Working document, 3/20/15
Walla Walla, Washington
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Between the Children’s Resilience Initiative
and Community Partners
PREAMBLE
VISION: All young people thrive and parents raise their children with consistency and nurturance to develop lasting resilience in the community as a whole.
MISSION: Mobilizing the community through dialogue to radically reduce the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences while building resilience and a more effective service delivery system.
DEFINITIONS:
TRAUMA: Trauma is the negative impact of experiences of events that happen to children, adults and communities as a result of physical, economic, psychological or environmental assault. Trauma may include physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. Trauma may be caused by family dysfunction such as domestic violence, alcoholism or substance abuse, incarceration of a family member, mental illness, community violence, war, loss, natural disaster, long-term exposure to maltreatment and other conditions. Developmental trauma may begin before birth and continue across the lifespan. Trauma may be predictable or unforeseen.
The results of trauma may include severe injury, feelings of helplessness, inability to cope, stress, relationship difficulties, health problems, mental health issues, behavioral challenges, and many others.
TRAUMA INFORMED COMMUNITY: Trauma informed community refers to an awareness and comprehension of the root causes of trauma in the community. It expresses a commitment to understand, educate and provide resources to foster a safe and healthy environment where children and families can grow and develop. Identifying a network of schools, social service agencies, businesses, clergy, health care providers, safety and governmental offices and others who are committed to assist in the healing of trauma is essential in the formation of a trauma informed community. Through these entities the education, intervention and treatment of the effects of trauma will be accomplished. Using a strengths-based approach, individuals and groups will be assisted in defining their own capacities to contribute to developing a healthy community.
THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)
This MOU is entered into this __9th__ day of __September__ 2013, by and between the Children’s Resilience Initiative and its partners:
WHEREAS, there is a definite correlation between the experience of trauma and resulting behavioral and health problems when the effects of trauma are unrecognized and unaddressed;
WHEREAS, the community recognizes that the cumulative effects of trauma over the lifespan are detrimental to individuals and society, and consequences of ignoring trauma exist for the individual as well as society;
WHEREAS, Walla Walla has made a commitment to address the causes and consequences of trauma through a coordinated comprehensive community effort; and
WHEREAS, the parties involved desire Walla Walla to be a trauma informed community that cares for its citizens by providing trauma information, education, prevention, resources and assistance.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
The parties will continue to convene as the Children’s Resilience Initiative to design and oversee the community response to trauma. Partners will serve as the liaison between their organizations and the Initiative. The Initiative acts as the overarching guide, with the full support and participation of its members. Each partner will agree to implement an appropriate portion of the CRI work plan addressing how a partner is embedding into daily practice the principles from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, brain development research and the power of resilience and nurturance as reparative and restorative throughout the lifespan.
Partner pledges:
Children’s Home Societyas a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Include the trauma-informed material into Nurturing Parenting classes and use the tools CRI developed in working with parents.
- HomeTeam Parent Aide Program will continue tracking ACE’s outcomes as a mechanism to track CPS involvement and ACE score with parents in the program; partner with CRI to include the trauma-informed material and use the tools CRI developed in working with parents and children; incorporate trauma-informed material into Volunteer Parent Aide Training, all volunteers will be trained on using the tools CRI developed to utilize as a resource in working with parents and children
- Share evaluation questionnaire used to document outcomes from parents involved in the HomeTeam Parent Aide Program with others
- Include the trauma-informed material into counseling sessions with parents and children
The Division of Children & Family Servicesas a CRI partner will promote the awareness of trauma-sensitive response to children, parents, and caregivers as follows:
- Handouts about trauma will be utilized on a regular basis.
- “Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child’s Needs” will be included in placement packets for foster and kinship parents.
- “Birth Parents with Trauma Histories and the Child Welfare System” will be included in service referrals to counseling providers and periodically provided to employees.
- Web sites such as Resiliencetrumpsaces.org and others will be frequently suggested to staff, providers, clients, and caregivers.
- Resilience reminders will be included in monthly visits with children and caregivers.
- Training in ACES, trauma, resilience, and brain research will be available to all staff periodically from the agency’s Regional Medical Consult and others.
Walla Walla Public Schools as a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Introduce and foster a learning environment for students and adults, framed in the research of trauma-informed
- Support instruction, prevention and intervention as methods of meeting student needs.
- Offer presentations on ACE and the impact of experiences for parents and families
- Support professional learning opportunities for staff interested in learning more about teacher and working in an ACE-informed environment
- Encourage and support staff participation on local community committees for the purpose of furthering the mission of the CRI group
- Continue the Action Research at Lincoln High School, creating a compassionate school environment
Camp Fire Walla Wallaas a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Conduct trainings in ACES, trauma and resilience and included into all staff orientation and program training annually for all new and returning staff.
- Explore opportunities for using CRI tools to help children who have had adverse experiences learning new strategies.
- Create new opportunities for staff and children to collectively engage in the design of new games, stories or other ways to teach, promote and model resilience strategies.
Court-Appointed Special Advocates(CASA) of Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, as a CRI partner, will promote the awareness of ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Integrate trauma-informed materials and vocabulary into initial pre-service CASA volunteer training;
- Provide training in ACEs, trauma, resilience and brain research to all active CASA volunteers through Children’s Resilience Initiative, including “Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child’s Needs” and “Birth Parents with Trauma Histories and the Child Welfare System”;
- Provide and discuss additional trauma-aware materials and resources on a regular basis and as research progresses;
- Integrate trauma-aware vocabulary and concepts into CASA Fact-finding and Review Reports.
