Lycoming Children & Youth Services, as a program of Lycoming-Clinton Joinder, is pleased to share information about an important coalition and their upcoming discussion series to help make Pennsylvania’s communities more trauma aware, and how we can support healing for those affected by trauma.
Created by Resilient PA, a non-partisan coalition striving to foster resilient Pennsylvania youth, families and communities, the discussion series Advancing Trauma Awareness in Pennsylvania Communities features four guest speakers beginning July 15th.
This summer series, offered on demand at your convenience, is free to all residents in the state and open to everyone for personal and professional growth.
Resilient PA invites you to join some of the world’s leading experts on trauma to learn:
Where and how trauma appears in our lives and communities
What happens when we experience trauma
The role of community in healing
How we can heal ourselves and support healing in others
Meet the presenters for Advancing Trauma Awareness in Pennsylvania Communities:
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Researcher, psychiatrist, and author of New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. van der Kolk revolutionized how the world understands trauma. Dr. van der Kolk joins us to help us understand what trauma is and how it impacts us.
Release Date: July 15, 2022, 150 Minutes
Deran Young, LCSW, MPA
Founder and Executive Director of Black Therapists Rock, Deran Young is a licensed clinical psychotherapist who served in the U.S. Air Force for 18 years. Deran brings her expertise about racial trauma and examining our biases.
Release Date: July 29, 2022, 120 Minutes
Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL
Linda is a trauma therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body based modalities for addressing complex developmental trauma. Linda will help us learn about self regulation and adaptive strategies we may have developed to survive a traumatic experience.
Release Date: August 12, 2022, 120 Minutes
TaLisa Ramos-Watts, MSW, LSW, CCTP-I
Currently TaLisa serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is tasked with providing DEI education and trainings, strategic planning, and establishing trauma-informed approaches to state government. TaLisa will share about community and its role in recovering from trauma.
Release Date: August 26, 2022, 120 Minutes
REGISTER TODAY
To register, click here and fill out their short form.
Register for Resilient PA Discussion Series
You will receive an email notification at the release of each component of the series.
About Resilient PA
Resilient PA is a non-partisan coalition striving to foster resilient Pennsylvania youth, families and communities through promoting trauma-informed care and systems across sectors as well as promoting efforts to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors for youth and families to break cycles of family and community trauma.
The mission of Resilient PA is to bring the community together, provide resources, and connect individuals and businesses to each other who are committed to building a trauma aware Pennsylvania. Anyone who participates in the series and completes the required exam will receive a certificate of completion and the ability to be listed in the Trauma Aware Community directory where Pennsylvania residents can search to find trauma aware resources.
In concert with the Pennsylvania Office of Advocacy and Reform, HEAL PA, United Way of Pennsylvania, and Collectively Rooted — Resilient PA is working to help Pennsylvania residents become more trauma aware and have practical tools to identify and address the trauma in their world.
This coalition exists to raise awareness on the impact of trauma, childhood trauma (ACEs), trauma as experienced by different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups, and benefits of adopting trauma-informed and resiliency building practices and strategies to address critical social challenges at both the community and state level.
Coalition Objectives
Raise awareness on impact of trauma (especially childhood trauma and racialized trauma) and connection to our most critical social challenges at grassroots and community level across the state
Equip local Trauma-Informed Grassroots Champions to effectively advocate for schools, agencies, systems and sectors to adopt a trauma-informed approach within their own communities
Develop and disseminate a shared Communication Plan to effectively advocate for trauma-informed care, systems, schools and funding (etc. cost benefit for business leaders and legislators, impact statements by sector on benefits of a trauma-informed approach, key advocacy talking points)
Develop and disseminate a shared Advocacy Plan, including recommendations for local county and state level
Actively recruit and encourage new Coalition Members, new communities and agencies to adopt a trauma-informed approach
Partner with HEAL PA to connect grassroots and community level trauma-informed work and needs with state-level action team efforts through HEAL PA
HEAL PA
HEAL PA is a collection of over 100 volunteers from a wide variety of fields, geographies, ethnicities and life experiences, including several former think tank members and multiple trauma survivors, that has been assembled to serve on 13 action teams focused on implementation of the Trauma-Informed PA plan.
Branded as HEAL PA, this mix of state agency representatives and community stakeholders from all across the commonwealth is responsible for prioritizing the recommendations, setting short and long term goals, and assigning accountabilities to make the plan recommendations a reality.
Action teams are expected to push the envelope to ensure PA not only keeps up with the latest science and trends in trauma and ACEs, but sets the bar for planning, innovation, and action.
Contact Resilient PA
For more information about Resilient PA, their discussion series and/or coalition, please contact Amanda McNaughton at
Phone: (717) 238-7365 x206
Email: amanda@uwp.org