VA TICNs eNote June 8 2020 [grscan.com]

Photo by @nickcapturesva via @rvamag on Instagram

Change is rippling across Virginia and throughout the world. From Minneapolis to Bristol, the call that Black Lives Matter is ringing out with strength and clarity. Thanks to the work of community organizers and activists, hope is echoing in the midst of year full of so much despair and uncertainty. In Richmond, we’ve seen Confederate statues given the historical context they’d so long been missing, connected to a history of enslavement and state-sanctioned violence against Black people, and finally slated for removal. We are seeing undeniably: a different world is possible. Building that world requires all of us to participate, to do the work we are able to do within ourselves and with each other in our families, organizations, and communities. The VA TICNs can be an important tool for collective advocacy for policy change at both the local and state level. As we grapple with the trauma of the past, we must find ways of doing the long-term, ongoing work of disrupting white supremacy and healing racial trauma that center care and sustainability. We can share struggles, successes, and visions for a trauma-informed and resilient future as we advocate for policy and practice change, and responding to historical trauma and systemic racism must be central to our efforts.

Resmaa Menakem talks about his book, My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathways to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Menakem offers a Free Racialized Trauma Course to somatically abolish what he calls white-body supremacy.

Mapping Our Social Change Roles in Social Change Ecosystems by Deepa Iyer is a framework for reflecting upon and understanding how we show up in the work of movement-building and in times of crisis, and how our roles may shift depending on context.

The Nap Ministry advocates for rest as resistance. Listen to an interview with founder Tricia Hersey on NPR.

Topics + Questions to Ask Your White Peers + White Family Members is a helpful PDF with example questions and responses for self-reflection and interpersonal disruption of white supremacy.

George Floyd and Racism: 5 Conversations Credible Leaders Must Have in This Moment by Terina Allen

Pride 2020 is About Resilience, and We Are Resilient Together from the ACLU

Artwork by @nilsrva via Instagram

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Serving the U.S. and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources for children and caregivers. All calls are anonymous and confidential.

Mental Health America of Virginia's Warm Line is a peer-run service for individuals, family members, and other concerned parties in Virginia who would like someone to talk to, or who request community mental health resources, or who have specific questions about their recovery journey. The peers who answer the Warm Line listen with compassion and provide non-judgmental support. Call 1-866-400-6428, Mon-Fri 9am-9pm and Sat-Sun 5pm-9pm.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 support for survivors and their loved ones. Call 1-800-799-7233, use the website's live chat function, or text LOVEIS to 22522. They also provide services for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.

SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) offers a Disaster Distress Helpline for immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. For services in both English and Spanish, call 1-800-985-5990. To connect with a trained crisis counselor, text TalkWithUs (for English) or Hablanos (for Spanish) to 66746.

For questions and support, contact:
Melissa McGinn, MSW, LCSW
State Trauma Informed Community Networks Coordinator
mmcginn@grscan.com