Happy Wednesday,

The last month has been incredibly challenging. 

Many beautiful souls were taken in acts of violence across the country – from a racially motivated mass murder in Buffalo, NY to a mass school shooting in Uvalde, TX to many others. We now simultaneously sit in the ire of the aftermath of devastation while growing stronger in our trauma-informed work.  

These horrendous acts demonstrate that our collective goal of building a trauma-informed society continues to be vital and important work. We must move beyond just offering thoughts and prayers into transformational change that stops the perpetuation of negative actions and cycles rooted in trauma.

More can and must be done to bring new people from all backgrounds into the movement to work towards solutions that mitigate and prevent trauma. Things can get better – they don’t have to be this way – and trauma-informed policies and practices can help make this world better and safer for everyone.

We are grateful for your tireless work and look forward to continuing to build the movement together.

Sincerely,

Your friends at CTIPP

CTIPP organized a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill for HEAL PA. We educated policymakers on the impact of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), as well as the importance of trauma-informed, cross-sector community coalitions.

• CTIPP released a coalition letter urging Congressional leaders to bring the bipartisan Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act (S. 3677 and H.R. 5703) up for a vote as soon as possible. The legislation would extend the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) to be available following Emergency Declarations, like natural disasters and mass violent events, in addition to Major Disaster Declarations.
   
• The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 (WIOA) (H.R. 7309) with new trauma-informed provisions that CTIPP advocated for to provide trauma-specific and healing-centered coaching and support for our nation’s workers, specifically young people and those who face barriers to employment. 

• In a recent blog post, CTIPP explains Section 101 of the bipartisan RISE from Trauma Act (S. 2086), which includes essential funding for cross-sector coalitions to address trauma through grants of up to $6 million for four years. CTIPP is working hard to get this funding across the finish line, whether through the annual appropriations legislation, priority packages, or passing the standalone bill.
   
• CTIPP helped to draft a trauma-informed amendment to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Modernization Act of 2022 (H.R. 5129), which allows funds to be used for state and local partnerships that promote healthy communities through the prevention and mitigation of trauma. The amendment was incorporated in the final bill which passed with bipartisan support. The CSBG is the only federal program with the explicit and overarching goal to reduce poverty, regardless of its cause.

• Urge Congress to Re-Authorize the Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV). MIECHV has been shown to help parents break the cycles of trauma and poverty by providing support and teaching skills needed to achieve financial stability and to help raise healthy, happy, thriving children. MIECHV funding is due for reauthorization this year, and without it, tens of thousands of families will lose access to these essential programs. (SEE ALSO: Watch CTIPP CAN’s February call on MIECHV reauthorization.)

• Help Grow the National Trauma Campaign. Want to join our nationwide grassroots campaign to engage congressional offices and other federal leaders in supporting policies, programs, legislation, and appropriations that prevent and respond to childhood trauma and build resilience? If you have not already done so, then please join us today – we have sign-up forms for individuals and organizations. And please encourage others to join the Campaign as well!