The number of youth in the United States who are victimized and exposed to violence is steadily rising. To address this issue, Chapin Hall hosted a national convening July 26-27, 2017 at the American Institutes for Research in Washington D.C. to provide invited states with key information on the latest research and best practices related to trauma-informed care. National experts were invited to the convening to help states refine strategic plans for developing multi-system, trauma-informed collaboration (MYSTIC). The convening was funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
PPA President, Paul Elam, Ph.D., was invited as a national presenter and partnered with Erwin McEwen of Casey Family Programs to provide insights on effective models for building culturally responsive engagement in communities that have been exposed to high rates of trauma. The session was facilitated by Forrest Moore of Chapin Hall and focused on engaging key stakeholders to build system processes, policies, and practices relative to communities and youth. In addition, speakers expounded on engagement work currently being done in Chicago, Illinois and Saginaw, Michigan; two of the nation’s most violent and traumatized communities.
Dr. Elam is one of the national MYSTIC advisory board members and works as a consultant in urban jurisdictions to help develop effective strategies for preventing crime and delinquency.
PPA is a Lansing, Michigan-based firm that provides clients across the country with research and strategic consultation to inform the development of effective policies and programs in the areas of education and workforce development, safety and justice, and healthy communities. To learn more about PPA’s community engagement work, contact Paul Elam at pelam@publicpolicy.com.