On March 16, 2017, the Northwest Side Housing Center (NWSHC), Steinmetz High School, and PCC Community Wellness Center co-hosted a community convening in the northwest side Chicago Belmont-Cragin community to begin to explore the idea of becoming a trauma-informed community.  About a year ago, the three co-hosts were exposed to ideas related to adversity, trauma, and healing through the Nadine Burke-Harris TED talk, a screening of Paper Tigers, and a day-long workshop with Jim Sporleder, former principal of Lincoln High in Walla Walla, Washington.  Although Belmont-Cragin residents are struggling with issues of community violence, insufficient employment, and immigrant rights, among other challenges, the neighborhood has a solid history of community collaboration. Examples of this community collaboration include two years of working together on a Quality of Life Plan as well as the opening of a school health center in Steinmetz High School.

At the March 16 convening, thirty-six community partners came together with open hearts and minds. They included neighborhood public elementary and high school administrators and staff; the neighborhood community-based organization; the school health center; a mental health service provider; a social service provider; an afterschool program provider; a local funder; a parent; university research colleagues; faith leaders; the Chicago Public Schools network chief; Chicago Police Department community relations officers; and civic leaders.  The meeting began with the Steinmetz High School principal and NWSHC Executive Director describing how they had learned about the impact of trauma and adversity on children and families and their commitment to increasing their knowledge and implementing trauma-informed practices.  Next, the medical director of PCC gave a brief presentation on the science of Adverse Childhood and Adverse Community Experiences as well examples of the exciting models for building resilience and opportunities to thrive within communities which are  already being implemented by self-healing communities around the country.

After about twenty-five minutes of engaged small group sharing and reporting back, the partners identified the following priorities: learning together more deeply about adversity and healing; developing a common language across sectors; hammering out vision and goals for the group; fully disseminating information about community resources collected during the community needs assessment;  and connecting the work to the Quality of Life Plan.  Several partners insisted (and all agreed) that although we had had a great meeting, we would fail if we didn’t take action after the meeting. One of our partners became an exemplary role model and offered four action commitments to the group to help the work move forward.  The meeting closed with a consensus that this work iscritical for the community and a commitment to continue learning, strategizing and implementing new practices together.

The Belmont-Cragin community partners will have the opportunity to learn from national expert Laura Porter when she is hosted by Chicago area Family Bridges in May as part of their Building Trauma-Informed Communities workshop.  We hope to be a successful part of the implementation of the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Healthy Chicago 2.0 goal of becoming a trauma-informed city.