Trauma effects the whole community. Being trauma informed means understanding trauma and its consequences to build safe spaces that facilitates healing and avoids re-traumatization.
We believe that communities need to come together around a shared vision, approach and set of intentional actions, in order to sustainably build positive life outcomes for people impacted by trauma or adverse life events. The common that we share is the concept of buidling “trauma-responsive communities."
What defines a trauma responsive community?
These are schools, neighbourhoods or agencies who understand trauma and its impact, and can intentionally apply best-practice approaches and strategies that are integrated with existing wisdom, strengths and initiatives to deliver local healing and growth outcomes.
Trauma responsive communities are engaged, equipped and empowered.
Their members have both clarity and skills to provide a safe, supportive and growth environment. That is, to enable those who have been impacted by trauma and adverse life events to find safety and gain trust, and to provide them the resources and skills to heal, grow and achieve their best.
Wellness practitioners, therapists, coaches, educators, social service workers, emergency responders and healthcare professionals provide a vital role in fulfilling our mission.
We provide a variety of ways for individuals to give back, help communities heal and reach resilience. One of the ways we do so is by training helping professionals, organizations and agencies with the special skill set necessary to work with those who are recovering from the long-term effects stress and trauma.
We call it “Trauma Responsive Mind-Body Wellness & SEL“ (TRMBW™)
RfR equips and empowers individuals, engages communities and systems to implement this knowledge, guided by a trauma sensitive lens, culturally responsive approach and set of methods of intentional practice.
Rituals for Recovery’s trauma responsive community model and framework is built upon a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes, and skills that continues to deepen and unfold over time.
Trauma happens in community, but so does healing.
RFR does not offer a quick fix, a one-size-fits-all or dependency-based method.
Our approach is different.
We hold the view that wellbeing, mental health and positive life outcomes are enhanced when:
- Communities are empowered and equipped to codesign their own recovery and wellbeing plan, in a manner that seeks to strengthen not replace existing programs and efforts.
- The wisdom of individual and collective community members is valued, and they are supported to integrate trauma responsive practices grounded in the scientific knowledge of wellbeing, growth, and resilience with their existing knowledge systems.
- Communities have sustainable methods, SEL skills and tools to understand trauma, wellbeing, resilience, and growth, and then intentionally apply this knowledge for themselves, and in the way they support vulnerable community members.
- Communities honour both human diversity and complexity, and they have the methods and skills to personalise rituals for recovery, wellbeing and growth responses to the needs and context of individual and collective community member.