Sunday, May 12, 2024
5/12/2024
Clergy and their congregations have a unique opportunity to affect mental health disparities by becoming a trauma-informed faith community. WestCare Foundation will develop and disseminate an effective, culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Ministry Model (TIMM) to 620 congregations nationally, and enable clergy to use their platforms to build bridges between formal and informal care systems and promote individual and communal trauma recovery. The negative impact of unmitigated Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and associated toxic traumatic stress on health, well-being, opportunity, prosperity, and longevity has long been recognized, and it is especially pronounced in communities of color. Due to ongoing structural and systemic racism, Black and Latinx populations are significantly more likely to experience one or more ACEs than White Americans. At the same time, they have significantly less access to professional trauma-informed care; instead, many turn to their ministers and faith communities for comfort and help. Clergy, however, feel and are ill-equipped to respond to congregants’ needs and lack knowledge of and access to local treatment resources. WestCare Foundation, Inc. will bring together trauma and capacity-building experts as well as faith-and community-based organizations to alleviate these needs via three goals: 1) Produce an effective adaptation of foundational and skills-focused TIC curricula (NCTSN 12 Core Concepts, Psychological First Aid, Skills for Psychological Recovery, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention) as the basis for Trauma-Informed Ministry in faith-based settings in communities of color; 2) Develop, implement, and test TIMM in 20 Faith Communities in the San Antonio Promise Zone in Texas; and 3) Roll-out of TIMM into 600 additional congregations serving communities of color nationwide. In addition to seeking to collaborate with the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network, we will work closely with local and national faith-based alliances and mental health organizations, both grass root and professional, to engage and enroll congregations in relevant training, technical assistance, learning collaborative, and self-care opportunities and build referral and collaboration between houses of worship and treatment provider. We will develop and make available a TIMM Manual and Toolkit, and use relevant conferences (e.g., the Pathways to Hope conference) and learning platforms (e.g., the National Faith-Based Prevention Alliance) to both promote the project and offer TIMM training and resources. Using a participatory approach, TIMM will initially be developed and tested in the San Antonio Promise Zone, a predominately Black and Latinx neighborhood that is affected by great social disadvantages, but that also is home to many vibrant faith communities that are ready to participate. Working within the Promise Zone will enable us to ensure that TIMM will reflect the cultural and spiritual characteristics and preferences of the communities we are looking to serve. As we progress through the project and encounter populations of other faiths, we will continue to adapt TIMM materials to ensure cultural responsiveness.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
