organizations. She has led large scale implementations of evidence-based practices including cognitive behavioral interventions, assessment driven case management, trauma informed care, gender responsive programming, restorative justice initiatives, workforce development programs and Motivational Interviewing. Prior to becoming a founding member of ACJI, she was the Associate Director of Reentry Programs with the Colorado Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Parole and was responsible for reentry programs inside prisons, parole and in the community. Johanna enjoys working at the intersection of systems to tackle complex issues important to communities and working with cross sector stakeholders to accelerate collective impact. She is passionate about accelerating community reinvestment initiatives through supporting innovative leaders and community capacity.


Glenn Tapia
Director of Leadership and Organizational Intelligence, The Alliance for Community & Justice Innovation


Glenn Tapia is the Director of Leadership and Organizational Intelligence with the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI). Glenn has over 37 years of leadership and criminal justice experience in the public sector in Colorado to include 28 years in community supervision. His career includes 25 consecutive years with the State of Colorado in strategic oversight and advancement of Colorado’s community corrections systems to include his current full-time position as Director of Probation Services for Colorado’s Judicial Department. Glenn has over 13 years of executive leadership and management experience in both the executive and judicial branches of government. Glenn’s tenured experience with the state policy process, strategic implementation of evidence-based practices and programs, and multi-level collaboration is augmented with advanced education and experience with academic instruction. Glenn has an ardent commitment to excellence in criminal justice administration that is centered in the application of science to public safety policy.


Dr. Alexandra Walker
Director of Community Relations and Strategy, The Alliance for Community & Justice Innovation


Dr. Alexandra Walker is the Director of Community Relations and Strategy for the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI). With more than 25 years of experience in the field of reentry and behavioral health, she offers a diverse background in evidence-based practices, training, program development, implementation science, and treatment modalities. As a practitioner in the field, Alex worked on a myriad of federal, state, and local justice initiatives and research projects and most recently was the Vice Chair of the Colorado Parole Board. Alex brings a wealth of experience in both community based and institutional corrections and is well versed in the development, implementation, and measurement of implementation related and decision making tools and is committed to helping organizations reach fidelity to their highest impact practices and programs. At ACJI, Alex’s super power is dreaming big! She provides tools, strategies, research and evaluation supports for implementation efforts at the state and local level, coaches leaders on implementation and staff engagement efforts, and develops practices and resources for specialized populations with organizations across the country.