Please join us this evening, Tuesday, March 16th, at 7:00 p.m. EST for a Zoom discussion with special guest Father Paul Abernathy. We will discuss parts 4 and 5 of the Whole People documentary series, the Trauma-Informed Community Development model, and the Neighborhood Resilience Project.
This event is free, and co-sponsored by ACEs Connection, the CTIPP (The Campaign for Trauma -Informed Policy & Practice), and the Relentless School Nurse as part of our Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences Film Festival.
- Pre-register here for the Zoom event.
- To read more about Father Abernathy, Trauma-Informed Community Development, and the Neighborhood Resilience Project, refer to this blog post and see below.
Rev. Paul Abernathy (Photo Source from YouTube)
Father Paul Abernathy is an Orthodox Christian priest and the founding CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project. Since 2011, Fr. Paul labored with the community to build this ministry to address Community Trauma with Trauma Informed Community Development (TICD) - A framework that transforms Trauma Affected Communities to Resilient, Healing and Healthy Communities so people can be healthy enough to sustain opportunities and realize their potential. Under Fr. Paul’s leadership, millions of dollars in food, clothing, furniture, transportation assistance, identification, free health care and emergency relief has been distributed to the Greater Pittsburgh Community. The framework of TICD also includes a Trauma Response Team and Micro-Community Interventions. Community groups from all across the nation have worked with Fr. Paul to be trained in the TICD Framework.
He has a B.A. in International Studies from Wheeling Jesuit University, and holds a Master in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh as well as a Master of Divinity from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. A former Non-Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army, Father Paul is a combat veteran of the Iraq War. In addition to his work with the organization, Fr. Paul is and has been a member of multiple community boards and committees to include the Trauma-Informed PA Think Tank, PA State Parole Citizens Advisory Committee, Allegheny County Health Department’s Violence Prevention Community Advisory Board, and is a Foundation of HOPE, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy & Practice board member. He has received numerous community awards to include Eagle Scout, the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 Award, Larry Richert’s Hometown Hero Award, Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 under 40, and Wheeling Jesuit University’s Fr. Pedro Arrupe Distinguished Alumni Award. Fr. Paul is the pastor of St. Moses Orthodox Church, a husband and father of two children.
The Transform Trauma with ACEs Science Film Festival is co-sponsored by ACEs Connection, the CTIPP (The Campaign for Trauma -Informed Policy & Practice), and the Relentless School Nurse.
ACEs Connection: ACEs Connection is the human and digital catalyst that unites the people, organizations, systems and communities in the worldwide ACEs movement. We are its main information exchange and resource. And we are a support for hundreds of local, state and national ACEs initiatives to accelerate the use of ACEs science to solve our most intractable problems. We provide initiatives with a free community site on ACEs Connection, guidelines on how to launch and grow local ACEs initiatives, and powerful online tools that help initiatives measure their progress. For established initiatives, we offer access to more advanced tools, guidelines and services in the ACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities. Our network has 45,000+ members who share best practices while inspiring each other to grow the ACEs movement. We also publish a separate news site, ACEsTooHigh.com, for the general public. The goals of our work are to prevent ACEs, heal trauma, and create resilience.
The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice (CTIPP): CTIPP has launched a nationwide grassroots campaign to engage congressional offices and other federal leaders in supporting policies, programs, legislation, and appropriations that prevent and respond to trauma as well as build resilience. Visit CTIPP’s National Trauma Campaign webpage (http://www.ctipp.org/nationaltraumacampaign/) to learn more, to access trauma-informed advocacy toolkits and resources, to sign up for Campaign updates, and/or to join in this exciting movement yourself! (Questions? Reach out to info@traumacampaign.org)
Robin Cogan / The Relentless School Nurse: Robin Cogan is a school nurse, blogger, and activist. Robin's blog, The Relentless School Nurse created to amplify school nursing. She tells stories from her health office in Camden, New Jersey and highlights the work of colleagues across the country. Robin is dedicated to gun violence prevention and sharing the importance of trauma-responsive education in school communities. She also teaches the next generation of school nurses at Rutgers University and grounds her curriculum in “A Pair of ACEs” - both individual and community adversity.
Whole People is a five-part documentary series produced by Twin Cities PBS and CentraCare Health "spotlighting the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) through personal and community stories. It explores the long-term costs to personal well-being and our society. While much work needs to be done, there are many innovative developments to prevent and treat ACES. We all play a role in becoming a whole people,” per the website. In addition, this series comes with an excellent and extensive study guide to help with processing and group facilitation for those who watch this film in community settings. The study guide is co-written by Resmaa Menakem MSW, LICSW, S.E.P. of Justice Leadership Solutions, who is the author of My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies) and Pam Beckering, MS, LPCC, of CentraCare Health. It has questions, summary points, body-based practices and resources.
We look forward to this event and hope you can join us!
Cissy, Erin, Robin & Whitney
Cissy White /ACEsConnection
Robin Cogan / Relentless School Nurse
Erin Connolly / CTIPP
Whitney Marris /CTIPP
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