Hi everyone and Happy Monday! 😀
To start things off this week, we want to highlight the work of Reach Within (https://www.reachwithin.org/) of Grenada. We featured them before and heralded their work with post residential and vulnerable youth and also celebrated their recognition from the Clinton Foundation.
Their work recently gained attention from the local media in Grenada due to their support of a young man who had spent most of his life in residential care (https://nowgrenada.com/2024/01...phanage-garys-story/).
The article highlights the dire need for housing generally in The Spice Isle as Grenada is commonly known. It also amplifies the call for more structured post residential care for persons who age out of the State's care system.
Against that background, Reach Within continues to provide holistic and evidence based support for its residents and clients.
"Reach Within has worked for 20+ years in developing a model of care for the children and teens living in and ageing out of Grenada’s care homes.
They provide emotional support and therapeutic programmes through its evidence-based scientific model of care, which includes 3 pillars.
1. Rhythm increases self-regulation: Leading trauma experts have found that rhythm can reach the amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for survival — and help to calm the nervous system. Reach Within uses therapeutic drumming, swimming, and dance programmes, among other modalities, to increase self-regulation in previously traumatised children living in fight-flight-freeze-fawn states
2. Human Connection is a Biological Imperative to Healing: Once a child learns to regulate their nervous system, they are ready for co-regulation with a consistent and loving caregiver. Trauma-informed training and stress reduction retreats for professional caregivers in orphanages and foster care support healthy attachment in adult-child relationships — a key factor in developing resiliency.
3. Continued Rhythmic Therapies and Connection: For teens aged 18 years, Reach Within’s Transitional Living Programme is a community safety net that provides continued self-regulation programmes and mentoring, job and life skills training, housing advocacy, and emergency resources such as food and other necessities."
They have just been awarded a US-AID grant to expand their post-residential transitional drop in center efforts.
Keep up the good work, Reach Within!
If you or your organisation want to share information with us of some of the work you are doing to address various firms of childhood adversity and promote positive experiences, please don't hesitate to send us an email!
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