The Philadelphia ACE Task Force (PATF) met on Tuesday, February 16th. The group began with brief introductions and members expressed excitement for the meeting. The PATF staff and leadership then provided updates about recent accomplishments including new funding from the First Hospital Foundation to develop and disseminate messages about ACEs, trauma, and resilience; the success of the premiere Philadelphia ACE Film Festival, which featured the premiere of Paper Tigers and a screening of Portraits of Professional Caregivers: Their Passion. Their Pain.; and information about evaluation activities being conducted through the Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities Initiative. Each Work Group then provided updates.
Following these updates, the group moved into a reflection activity. Staff provided a brief history of the PATF and how the group got to the current work. Small groups then worked together to address several reflective questions. Each group then reported to the larger group on how PATF members’ day-to-day jobs overlap with the work of the Task Force as well as opportunities and challenges they see in achieving the mission and vision of the PATF. Many members expressed that the PATF, and particularly the quarterly meetings, is a safe space that allows them to connect with like-minded people who are seeking to do similar work. The connections with folks all over the city are invaluable in moving the trauma-informed work forward. Members also had a number of suggestions, including:
- Reaching out to policymakers and other community leaders to make real, systemic change
- Sharing more concrete tools for members so that they can share this information in their workplaces and in their communities
- Expanding impact to the five-county region
- Conducting research to show that trauma-informed care can help to enhance the bottom line for organizations, agencies, and businesses
- Taking lessons from other collaboratives about how to organize ourselves
- Create more opportunities for sharing
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