Participation: Community-Led Dialogue & Research

Increase participation of East Winston residents and stakeholders in community-based research to identify the community’s needs and resources. 

Objective: Engage 200 community residents and stakeholders in a cultural mapping process, interviews, listening and feedback forums to inform the content of the  Community  Needs and Resource Assessment and the Community Strategic Plan.

community-led solutions

Capacity Building: Trauma Resilient Communities Services

Enhance trauma-informed systems of care through training the Trauma Resilient Communities (TRC) framework to backbone agencies serving East Winston.

Objective: TRC training and implementation support will be delivered to 8 backbone community agencies serving East Winston, resulting in a team of 40 internal organizational TRC champions.

Methodology

The TRC framework is evidence-informed by brain science, trauma theory, structural violence theory, the tenets of trauma-informed care, and the teachings and writings of the Sanctuary Model’s developer, Dr. Sandra Bloom, who is one of the pioneers of trauma-informed care. The TRC curriculum is evidence supported, and has been shown to aid with trauma-informed organizational and systems change interventions by promoting safety and recovery from adversity through the active creation of a trauma-informed culture. Key areas covered include: 

• Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) 
• Trauma Theory & Neurobiology of Trauma 
• Organizational Chronic Stress 
• Race-Based Trauma, Structural Violence and Cultural Humility 
• Trauma-Informed Practice Tools 
• Professional Quality of Life and Wellness Practices 
• Individual, Organizational and Community Resilience

Process

Through a cooperative process, community agencies who serve youth and their families in East Winston will be encouraged to apply to become one of 8 backbone agencies (BBAs) to fully implement the TRC framework. Selected backbone agencies will send their leadership teams to participate in a 3-Day TRC Engagement  Leadership training. Prior to TRC implementation, CTRC faculty members will examine the current culture and practices, and assess strengths, challenges and needs at each partnering site through interviews with and observations of its leaders, staff, and students.

To build internal capacity and sustainability, a TRC Champion Embedding  program will then be implemented, whereby 40 interdisciplinary community leaders will be selected to become internal trainers and implementation champions  for their organizations by completing an intensive 3 day workshop followed by mentoring and consultation from Crossnore’s Center for Trauma Resilient Communities (CTRC). In addition to the 8 backbone agencies, other community-wide TRC sessions will be offered and open to other community and faith-based organizations. These ½ day sessions will cover the basic tenets ofTRC. These TRC community sessions are provided to enable comprehensive and inclusive outreach to the broader East Winston community to promote community well-being, self-care, and resiliency tools.

To sustain the efforts of the project, the TRC Community of Practice process will be completed, which includes ongoing coaching and booster sessions with TRC Champions  and consultation sessions with backbone agency leaders, creation of a trauma-informed learning community, and the monitoring of TRC fidelity by the CTRC. This will include a TRC Summit, a day-long event where backbone agencies and community members come together to celebrate success and milestones in the context of social learning.

Direct Services for Youth

Reduce high-risk behaviors and increase protective factors for East Winston youth exposed to adversity and trauma by implementing a comprehensive advocacy and  mentoring strategy.

Objective: Engage 200 East Winston youth and families in the Full Circle program.

Methodology

Full Circle is housed at Action4Equity, a We Heal Together community implementation partner. The Full Circle Program is a comprehensive advocacy and mentoring strategy that migrates from school to community while simultaneously tackling the various complex factors that leave youth vulnerable to violence.  The term embedded mentoring refers to the intentional and focused building of connections and relationships based on the unique circumstances, personalities, and personal stories that shape the identity of each individual young person. Embedded mentoring consciously leverages relational capital and the social multiplier effect – zeroing in on the most vulnerable young people and supporting them in developing more positive behaviors, which then directly and positively impacts that rate of school and community safety (Glaeser et al, 2003). Embedded mentoring also leverages the role model (Powell, 1997) and network (Rice, 2010) effects that have been shown to have an impact on improving economic mobility for those living in poverty, thereby reaching a demographic of students who are the most vulnerable for behaviors that lead to patterns of disruption and violence at school and in the community due to a rate of exposure to violence that is higher than students living in alternate circumstances.

Aligning with the  Whole School Whole Community Whole  Child  model, this framework focuses on outcomes that include school-based violence interruption, reducing disciplinary referrals and suspensions, and minimizing contact with the juvenile criminal justice system; program outcomes also include an improvement in school climate, an improvement in the quality of teacher-student relationships, and an improvement in the relationships that intersect with the school, the student’s home, and their community.

Through  We Heal Together, Full Circle will also serve as one of the  backbone agencies; integrating trauma-informed knowledge, values, principles and practices within their organization, in schools, the community and along the mentor-mentee relationship. The goals include increasing youth connection to positive relationships with other adults outside the family unit and to increase prosocial connections and protective factors to buffer the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences amongst vulnerable youth in the East Winston community.  It is anticipated that 200 youth and families will be served by this enhanced programming throughout the  We Heal Together  initiative.

Youth Mental Health Training and Mentoring

Increase first responders’ and youth-involved workers’ knowledge of youth mental health risk factors through trainings to improve their outreach and interactions with youth.

Objective: Deliver the Youth Mental Health First Aid program to 200 community members and first responders.

Methodology

The  We Heal Together  Initiative will provide Youth  Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training to 280 community members, parents, service providers, faith-based leaders, law enforcement personnel, medical personnel, and other potential first responders. YMHFA is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge or is in crisis. YMHFA is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. YMHFA has been shown to increase participants’ knowledge of signs, symptoms, and risk factors of mental illness and substance use disorders, increase their confidence in and likelihood to help an individual in distress, show increased mental wellness for themselves, and reduce the social distance created by negative attitudes and perceptions of individuals with mental illnesses (SAMHSA, 2018; Zobel, 2015).

In addition,  we will conduct health and well-being events in East Winston. These events will offer the opportunity for community members to come together and participate in a variety of well-being events and will include education, medical, mental health, social service, and youth services representatives who will disseminate information about their services within East Winston.

Supporting Health Practitioners

Increase capacity of mental health and health practitioners working in East Winston to incorporate trauma-informed care approaches into their youth and family services.

Objective: Train and coach  45 clinicians and human service personnel on the  S.E.L.F. Trauma-Informed Psychoeducational  Curriculum  and provide 8 backbone agencies with the complete 50 lesson resource guide.

Methodology

We Heal Together  will specifically provide training to clinicians and human services workers of the TRC Model Backbone agencies to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the S.E.L.F. trauma recovery framework: Safety, Emotions, Loss and Future.  S.E.L.F. A Trauma-Informed, Psychoeducational Group Curriculum  by Bloom, Foderaro,  and Ryan (2021) offers the opportunity for clinicians and human services professionals to go even deeper in their practice of S.E.L.F. and engage youth and families through a trauma-informed group process of recovery and healing. 

S.E.L.F. represents the four nonlinear, key areas of recovery that provide an organizing framework for the complex problems presented by trauma survivors. The S.E.L.F. curriculum includes 50 lessons, handouts and resource material and is designed to be utilized within a group format yet it has also been adapted for use with individuals. Its design is culturally competent and responsive as well as being developmentally appropriate. 

Through  We Heal Together  each of the backbone agencies will receive the complete 50 lesson curriculum, the institutional license to utilize the material, a two-day training on its use and follow-up coaching sessions by Crossnore’s Center for Trauma Resilient Communities team members.