leading with heart: q&a with Patty carlson

Patty Carlson is now in her eighth year as a member of 180 Degrees executive leadership team. As Chief Officer of Programs & Compliance, she provides leadership and strategic direction to all 180 Degrees programs and a workforce of over 100 frontline staff working in shelters, residential programs, housing, outreach, and community-based services. ​

What were the early experiences that prepared you for leading at 180 Degrees?
Some of my earliest life experiences are deeply connected to the work we do today. As a youth, I experienced trauma, involvement with child protection services, periods of running away, and time spent trying to avoid systems and adults because they did not always feel safe or trustworthy. Along the way, there were also people who saw potential in me, showed up consistently, and helped me find a different path forward. Those experiences shaped how I see people, systems, and healing.
One thing I’ve learned through both my personal experiences and this work is the importance of holding space for people. Sometimes healing does not begin with advice, consequences, or trying to fix problems. It begins with someone feeling seen, heard, safe, and respected exactly as they are in that moment. At 180 Degrees, we work to create spaces where people can breathe, stabilize, rebuild trust, and begin imagining a future beyond survival.

Over 6,000 youth and adults turn to 180 Degrees for support. What challenges are they facing?
The people we serve are facing far more than homelessness, trafficking, incarceration, or mental health struggles. Many are carrying years of trauma, instability, grief, disconnection, and survival. We are also living through a time of collective social stress and trauma that affects families, communities, systems, and staff alike. Unfortunately, many systems were not designed in ways that make healing or stability easy to achieve, and navigating them successfully often requires support, advocacy, and expertise.
What we know at 180 Degrees is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Success does not look the same for everyone, but it is possible for everyone. That means truly meeting people where they are, listening to their goals and experiences, and building person-centered supports rather than placing our own values or assumptions onto them.

How is 180 Degrees making an impact? What’s your vision for meeting today’s needs?
At 180 Degrees, we are often meeting people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Our programs provide safety, stability, support, and human connection when people may feel alone, overwhelmed, or out of options. Sometimes the impact starts with something very simple — a safe bed, a meal, a ride to an appointment, or a staff person who listens without judgment.
My vision is for us to continue creating spaces where people feel respected, supported, and capable of building a future they may not have imagined possible. We are strengthening trauma-informed, relationship-based, and person-centered approaches that recognize healing and growth happen differently for every individual. The goal is not to “fix” people — it is to walk alongside them while helping build stability, skills, trust, and hope.

What’s ahead? Any new initiatives you are excited about?
One of the biggest initiatives ahead for us is integrating a new organizational model centered around Collaborative Problem Solving. This approach focuses on understanding behavior through the lens of stress, trauma, and unmet skills rather than punishment or control. It helps staff work alongside youth and adults with curiosity, partnership, and compassion while still maintaining accountability and safety. I believe this approach has the power to transform not only outcomes for the people we serve, but also the daily experience of staff doing this difficult work.
As part of that larger vision, we are also integrating a new Clinical Director role and strengthening partnerships and services that support mental health, chemical health, medical care, social and emotional wellbeing, and basic needs. What excites me most is that this is about much more than traditional clinical services. We are working to create environments that truly support people as whole human beings — through peer support, relationship-building, trauma-informed practices, skill development, and stronger connections to community and care. We know that 180 Degrees is often one stop along a much longer life journey, so we want the time people spend with us to help create a stronger foundation for whatever comes next.

Daily, you encounter people who have experienced incredible trauma from sex trafficking, to homelessness, to decades of incarceration. How do you take care of yourself? What gives you hope?
Taking care of myself and staying grounded is very important to me. In addition to this work, I’m also a yoga teacher trained in 200-hour yoga instruction, trauma-informed yoga, and yin yoga, and I’m currently completing certification as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) facilitator. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and somatic practices are not only things I teach — they are practices I rely on personally to stay present, balanced, and connected. Teaching one yoga class each week also keeps me honest and committed to my own practice and wellbeing.
What gives me hope is both the people we serve and the staff who show up for this work every day. Even in the middle of pain, trauma, and hardship, I continue to witness resilience, compassion, humor, courage, and human connection. Our clients remind me how strong people truly are, and our staff remind me every day that there is still deep kindness, care, and humanity in the world.