The goal of the adolescent health resiliency project is to improve the resilience of adolescents and equip adults who work with adolescents to be trauma-informed by providing opportunities for safe and supportive connection to trusted adults within the community.
Research on adverse childhood and community experiences emphasizes just how much trauma can impact the course of life. It also reveals that protective factors such as caring and stable relationships with a trusted adult, healthy communities, adequate health and social services, integrated social-emotional learning practices, responsive health systems that understand behavioral health, and the development of coping skills can prevent childhood adversity, buffer against the harmful effects of trauma, and promote healing.
It is important for adults within the community to provide a safe and trusted environment for the adolescents they encounter by offering support, building resilience and fostering positive youth development and relationships. The Stark County Health Department is accomplishing this by offering training, providing community-based mini grants and working with agencies to facilitate the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment.
Training
The Stark County Health Department offers FREE adolescent health trauma training. The Building Resiliency with Youth: A How-To Guide for Safe Adults training explores the science of adverse childhood experiences, evidence-based resilience factors, and resilience-based communication tools adults can use to support positive youth development. The training is perfect for beginners or as a refresher course. Any adult who interacts with adolescents may participate.
If you are interested in attending the free training, click here to register or contact Kelly Potkay at [email protected] for more information.