CU Trauma and Resiliency Initiative
CU Trauma & Resilience Initiative (CU TRI) is a collaborative initiative designed to educate the community about trauma, trauma-informed care, and resiliency. Additionally, CU TRI advocates for more trauma-informed policies, practices, and principles.
Purpose:
CU TRI hosts free community-wide trainings to improve the community’s ability to respond to families who have been affected by trauma. Volunteers with CU TRI perform direct outreach to community members experiencing trauma, making needs assessments, and offering relevant support. Since 2017, the CU TRI has had 95 unique trainings that impacted 957 participants. The goals of these efforts are to reduce the impact of adverse community experiences by healing and repairing those who have been impacted by trauma.
Activities and Trainings:
Topics covered in activities and trainings include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma, trauma-informed care, resilience building, and strategies to decrease adverse community experiences and address the root causes of violence. Examples include:
- Free screenings of “Broken Places”: This documentary highlights what people, communities, and organizations can do to promote, build, and support resiliency and growth following incidents of trauma. The film screening was followed by a discussion with the filmmakers about what communities can do to help people who have experienced adversity and trauma.
- Free Healing Solutions 40 Hour Training: This training discusses the root causes of community and gun violence and the best practices to address them. Participants learn how to support survivors and individuals affected by violence and trauma. Mental health professionals work with trainees to teach methods for preventing adverse community experiences and building resiliency in individuals, families, and communities.
- Trauma Educator Training: This train the trainer session is for community members who wish to educate others in the community, their organizations, groups or families about trauma, healing and resiliency. This is an opportunity to share resources with those impacted by trauma and help identify and find healing and helpful solutions.
- Community Violence Response: In times of community crisis, volunteers with CU TRI are available to respond directly to impacted neighborhoods and individuals. These individualized responses allow volunteers to assess immediate needs and provide support.