10th Annual Childhood Obesity Conference

J uly 16, 20191

Trauma and Health:Unpacking Community Approaches

to Building Resilience

Healing Centered Community Engagement

Uzuri Pease-GreeneCommunity Awareness Resources Entity

(CARE)

Jessica Wolin Health Equity Institute

San Francisco State University July 2019

HOPE SF

Bridge Housing – Potrero Terrace & Annex

SFDPH, SF Foundation & SF StatePeer-to-peer health Mental health of children and their familiesYouth wellnessArt & healingOnsite health & wellness services

Background

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Trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced as physically or

emotionally harmful or life -threatening with lasting adverse effects on functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional or spiritual well -being.

- modified from SAMHSA.gov

Trauma

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Adverse Community Experiences:Symptoms & Impact of Community Trauma

Economic &educational

environment

Physical/built environment

Social-culturalenvironment

R. Davis, H. Pinderhughes, M. Williams “Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience” 2016.5

Community trauma is more than a collection

of individuals who experience trauma.

Communities as a whole experience trauma.

• Domestic violence

• Sexual exploitation

• Community violence

• Social Identity & stereotype threat

Causes of Community Trauma

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• Economic, social institutions & policies that oppress, damage

• Systemic racism & relations of power, privilege and inequity

• Damage narratives

• Erasure of culture, communities

-- based on R. Davis, H. Pinderhughes, M. Williams, 2016 & based on Levels of Trauma, RYSE, 2014

Interpersonal Violence Structural & Historic Harms

Trauma Challenges to Community Engagement

Engagement Trauma ChallengesBuild social networks Lack of trust Community divisions

Engage residents in planning & implementation

Lack of reliability and consistency

Difficult to vision a different future

Immediate needs overwhelm

Leverage community capacity

Lack of a sense of ownership

Individual trauma and needs; High rates of disability and illness

Collaborate with systems & orgs

Ongoing structural violence and harm undermines positive change

Organizational & systems trauma

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Trauma Informed and Healing Approaches

Instead of asking “What is wrong withthis community?”

ask “What happened to this community?” and then ask “What is right with

this community?”- adapted from S. Ginwright

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What is “Right” with Communitiesthat Strengthens Engagement

Engagement Community StrengthsBuild social networks Relationships Informal networks Culture

Engage residents in planning & implementation

Ideas grounded in what can actually work

Knowledge of community history

Creativity

Leverage community capacity

Resilience Skills and wisdom

Collaborate with systems & orgs

Commitment to address community needs and build on assets

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Structural/Social JusticeDo No HarmAcceptance

Community Power

Sustainability

Healing Centered Engagement Principleswhat guides our work

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Healing Centered Engagement Strategiesthe work we do

Grief work, mindful practices, emotional support & restorative justice

Peer-to-Peer approaches

Creative expression & placekeeping/making

Community driven research and knowledge creation

Community organizing

Healing Centered Engagement Practices how we do the work

Ensure safety Honor history & celebrate culture

Acknowledge harm done, promote consciousness, accept responsibility Foster “community care”

Ensure consistency and do not overpromise

Support meaningful engagement structures

Remove participation barriers Engage in reflective process

Provide compensation for past harms and work done

Make community growth accomplishments visible

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Special Thanks To… You

Residents & staff of HOPE SF communities

HEI Staff

Urban Institute

City of San Francisco and SF Foundation

BRIDGE Housing, Inc.

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Acknowledgements

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Trauma-Informed Nutrition S ecurity

Adrienne MarkworthLeah’s PantryJ uly 16, 2019

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Reframing

• C aregiving/giving love

• F eeling loved

• S eeking protection and safety

• P redictability and security

• Asserting autonomy

• Dysregulated hunger and satiety s ignals

• Altered neurochemical and metabolic pathways

• overfeeding

• overeating

• hoarding

• food addiction

• poor “will power”

• eating disorders

• weight gain

• high salt, fat, sugar intake

• Unreliability and unpredictability of meals

• Loss of autonomy around food choices

• Shame, bias, stigma of food assistance

• Restriction and control

• Fat shaming

• Manipulation, punishment or rewarding with food

• Loss of food culture

• Food as a tool of oppression

Food & Feeding Can Result in Trauma

• Trauma of any kind can cause disruption in a healthy relationship with food

• Food itself can be a source of trauma, which begins or exacerbates an unhealthy relationship with food

• Therefore, the relationship between food, individuals, families, and communities must be treated with care and a holistic perspective

Two Perspectives

➢ Appropriate for multiple settings

➢ Youth Vers ion (14-21 years )

➢ Adult Vers ion (caregivers )

➢ 6-week series , 90-minute sess ions

➢ Training opportunities available through Leah’s P antry

Around the Table