Case Study: Chrissy’s Story

Meet Chrissy

Vice Chair, Community Mindfulness Project Board

Founder, Compass Consulting + Coaching

Former Vice President, Strategy & Operational Effectiveness at Norwalk’s Family & Children’s Agency

Empowering Frontline Workers

How did your personal and professional journey bring to you Community Mindfulness Project? As a social worker, my career began with clinical work supporting people who had experienced trauma and quickly found myself specializing in trauma and addiction. While the work showed me the power of the human spirit on a daily basis, over the years, I experienced significant vicarious trauma. I began therapy to process what I was experiencing and mindfulness strategies were a cornerstone of my therapeutic work. Additionally, I leaned into my yoga practice as it was so much more than a physical practice for me – it was truly a moving meditation and one of the few times I could quiet my mind and be in my body in the present moment.

Fast forward about 15 years, and I was in a work meeting with CMP’s Board Chair who ended the conversation talking about CMP. I was immediately energized by its mission as I have long felt that these practices should not be behind paywalls or only accessible to folks who can access retreats/mindfulness centers. After a few months of meeting with the team and experiencing CMP’s sessions, I was honored to be asked to join the Board.

What excites you about CMP's mission?  I am passionate about CMP’s mission as it lives at the intersection of my professional background as a social worker and personal experience with the transformational impact of meditation practices. It is a beautiful opportunity to help folks on the frontline (school personnel, social workers, case managers etc.) to put their oxygen mask on first before helping others, and bring this practices to under-resourced communities so that these tools are equitably accessible.

What brings you the most joy or hope as you look to the future for Community Mindfulness Project? The passion of CMP’s team is incredibly energizing and inspiring – just sharing space with them truly brings me joy. I am proud to be a part of an organization that is grounded in evidence based  mindfulness practices and works to ensure that anyone can experience their power. The practices and tools that CMP shares with its partners and via community sessions are powerful, secular and easy to integrate into daily life – no matter who you are, what you have experienced or what zip code you reside. Additionally, with the organization’s new mission statement – catalyzing a health Fairfield County with accessible mindfulness training in under-resourced communities – I have hope that CMP will bring a sense of groundedness in a climate of chaos.

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Chrissy (Cacace) Mahanna is the founder of Compass Consulting + Coaching, a boutique management consulting firm specializing in working with non-profit organizations. She is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Social Work with nearly 20 years’ experience working in clinical, research and senior leadership positions at a variety of non-profit organizations and academic institutions, including Columbia University and the City College of New York. In addition to her work at Compass, Chrissy is an Affiliate Consultant with Support Center, a trusted partner to nonprofits in the greater NY/CT/NJ area. Chrissy also serves on the Board of Directors at Community Mindfulness Project and Norwalk ACTS, a collective impact organization aiming to transform systems to drive equitable outcomes for every Norwalk child and young person. Her volunteer work extends beyond Board service as she is also active with Impact Fairfield County and Social Impact Partners for Connecticut.

Chrissy is deeply committed to serving the broader community and also values the many roles that shape her life beyond work. She is a wife and stepmom, an avid yogi who teaches regularly, lover of music, novice potter and someone who believes time in nature is time well spent. Chrissy is passionate about CMP’s mission as it lives at the intersection of her professional background as a social worker and personal experience with the transformational impact of meditation practices.

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