By Amanda Winn, 9/16/21, positiveexperience.org/blog
Aimee Zeitz, Regional Director of Strategic Advancement at the San Diego YMCA, joined the HOPE Innovation Network in January. She knew that if the YMCA wanted to serve children and families differently, they needed to support and engage staff and leadership differently. Aimee wanted to create a space that was person-centered, family-focused, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. She knew that childhood adversity is so common with the families they serve, within their organization, and throughout the county.
The Y already had trainings on Strengthening Families, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive practices – HOPE became another piece of the puzzle. HOPE fit in with all the models her team was learning, and it answered the “why” of it all. Training on HOPE helped staff understand WHY it was so important to promote protective factors through Strengthening Families in a trauma-informed and culturally responsive way. These approaches help create Positive Childhood Experiences that help prevent long-term problems from ACEs. HOPE linked the other models together, using childhood experiences as a common thread.
Photo from YMCA San Diego
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