Department of Court Services as a CRI partner will promote the awareness of ACESs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
Family Treatment Court and Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
- Utilize the ACEs and Resilience information in decisions made for and with families in the Treatment Court Program.
- The Department will participate in community events that promote the use and understanding of ACEs and will adapt concepts into practice when possible and allowed by law.
- CASA support as indicated above.
Chief Scott Bieber and the Walla Walla Police Department and Sheriff John Turner and the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office as a CRI partnerwill promote the awareness of ACEs and Resilience principles and will promote the awareness of trauma-sensitive response to first-responders and community members in the following ways:
- Continue to train Deputies, Corrections Officers and staff on ACEs and Resilience efforts,
- Ensure Deputies, Corrections Officers, and staff provide informative literature to persons in need,
- Participate in dialogue and promote community awareness,
- Be a Trauma Informed Community Network partner.
Columbia Rural Electric Association as a CRI Partner will:
- Continue to participate as a committed business member to CRI, and to help promote special events sponsored by CRI which enhance business understanding of the connection of ACEs to employment.
- Participate in developing a business leadership group to broaden and engage business leaders in the integration of CRI principles.
- Evaluate the goal of engaging Columbia REA employees in an ACE and Resilience training.
The Health Center as a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways in all our work at The Health Center at Lincoln and The Health Center at Blue Ridge:
- ACEs will be assessed as a “vital sign” during medical exams and mental health appointments to better understand each individual student’s circumstances, as appropriate.
- The Health Center will continue to use ACEs and Resiliency tools developed by CRI as appropriate to identify student issues, address outcomes, and in turn, ways to improve current programming at all The Health Center locations and programs.
- New and current staff and volunteers will attend CRI trainings as part of orienting to The Health Center’s team.
- Average ACE scores and measurement of resiliency building blocks will continue to be collected and shared through an annual survey with Lincoln High School.
Blue Mountain Action Council as a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Act as fiscal sponsor of CRI effective January 1, 2013.
- Train all staff, including Work Force, Skill Steps, and AmeriCorps members, on how to recognize trauma behavior and how to shift toward a compassionate approach in working with their customer base.
- Be an active partner in developing resilience strategies both internally (staff) and externally to enhance employment retention, based on the newest data on the impact of resilience in employment retention.
- Support developing a business leadership group to broaden and engage business leaders in the integration of CRI principles.
Commitment to Community (C2C) as a CRI partner will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Will act as point of entry for working with parents and children on resilience strategies through neighborhood centers.
- Will support utilizing resilience tools and products in C2C activities.
- Will train new staff and annually re-train existing staff in ACEs, brain development and resilience research.
Annett Ridenour, as Parent Representative to CRI will embed ACE and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Represent the hope and healing of CRI with continued presentations (42 to date) that help put a face to the transformative change that can happen when an individual can put negative childhood experiences in perspective to their current adult lives.
- Continue her champion role in allowing CRI to use her video and materials in presenting her response to ACEs in CRI website and presentations.
Friends of Children of Walla Walla as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Conduct periodic trainings for staff to ensure knowledge of principles to integrate into daily practice.
- Continue to integrate principles into all volunteer trainings for adult volunteers in both Friends programs.
- Work with members of Walla Walla Mentoring Coalition to assist with integration of principles into volunteer trainings for all youth mentoring volunteers in the Walla Walla Valley.
Catholic Charities as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Incorporate material into counseling;
- Tag team with CRI in parent meetings and presentations;
- Integrate strategies with MSW interns
Valley Residential Services as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Train all staff (200+) on ACEs and brain development;
- Work with DDD and families to incorporate family values and resilience strategies;
- and address Veterans objectives by incorporating ACEs into Veteran support (PTSD).
Department of Corrections as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Bring in CRI training to administrative staff;
- Discuss and identify options for CRI training with selected offender training;
- Support CRI through the Sustainable Practices Lab.
Skill Steps/WWCC as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Have CRI present to student groups as part of Skill Steps curriculum;
- Incorporate materials into daily discussion with students on their career track planning;
- Bring CRI to WWCC administration via Round Table presentations annually.
Walla Walla County Community Network as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Represent CRI through the ACEs Public Private Initiative (APPI) evaluation process over the next 2.5 years as one of five evaluation sites in WA State.
- Integrate principles into all presentations and training for any Network-directed partnership, and in particular with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and work force related entities to educate on impacts of ACEs in employment and business.
- Provide oversight to the Gates grant focusing on parenting teens and the general school population at Lincoln High School.
- Continue to develop products and strategies for parents and teachers.
Family Medical Center as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Provide Trauma informed materials/handouts to patients
- Websites such as Resiliencetrumpsaces.org and others will be used as a staff resource and promoted to families.
- Encourage staff and providers to attend ACES, Trauma, resilience, and brain research training as they become available in the community.
- Encourage and support staff participation on local community committees for the purposes of furthering the mission of the CRI group
Jubilee Leadership Academy as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Partner with CRI on trainings for staff, counselors and other support personnel
- Collaborate on strategies and action plans developed for classroom implementation
- Be a spokesperson for CRI at regional and national meetings and presentations
Service Alternatives as a CRI partner will embed ACEs and Resilience principles in the following ways:
- Partner with CRI on trainings for staff and foster parents
- Utilize CRI teaching tools with clients
- Support CRI at events and programs through staff volunteer help
Duration; Termination: This MOU will remain in effect for an indeterminate period. Any party may terminate this MOU upon written notice to the other party.
SIGNATURES of COMMITMENT:
Community Partner/Member
__________________________________________ ________________
Signature Date
__________________________________________ _________________
Community Partner/Member Date
Each partner has a signatory line
Update 12/4/14
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