Nollau To You Helps Cape Albeon Leadership Team Learn Skills, Renew Community

A recent CHHSM Nollau To You retreat with CHHSM member Cape Albeon, an EverTrue (formerly Lutheran Senior Services) community in Valley Spring, Mo., brought respite and an opportunity to re-engage and think in new ways about serving leadership.

Held Feb. 24, 2026, at Cape Albeon’s retreat cabin in the bluffs of the Merimac River in Missouri, the day-long retreat for Cape Albeon’s leadership team was organized by the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development, and Carol DiSanza, Cape Albeon’s executive director. 

Cape Albeon became one of the EverTrue’s communities in January 2026, the result of an affiliation agreement with St. Andrew’s Resources for Senior System. The retreat came at an opportune time for Cape Albeon’s executive staff members to gain insight into themselves and each other, develop new leadership skills, and experience a renewed sense of community.

The day was divided into sections, opening with a welcome and grounding session. The retreat then launched into an emergent strategy session called “Thriving as a Team with Nature as our Guide.” Berry incorporated EverTrue’s values and mission into the exercise, which invited participants to look at how their organization’s values repeat at scale and are lived out at many different levels, both personally and professionally.

“This exercise invites folks to see where there is alignment, integrity, and coherence across the organization from the lens of values, and it seemed to bring up an interesting perspective for this group because Cape Albeon is newly part of EverTrue,” said Berry. “Several of the folks at the retreat had been working at Cape for many years, and it was beautiful to see them reflect on how there is so much alignment between the values Cape Albeon expressed in the past with the new ones from EverTrue.”

“People’s experiences of an organization’s culture are found in daily interactions—not just in a big statement from the company or what they say on a sign, so to speak,” Berry added, “ so the exercise also invited participants to live into their power, their positive influence on the culture around them from wherever they are.”

Following lunch, two additional sessions were held: adding tools for successful serving leadership and a session on conflict and repair. The day closed with a closing discussion and ritual.

DiSanza found several of the sessions meaningful, “particularly the discussion of Drama Triangles and what we do; and how we think truly relates to nature as it sits around us,” she said.

Drama Triangles, introduced in the afternoon sessions, is a concept based on the 1968 work of psychiatrist Stephen Karpman. It’s a model of social interaction that helps people understand how humans tend to fall into unhealth roles in relationships—e.g., hero, victim, villain—and how to change, sidestep or break those triangles. 

Berry kept the day moving, with a combination of discussion, time for personal reflection, movement breaks, and activities using word stones, nature cards, and musical instruments for participants to use. 

“I really appreciated the creative structure of the meeting—the movement breaks, the nature-inspired elements Elyse brought in, and the way she used stones, cards, instruments, and partner prompts to meet up with someone we hadn’t yet spoken with,” said Lynn DePhillipo, director of lifestyle enrichment. “She seemed to connect to our group and tailor the day for us, meeting us where we were. It was helpful that she incorporated EverTrue’s core values in the prompts she gave us.”

Other attendees concurred. Karen Miller, senior living counselor, “found the lesson to be useful with work as well as everyday life. I hope [Elyse] will be able to join us again.”

For Jennifer Alexander, Cape Albeon business office manager, the whole day was a good experience. “Elyse’s presentation was very relaxing and informative,” said Alexander. “She did an amazing job.”

The afternoon included sessions on strategic thinking, decision making, and delegation, as well as the components of building trust in a relationship. Following that, the final session, on conflict and repair, incorporated concepts from the Embodiment Institute. Participants discussed how conflict creates the opportunity to clarify boundaries, deepen relationships, and open potential for repair. As opposed to being thought of as “bad,” conflict can be one of the primary ways to change, and to change situations.

The retreat marked Berry’s first visit to Cape Albeon, and the first time working with its staff. “The synergy between the group, me and CHHSM was immediate. I still can’t get over how consistently I’ve experienced this with our CHHSM organizations. We go from being strangers to close companions on the journey towards justice so quickly,” Berry said. “I was so touched by everyone’s reception of me and their openness to the material I brought—as well as how eager and enthusiastic they were to put what we were discussing into real-life challenges and opportunities they are currently facing.”

“From the folks who have been at Cape Albeon a long time to those who were fairly new, their dedication to making life abundant, beautiful, and connected for their residents and staff alike was inspiring,” added Berry. “I hope to go back soon.”