By Justin Dennis, Mahoning Matters, January 10, 2020
Work being done now by Mahoning County officials and a long list of local partners could fundamentally change the county’s approach to behavioral therapy, addiction recovery and juvenile justice.
County Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick and Duane Piccrilli, executive director of the county’s Mental Health and Recovery Board, want to create a “trauma-competent” community. That means teaching social workers, educators, civic officials and others to see how unresolved trauma can lead to destructive or unlawful behaviors later in life.
“Living in poverty is trauma. Racism is trauma. Sexism is trauma. Gender issues are trauma,” said Judge Dellick, a state-trained trauma-informed care educator. “A lot of times what you do is brush it off but you really have to acknowledge it.”
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